Recorded Parcels and Failed Delivery

[lazdyde]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone here will be able to clear up a question for me as Royal Mail customer services are being decidedly unhelpful at the moment.

I sent a package via recorded delivery that was unable to be delivered as it turns out the address was "bad" and couldn't be validated (why couldn't the Post Office have told us that when we tried to post it?).

Now in my understanding the package should have been returned to the sender, i.e. me, when the delivery failed. It wasn't and as a result we've applied for compensation for a lost parcel.

So far, so good but now it gets a little surreal. Customer services say the parcel was never delivered and is, in fact, lost. However since the address was incorrect they accept no liability for the lost parcel.

This doesn't make sense to me, the parcel wasn't delivered it must have never left the Royal Mail system. It's not like they even claim it could have been delivered to the rong address by mistake. Since it's now lost, as they've admitted, the surely they have to take responsibility for the loss?

I mean I'm not upset the parcel couldn't be delivered, that's not the fault of the Royal Mail but I always thought that part of the guarantee you pay for with recorded delivery was that if a parcel can't be delivered it will be returned to you.

Can anyone here please explain in simple terms why this isn't covered by the guarantee and what the recorded delivery service really gives you for your money as at the moment I feel like I've been conned :(

Thanks for your help,

Larry

PS Can someone also explain to customer services that when you pay for a service that counts as a contract as does every transaction in this country. The person I was dealing with seemed to think that as well as having no obligation to look after parcels in their care that the Royal Mail was exempt from the basic laws governing contracts in this country :(

[Lounge Lizard]

If the package had an incorrect address on it, then perhaps the return address was wrong too or absent, in which case it will most likely be 'lost'.

[Spedley]

If the id is on the system and it is not registered as delivered or something else (i.e. no return address on it) then you should be due compensation.

If you gave them the address over the phone and they said it wasn't valid and the id has never been on the system then you aren't due any compensation.
Recorded deliveries are only really for the customer benefit. It is not a means of proving a parcel is in the system and that RM are responsible for it nor is it for compensation. Recorded deliveries are so that you can inform your customer when it was delivered and who has signed for it, i.e. the delivery was recorded.

[lazdyde]

Ok, the package was sent over a Post Office counter and a return address was written on in permanent marker so Unless the package was seriously damaged I doubt it could have come off.

As for the tracking I'd, it is valid, is in the system and showing as undelivered.

As far as I can see if you don't pay for special delivery then the tracking is mostly useless. Unfortunately most company returns and eBay deals won't pay for it :(

Oh well, thanksvfor the info.

Larry

[arnold cheshire]

Ok, the package was sent over a Post Office counter and a return address was written on in permanent marker so Unless the package was seriously damaged I doubt it could have come off.

As for the tracking I'd, it is valid, is in the system and showing as undelivered.

As far as I can see if you don't pay for special delivery then the tracking is mostly useless. Unfortunately most company returns and eBay deals won't pay for it :(

Oh well, thanksvfor the info.

Larry

when was the item posted ? if it has return address on it will come back to you >? cause somebody in a delivery office will stick a return to sender red sticker on with incomplete address and it will come back

[lazdyde]

when was the item posted ? if it has return address on it will come back to you >? cause somebody in a delivery office will stick a return to sender red sticker on with incomplete address and it will come back

It was posted about 4 weeks ago, the depot says the address doesn't exist and customer services have admitted that it's lost .

The claim is that it's not the fault of Royal Mail since it was a bad destination address. What I don't get is how a bad destination address can stop it being returned to sender. Surely a bad address is only a reason for not accepting responsibility if it means the parcel is delivered to the wrong place?

To make it worse it's not even a large value item, by now we've probably cost more in time from various people at customer services than the full cost of the compensation.

Thanks again,

Larry

[not me]

IIRC its part of RMs T&Cs that you are only covered for compensation when an item is delivered to a valid address
have you checked the address on RMs postcode checker?

[NewPostieUK]

as it turns out the address was "bad" and couldn't be validated (why couldn't the Post Office have told us that when we tried to post it?).

I always thought that part of the guarantee you pay for with recorded delivery was that if a parcel can't be delivered it will be returned to you.

Do you think the woman at the post office reads every single address on every single item she takes in over the counter? If she did, how would she know if it was a valid address or nor?

No, with a recorded delivery you are simply paying to have the delivery recorded, ie a signature at the delivery point, if it gets there. Nothing else.

[lazdyde]

Do you think the woman at the post office reads every single address on every single item she takes in over the counter? If she did, how would she know if it was a valid address or nor?

No, with a recorded delivery you are simply paying to have the delivery recorded, ie a signature at the delivery point, if it gets there. Nothing else.

Actually after talking to the person behind the counter at the Post Office today the computer *does* check every address entered and won't let you post an item by recorded delivery if it doesn't point to a valid street and the post code is valid and points to the right street. Obviously the building and unit could be, and apparently are, incorrect.

However my point is that the delivery address is irrelevant, there was definitely a valid return address on the parcel. We put our own address on there in permanent marker.

Would you think it was right if the parcel had gone missing on it's way to a valid delivery address? Because it should have been on it's way to my house when it was lost.

The tracking showed it getting to the delivery depot, going out for delivery and then being returned to the depot. At that point, as several people have said, it should have been returned to the sender. Instead it has been lost, it has not been signed for, it has not been marked undeliverable, it has not been returned. As far as the system is concerned it is still being processed. The package is still in the care of the Royal Mail.

I'm sorry if I seem irate or naive but can you imagine how frustrating it is being told that a package has vanished in transit but it's nothing to do with the organisation you paid to transport the item?

I always believed that the Royal Mail was a service this country could be proud of that would endeavour to deliver or return any parcel placed in it's care and accepted responsibility for the vast amount of goods and letters that are placed in it's care everyday. Instead it seems that responsibility lies with the sender and if the parcel is lost it is their fault for trusting the postal service. This revelation makes me very sad.

I'm afraid you've convinced me that I need to use a carrier with better accountability. With current technology for tracking parcels there is no excuse for not logging any tracked parcels in and out of every building or vehicle using barcode scanning or RFID tags.

Thank you for trying to offer advice and I wish you all the best.

Larry

[NewPostieUK]

The tracking showed it getting to the delivery depot, going out for delivery and then being returned to the depot.

Sorry - I thought you'd sent it recorded.

[NewPostieUK]

Actually after talking to the person behind the counter at the Post Office today the computer *does* check every address entered and won't let you post an item by recorded delivery if it doesn't point to a valid street and the post code is valid and points to the right street. Obviously the building and unit could be, and apparently are, incorrect.

Can anyone shed any light on this? I find it hard to believe that Post Offices scan the address, or even the postcode. They just don't have the equipment. Sure, the barcode gets scanned (are you confusing barcode with postcode maybe?).

[Broxi51]

Should be possible to have that at all PO's. We sell databases to the public for every house in the UK so it wouldnt be hard to
incorporate it into the HORIZON system.
I would have thought that RM were contractually liable to return parcel to you especially if return address is on it and if they lose it regardless of
incomplete address etc then they should be paying compensation for a lost item.

[lazdyde]

Can anyone shed any light on this? I find it hard to believe that Post Offices scan the address, or even the postcode. They just don't have the equipment. Sure, the barcode gets scanned (are you confusing barcode with postcode maybe?).

They enter the postcode and first line of address into the computer and print it on the receipt so we have a record of the address that was attached to the tracking barcode they put on the package.

[fishtank]

Can anyone shed any light on this? I find it hard to believe that Post Offices scan the address, or even the postcode. They just don't have the equipment. Sure, the barcode gets scanned (are you confusing barcode with postcode maybe?).

They enter the postcode and first line of address into the computer and print it on the receipt so we have a record of the address that was attached to the tracking barcode they put on the package.

Do you send a lot of parcels lazdyde...you seem well informed.
What has been your overall experience of using Royal Mail?...this one parcel aside.

[NewPostieUK]

I send a lot of packets. If I ask for proof of postage (a receipt) the girl just scribbles the house number and post code onto the receipt and chucks the packet into a sack. As far as I can remember, it's just the same for recordeds. Never seen one scanned.