Is it normal for a recorded and signed for not to track?

[missingmail101]

I sent a parcel on the 14th and over a week later it still says "we have your item and are progressing it through our network for delivery".

In the meantime I have lost an eBay dispute as I couldn't prove signature on delivery, meaning I have lost over £400, as the buyer has been refunded from my Paypal account, and Paypal are about to delve into my account to replenish my Paypal account with the money that was refunded.

I am wondering if it is possible for recorded and signed for first class packets not to be tracked by Royal Mail's tracking system, especially if they are going to a business address, that gets lots of mail?

I am highly suspicious that the buyer in question didn't sign but received the package so he could rip me off £400+

[clashcityrocker]

Some postmen/women have a blase attitude towards Recorded Deliveries and will deliver them unsigned.
Some people know how to abuse the system and you would be right to be suspicious about the buyer.
If whatever you sold was worth £400, you should have used Special Delivery.
Recorded Delivery is a pointless service.

[fishtank]

Recorded delivery is not tracked it is simply a signature at point of delivery product.
It is,of course possible that the item was handed over without signature although that would be a breach of our mail security procedures.

[clashcityrocker]

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 15&t=37716" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a breach of security procedures, but it still happens.

[fishtank]

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 15&t=37716

It is a breach of security procedures, but it still happens.

I agree...and i also agree it's a pointless product with little value to the company and even less to the customer.

[CharlesSpooner]

I disagree about the pointlessness of Recordeds. It's just that so many customers use them without understanding the product. Certainly if a customer is going to a post office and asking to send something by Recorded it should be standard protocol for the PO worker to ask the nature of the item and advise the customer whether SD or standard 1st/2nd class is a more suited product. It just isn't done enough though - if at all.

It's a service that's good for sending out documents that in themselves have very little or no material value but where proof of delivery is needed. Solicitors letters, summons etc or anything where a failure to deliver or possible dispute of delivery could cause problems to the sender/addressee.

If someone is delivering them without obtaining a signature then it does become pointless - but then so does anything if the entire point of it is completely ignored.

[missingmail101]

I regret not sending the item via Special Delivery which would have insured me of up to £500.
I am wondering if there is a way of claiming the £400 for the item even though it was sent via Recorded devliery which only covers up to £46?

Will putting in a claim for the item lead to an immediate rejection of the claim seeing that the item was worth more than £46?

Or would I just be paid £46 as compensation?

Or even worse sent a book of stamps to the value of £46?

I understand that the buyer or seller can instigate a claim, and in this case it would make sense for the buyer to instigate a claim for the amount regardless of whether it was sent via Recorded or Special delivery since he can claim what he paid for it, however the buyer in question is no longer responding to any of my emails after collecting his money from the eBay dispute.

If he is unwilling to instigate a claim on his end, is there any chance of me recuperating the £400?

Incidentally since the buyer is no longer responding to my emails, filling in a non-receipt form (form A91) is out of the picture, as this is what I asked if he would be willing to do before all communication with him ceased.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[not me]

you have no chance of claiming for £400 on RD
RM will simply tell you items over the basic compensation need to be sent SD
theres seems conflicting reports on claiming up to that on over value items
you will not get £46 of stamps
all you can do is put a claim in

[mazza111]

Have to agree with Custardly here. You've sent a high cost item without the relevant insurance cover on it. You are only covered for items up to the value of £46 with Recorded delivery. As previously stated it's not a tracked item, but only a signature to prove delivery. You've either been badly advised at PO or tried to cut costs yourself. Either way, RM won't entertain a claim for £400 for a Recorded item.

[POSTMAN]

Recorded is a good product if 1st our colleagues repected it and 2nd the customer understood it more.
It's easy money for RM.

[slave]

Recorded is a good product if 1st our colleagues repected it and 2nd the customer understood it more.
It's easy money for RM.

Indeed, too easy on the money.. The number of people that have appeared somewhat shocked when I told them recordeds are treated just like normal mail (apart from the obvious end result) and really are nothing special is frightening.. It seems a fair portion of the public have no idea about them, is that RMs fault (for not informing to a greater extent), or the POs (for not informing/miselling) or the customers (for trying to send something as cheap as possible)????

[CharlesSpooner]

is that RMs fault (for not informing to a greater extent), or the POs (for not informing/miselling) or the customers (for trying to send something as cheap as possible)????

Probably a combination of all 3 but the PO's really should be pushing the difference when dealing with the sender. A lot of customers just aren't aware that Recorded and Special are 2 very different services. It doesn't help matters when you still get some of the longer-serving posties still referring to Specials as Registered Delivery - that also confuses the new starters.

And then of course there's all the scam/junk mail with bogus official looking bollocks like "Special Monitored Delivery" emblazoned all over it - there's been a few customers I've had angrily asking me why I've just pushed it through and not got a sig

[Terryk]

I both send and receive recorded delivery items. At peak times we can get over 300 items a day and it is not unknown for a recorded to sneak through unsigned for amidst them. It might help if there was a standard place to put the orange sticker - say top left. At least if you fan through the bundle you stand a greater chance of finding it.

On the other side of the coin what is the standard time for returning an item to the sender if it isnt delivered. Despite putting a return address on the back we have had items back more than six weeks after we sent it.

[POSTMAN]

6 weeks is way too long,what makes you think it's being sent back?

[Terryk]

Not sure I totally understand the reply. I know it is being sent back because it has the red kill off sticker and Not Called For ticked.