Leaving item with a next door neighbour

markis · Post by **markis** » 23 Oct 2008, 15:56

The other day i was out on delivery and was standing on a driveway sorting out a recorded letter for next door when a car pulls on to the driveway and asks if I have a parcel for her,I explain that I don't and it's a recorded i have for next door.She says "I'll sign for it if you like" I said I'll give them a knock first which I did, BellL and Letterbox just in case. So I get no answer after a few minutes I go back to next door and she comes out and signs for It. I put a red card through the other door saying item signed by neighbour and at No %$.A few mintues later this guy comes out and says "have you just put this through my door ?" I said yes, he then says that I have committted a criminal offence !!! ,I said what , no I haven't, he says he should know because he's a judge, then proceeds to ask for my name and number and what office,etc, threatening to take this to the very top.Is he right or is he wrong ? because as far as I'm aware it is only royal mail procedure that requires a item to be signed for and does not come into criminal law.

lover · Post by **lover** » 23 Oct 2008, 17:42

i dont think its criminal but it is rm policy that only a resident of the address signs for it.
my local post office master says i should ask for id and only let the addressee sign for it.
but we deliver to addresses not people.

having said that it could be a case of mis selling by rm if they allow you to let just anyone in the street sign.but thats not criminal on your part.

Stormproof · Post by **Stormproof** » 23 Oct 2008, 18:21

Why did'nt he answer the door, did his butler have the day off? As far as I know neighbours can sign for Recorded Items but not Specials, the trouble is nowadays you don't know if the customer gets on with the neighbours.

Post by **trythat** » 23 Oct 2008, 19:09

The 739 form I've got says 'with your designated neighbour' so tell them that was what you were doing, and next time knock lightly, and if you get to the road before he answers, tell him 'you just gave it to van to take back, later in the day'. Where I work we wouldn't worry about it, but I suppose it makes a differnce what kind of manager you have.

Post by **Thorby Bislam** » 24 Oct 2008, 18:43

markis wrote: as far as I'm aware it is only royal mail procedure that requires a item to be signed for and does not come into criminal law.

True, you are in trouble now, but not with the law. Where is he a judge, Crufts ?

lover wrote: my local post office master says I should ask for ID and only let the addressee sign for it.
.

That's crazy, That would really slow the job down to a crawl. I've never heard that said, (and we have a real officious, by-the-book DOM).

k66yla wrote: As far as I know neighbours can sign for Recorded Items but not Specials,

Sorry, Kyla, but that's wrong. We are not even supposed to let neighbours take in ordinary un-registered parcels. Although that might just be the above mentioned DOM speaking. As we know different offices run by different rules.

Hey, that might be Markis' defence. He was going by the rules, just it was the rules of his previous office.

trythat wrote:The 739 form I've got says 'with your designated neighbour' so tell them that was what you were doing,

Not only different rules but different 739 cards.

trythat wrote: Where I work we wouldn't worry about it, but I suppose it makes a differnce what kind of manager you have.

There you go, Markis. Blame it on the inherent inconsistency within RM.

lover · Post by **lover** » 24 Oct 2008, 19:23

im sure all p739 s have a designated neighbour box at the top above the in designated safe place and returned to office

soltan · Post by **soltan** » 24 Oct 2008, 20:03

Should only recs, pkts etc be left never sd's. If they have wrote to the office and designated the neighbour or safe place I think. The guy sounds like a real p***k, you were doing him a favour so just 739 in future so he has to wait/travel to get it.

Post by **rhino49** » 24 Oct 2008, 21:40

Now there's a good point - "Designated neighbour"

Who designates the neighbour - is it the customers choice - in which case he should send written confirmation to the office (for it to be ignored by anyone covering the walk on days off, holidays, and lapsing) or is it the delivering officers choice, which the customer may not like.

We are only trying to be helpful and save both the customer and the poor guys in the callers office a lot of inconvenience, but initiative is a dangerous word in this business now - it can get you a pat on the back or a slap in the face with no clear reason for either.

Welcome to the modern super service Royal Mail - where rules are unclear and bendy enough for any situation that the management chooses.

BELIAL · Post by **BELIAL** » 24 Oct 2008, 23:51

Plasma wisdom "HCT's should only be left unattended for a short length of time" is that one or three days?

Izzy · Post by **Izzy** » 25 Oct 2008, 18:42

As I understand it a Rec Delivery is something the sender is worried the recipient might try to deny getting. So if you got a neighbour to sign the person at the right address would be entitled to say they hadn't got it.

When I started it was only legal, usually unwelcome things that were Rec Del. Families that knew trouble routinely refused all recordeds - letters from school, loans companies, criminal justice, council, etc. We always used to RTS items with poor addresses e.g 70 Main St when you knew they meant 7D Main St. We were told legal proceedings could be abandonned due to "irregularities" if we used our initiative to deliver recordeds.

Nowadays it's used by loads of internet/ebay sellers. It's not the RM postie they don't trust, it's the recipient. So if someone shops online and gets packets signed for by neighbour/postie they can report that they didn't get item. The seller then has to take it up with RM and pay for copy of signature. Most just refund the customer and the fraudster gets their item free.

paul_skinback · Post by **paul_skinback** » 07 Nov 2008, 18:59

markis wrote:The other day i was out on delivery and was standing on a driveway sorting out a recorded letter for next door when a car pulls on to the driveway and asks if I have a parcel for her,I explain that I don't and it's a recorded i have for next door.She says "I'll sign for it if you like" I said I'll give them a knock first which I did, BellL and Letterbox just in case. So I get no answer after a few minutes I go back to next door and she comes out and signs for It. I put a red card through the other door saying item signed by neighbour and at No %$.A few mintues later this guy comes out and says "have you just put this through my door ?" I said yes, he then says that I have committted a criminal offence !!! ,I said what , no I haven't, he says he should know because he's a judge, then proceeds to ask for my name and number and what office,etc, threatening to take this to the very top.Is he right or is he wrong ? because as far as I'm aware it is only royal mail procedure that requires a item to be signed for and does not come into criminal law.

We should lock him up. its a crime that these turds take so long to answer the bloody door! Special those in bungalows that have the smallest floor space!

Tell him next time to watch the X Factor cos you should not judge the judge cos there is only one Judge and its ONKA JUDGE

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GpcxbPW0mQA

Big Daz · Post by **Big Daz** » 09 Nov 2008, 21:00

lover wrote:im sure all p739 s have a designated neighbour box at the top above the in designated safe place and returned to office

Exactly the same in my office!

Note the key word here people,

designated

In my office the DOM has a folder with letters from customers designating a safe place or neighbour to leave item at/with.

If customers have given permission then thats fine but if they havent bring the item back no ifs no buts, thats what I do nobody touches their neighbours packets without permission from their neighbour and that dosent include notes on doors.

By the book only . if a customers complains and you havent done it buy the book then xpect the DOM to be having words with you!

We want RM to spend money on wages not fines for failing to look after mail!

bexhil palace · Post by **bexhil palace** » 11 Nov 2008, 15:57

Take no chances mate,
739 everything,and i mean everything. Then you can't go wrong.

two-tired-feet · Post by **two-tired-feet** » 11 Nov 2008, 18:19

bexhil palace wrote:Take no chances mate,
739 everything,and i mean everything. Then you can't go wrong.

yeah...your customer's said your a miserable git

i'd better watch out tomorrow morning,i feel a slap coming

ad0128 · Post by **ad0128** » 11 Nov 2008, 22:25

i'm quite strict about leaving items especially nw i'm a different route every day. Used to use discression with customers/neighbours i knew well.

the other day i had a parcel saying leave in a safe place......coulnt find a safe place so took it back

I NEVER let a neighbour sign for anything