Signed For

[miles_peters]

the signature requirement is outdated, even 739's no longer have the option to inform the recipient that a signature was required. Most customers don't even sign with their signature. Its finished.

[TopperGas]

Apart from the odd no all. customers rarely complain if you sign for a letter/small packet which fits though the letterbox, although you're asking for trouble signing for a parcel, as if that goes missing, or the customer claims it did, you haven't got a leg to stand on, conduct wise.

Given so many people are out during the day it's mystifying why RM still bothers with signed for for letters, as how is a customer supposed to get them when the CSP only opens for limited hours?

Royal Mail want them to get in touch (after the first attempt) and tell them what day they actually want it delivering. Personally I don’t think our redelivery system is getting through to people.

It's after the second attempt but still an issue if they are at work all week or simply out when the postie usually calls.

If they know they're going to be at work, why don't they get whatever it is delivered to their workplace instead?

Not many employers allow staff to have mail delivered at work, anyway I'm not sure I fancy wandering around a supermarket etc looking for "Mr A Smith"!!

[TopperGas]

So if I know that someone is going to send me something that I don't want to accept, they know it too so they send it signed for so I can't deny that I've received it yet the postie signs for it and posts it through my door. I would be absolutely furious that I've not been given the opportunity to refuse it.

How has it come to the point where the postman thinks that they are the one who can sign for it?

Sadly that's the way the company has gone, I see very few RD letters in our locker at the end of each day.

[scoobydo79]

It’s fine until you sign for a special and Mis deliver it and your balls up is spread all over a community FB Group

[miles_peters]

It’s fine until you sign for a special and Mis deliver it and your balls up is spread all over a community FB Group

dont mis deliver it then.

[scoobydo79]

It’s fine until you sign for a special and Mis deliver it and your balls up is spread all over a community FB Group

dont mis deliver it then.

Too late . Someone at ours has. Not been nice for them either

[Acca Dacca]

On one of our routes is a guy who will sign for everything with a big "X" then says "huh huh that's not my signature I'll be able to get me money back." According to the duty holders he regularly tells them how he swindles sellers by claiming Royal Mail faked his signature, or given it to some random person in his garden without checking ID....
So what's the actual point of it? We don't know that's their signature and they've no obligation to prove it is. Might as well sign for it ourselves

Wait, he has told his postman he does this and they let him? Why does his postman still give him the PDA and the item knowing he is doing that?

[Acca Dacca]

So if I know that someone is going to send me something that I don't want to accept, they know it too so they send it signed for so I can't deny that I've received it yet the postie signs for it and posts it through my door. I would be absolutely furious that I've not been given the opportunity to refuse it.

How has it come to the point where the postman thinks that they are the one who can sign for it?

To be fair, I actually agree with you

I'll never sign for anything that looks like a birthday card ( due to a risk of claims that money has been stolen ) or something that is obvious from the return address is from an employer, bank, court, solicitor, council, police, energy company or debt collector ( due to what you say above - that the recipient may not want to acknowledge receiving the item

[Kenfandango]

On one of our routes is a guy who will sign for everything with a big "X" then says "huh huh that's not my signature I'll be able to get me money back." According to the duty holders he regularly tells them how he swindles sellers by claiming Royal Mail faked his signature, or given it to some random person in his garden without checking ID....
So what's the actual point of it? We don't know that's their signature and they've no obligation to prove it is. Might as well sign for it ourselves

Wait, he has told his postman he does this and they let him? Why does his postman still give him the PDA and the item knowing he is doing that?

Well.... *Sigh* the duty holder on that side has approximately 6 out of every 12 months off sick, and his partner refuses to touch that side as it's "not his." As a result managers chuck any temp/new start/ reserve on there, but that partner always gets his own van when his friend isn't with him. We all stop after the first time he does it

[Hyrrokkin]

Can't blame any postie who doesn't feel like they have the time to attempt a signed for letter Monday and Tuesday knowing the recipient isn't in on weekdays and they'll have to try again on Saturday redelivery with maybe a 50% chance of catching them, from skipping the signature when 95% of the time, the recipient will not care and out of the remainder, 50% of those won't bother to complain since they got the whatever. The minimising of CSP hours and pointless redeliveries has caused this to be worse than it ever was.

You've a choice, do it properly, get bitched at by managers for every single cut off or overtime claim and the hassle of writing out pointless extra slips, or you skip a step and maybe 1 in 50 complains if you're really unlucky.

Stupid system means the rules don't work.

[sorefeet17]

I sign the odd one here or there, but it depends on what it looks like and only if it goes through the letterbox at an single occupant house, and I know the person, or if they have a dangerous dog and I want to minimise contact with it ( I never did this before the Covid rules)
But pretty much most of the others in my office don't even knock and try and get a signature, and that can include specials
I do rip off the barcode orange sticker to make it look less signed for

[pinstripe]

Is this thread and the majority of replies a pi** take?
Oh, I don’t have time to wait for a signature…not a problem
If I have to wait for customers I’ll never get done….And?
It’s only a squiggle anyway….it’s their squiggle
My manager will moan at me for taking too long… So what

So many people on here seem to be determined to get themselves sacked while acting like hypocritical fools. “Work to time, take full meal relief, don’t start early, sign for items to shave a few seconds here and there”

It’s wrong, you know it is

Play this game by their rules and cover your own back

[Clappedoutpostie]

Is this thread and the majority of replies a pi** take?
Oh, I don’t have time to wait for a signature…not a problem
If I have to wait for customers I’ll never get done….And?
It’s only a squiggle anyway….it’s their squiggle
My manager will moan at me for taking too long… So what

So many people on here seem to be determined to get themselves sacked while acting like hypocritical fools. “Work to time, take full meal relief, don’t start early, sign for items to shave a few seconds here and there”

It’s wrong, you know it is

Play this game by their rules and cover your own back

[LouBarlow]

So if I know that someone is going to send me something that I don't want to accept, they know it too so they send it signed for so I can't deny that I've received it yet the postie signs for it and posts it through my door. I would be absolutely furious that I've not been given the opportunity to refuse it.

How has it come to the point where the postman thinks that they are the one who can sign for it?

To be fair, I actually agree with you

I'll never sign for anything that looks like a birthday card ( due to a risk of claims that money has been stolen ) or something that is obvious from the return address is from an employer, bank, court, solicitor, council, police, energy company or debt collector ( due to what you say above - that the recipient may not want to acknowledge receiving the item

It is even easier to just not sign for anything yourself. Nobody has answered this yet - why are you risking your job to do it?

[Mr Blonde]

I'm glad to see that some sense has finally entered the thread!

Another thing too, "DWS". This seems to be a thing among some people. In all my time on delivery I was never told that this was something that we should do. "Delivered without signature"? Who makes these things up?!!