Send post to Romania at your own risk!!!!

[FlyingAnt]

These days you would think that security and tracking has got to a level where we can trust our mail to the various mail organisations. Wrong! A while ago I sent a letter to my girlfriend in Bucharest. It never arrived. Did someone think there was money in it or something? Seriously, who sends money in the post these days? It's just kind of nice to send something handwritten from time to time rather than being glued to smartphones all the time.

So, last month I'm sending my beauty a Valentines card. I thought I'd use the Track & Signed service (RN075276225GB) so I'd be sure it wasn't stolen or opened. A week later it is showing as delivered and signed for. Did my girlfriend receive this? No! So who signed for it? I know my girlfriend's flat well, I've been there, she lives there with her mother, no ambiguity about it being given to the wrong flat or person. So I write to the Royal Mail asking to see the signature. Surely this is something to investigate? Surely the Royal Mail have a mechanism of who they contact in the mail service of Romanian to investigate? If not then we will never stamp out theft and corruption in any country. All the Royal Mail was interested in was sending me a form to make a claim. Oh well, I guess I just stick to FedEx or any reliable service if I ever was to send anything again. (FedEx do a fairly economic parcel service and is reliable). Fortunately I photographed the card before I sent it as I has my suspicion it might not get there, but a photo isn't the same as getting something in the hand. Is it any wonder sending of mail is declining when even “tracked” mail when confirmed “signed” for goes missing?

Nearly 6 weeks after delivery the proof of delivery “hasn't come through yet” so we can see what the signature was. If only there was some electronic network of communication available to send information globally in the blink of an eye.

Sigh..........

[Snaggletooth]

Unfortunately there are people who steal the mail. This can be a serious problem in certain countries, though actually far more goes missing due to the 1001 other things which could go wrong. Royal Mail have no control over Romania as it is another country. Royal Mail are obliged to exchange mail with the mail service of every country in the world so are stuck with it. The service you used does not provide for you obtaining a copy of the signature as part of the service, so you would be lucky if you can get it manually. The mail service in most countries of the world are not equipped with scanning equipment either: Global Express and Global Priority from Parcelforce do, as do some of the private mail operators.

If I had served you I would have attempted to dissuade you from using International Signed For and recommended normal Airmail instead. Signed for is used when the item is valuable (including sending cash to many countries - yes it still does happen). If you use it in other circumstances you are implying that you don't trust the recipient and potentially giving them an unnecessary trip to the delivery office to collect the item when it could otherwise have gone through the door.

You could consider getting your girlfriend to report this to the police in Romania, if it is theft/fraud this would be considered as an offence pretty much everywhere in the world.

[NWpostie]

Romania has serious corruption problems and enforcement against is weak, something to bear in mind, you probably knew something of that anyway having been to Romania.