Parcel received incomplete

[Ancient]

My package from China, weighing 8.21kgs was received at Heathrow Airport on the 23rd July 2026.
The contents of this package was 4 sets of kitchen mats that were rolled up and individually wrapped.
Royal Mail collected this package (Tracking Number GV729713157GB) on the 23rdJuly 2026. It was received by Bristol MC at 21:32 the same day.
I have had it confirmed that the package weight that Royal Mail was expecting was 8.21 kgs.

The package was delivered to me by Clevedon DO on the 24thJuly 2026 at 10.35 am.
When I opened the package it only contained 2 sets of kitchen mats and also the original outer packing.
I weighed the package and its weight was 3.95 kgs.

It seems to me that at some time between collection from Heathrow and it leaving Clevedon DO to be delivered to me that Royal Mail, for some reason, had opened the package, removed two sets of kitchen mats, and then re-packed 2 sets of mats using the original packing inside out.

If anyone works at Clevedon DO could you please investigate this as there may be 2 sets of kitchen mats still at Clevedon DO.Or they could still be at Bristol MC.If I do not receive them I will lose £128.

[Snaggletooth]

It is fairly unlikely that anyone from Clevedon DO will see this. Also, there are several other places back down the pipeline where this could have happened.

What you should be doing is making a claim from the seller and, if that fails, ask your credit card company for a chargeback.

[Ancient]

Why do you think it is the Chinese sellers responsibility?
The package contained 4 items when it was collected from Heathrow by Royal Mail. So the responsibility lies firmly with the Royal Mail, either at Bristol MC or Clevedon DO.
I have tried talking to Royal Mail Customer Services and their attitude is a complete joke! As is having to wait 20 minutes for someone to become free.
I sent an email to customer.service@royalmail.com setting everything out and this was the automated reply:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: New emails to this email address are not monitored and your email has not been passed to a member of our team.

To ensure your enquiry is routed to the appropriate team and that we can respond to your enquiry as quickly and efficiently as possible, please visit our Contact Us section for ways to raise your enquiry.

If you’ve already contacted us and received an email response, please keep all messages in that thread by replying directly to it.

Alternatively, you can:
· Track your items 24/7 at royalmail.com/track using your tracking reference number.
· View the latest status of our delivery service in the UK royalmail.com/latest-news.
· See the status to our international delivery service royalmail.com/international-incident-bulletin.
· Visit our help centre which contains lots of helpful information to help answer your questions.
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None of what they say can be done on the Royal Mail website!

[yellowbelly]

Why do you think it is the Chinese sellers responsibility?
The package contained 4 items when it was collected from Heathrow by Royal Mail. So the responsibility lies firmly with the Royal Mail, either at Bristol MC or Clevedon DO.
I have tried talking to Royal Mail Customer Services and their attitude is a complete joke! As is having to wait 20 minutes for someone to become free.
I sent an email to customer.service@royalmail.com setting everything out and this was the automated reply:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: New emails to this email address are not monitored and your email has not been passed to a member of our team.

To ensure your enquiry is routed to the appropriate team and that we can respond to your enquiry as quickly and efficiently as possible, please visit our Contact Us section for ways to raise your enquiry.

If you’ve already contacted us and received an email response, please keep all messages in that thread by replying directly to it.

Alternatively, you can:
· Track your items 24/7 at royalmail.com/track using your tracking reference number.
· View the latest status of our delivery service in the UK royalmail.com/latest-news.
· See the status to our international delivery service royalmail.com/international-incident-bulletin.
· Visit our help centre which contains lots of helpful information to help answer your questions.
----------------------------------------------

None of what they say can be done on the Royal Mail website!

How do you know that the parcel contained the items you state?

Just because the label or packing note indicates as such, that doesn't mean that the originator put all the said items in the parcel.

You say:

When I opened the package it only contained 2 sets of kitchen mats and also the original outer packing.

You don't say that the packaging was tampered with or damaged. So again what's your proof that Royal Mail are responsible?

[Ancient]

The weight was checked by Royal Mail when they collected it at Heathrow, so it must have contained 4 sets of mats.
I am trying to find out when on it's journey with Royal Mail the package was ripped open and it was then repacked with the outer packing inside and the inner packing used as the outer packing but only 2 sets of mats of were put in along with the original outer. Somewhere on its route I hope there are 2 sets of mats and I can have them sent to me.
I have just seen a Clevedon DO van across the road, so I need to sign off and hand them all of my info to pass on to their manager.

[Snaggletooth]

Why do you think it is the Chinese sellers responsibility?

Under UK law, it is the seller’s responsibility to get the item to the customer. If the seller’s subcontractor (the parcel carrier) fails, the seller has to make it right with the customer then pursue their sub-contractor for compensation, if applicable. If you had bought from a UK seller you would automatically be entitled to a refund or replacement. As you bought it from an overseas seller that could be difficult to enforce. Hence my earlier suggest that you pursue a claim via your card provider if the seller is not responsive.

It is the sender’s responsibility to ensure that the package is adequately packaged to survive the rough and tumble of the mail system. At over 8kg, anything other than a sturdy cardboard box is inadequate. You have implied that some kind of bag was used, I would argue that this is at least partially the sender’s fault.

Chasing Royal Mail is a fools errand as you are not their customer in this scenario, which severely limits what they can do or so with respect to this. If they were being honest they would probably tell you that the sender didn’t package the item properly, but there is no way they would be allowed to say that to you.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail did not weigh your parcel at Heathrow — they only imported the declared weight from China.

Inbound parcels are not individually weighed or checked against declarations, so the 8.21 kg figure does not prove all four mats were present when Royal Mail received it.

Repacking and missing contents most commonly occur before UK arrival or during Border Force inspection, not at delivery offices.

Legally, the seller is responsible for ensuring the goods reach you intact, and any loss in transit must be resolved by them.

Your remedy is with the seller or your card provider, not Royal Mail.

Just to add we are not an official Royal Mail site so we can only advise you, not actually provide a solution, and yes we know their phone system is archaic as is their claim system.