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Tracked post - what happens when...?

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For help with tracking please see...HERE
For information about your item being in HWDC Langley please see...HERE
For information about any other mail or if you have a complaint or general query, we first suggest you contact Royal Mail, see the link HERE.
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Buern
Posts: 1
Joined: 15 Dec 2021, 23:15
Gender: Female

Tracked post - what happens when...?

Post by Buern »

Hello lovely posties,

So I sent the most important letter of my life last week but made a daft mistake while doing it: I sent it tracked as I needed to know it was received but I popped it in a post box as I missed the bit about it needing to go to the post office. The tracking number tells me I'll be informed when delivery is attempted but that was last Monday and there's been no update.

Will the letter likely have been delivered but someone just not scanned it? Should I presume it is lost? I have an amazing postie (honestly think he might be the best in the country, definitely in the county!) who goes above and beyond the call of duty all the time but I imagine in the present circumstances elsewhere there will be people on shift work and lots of absences so maybe the letter just wasn't scanned at the other end?

What happens if someone rejects a tracked item? Does it return to sender?

I wrote the letter again and posted yesterday tracked from post office just in case but even that one hasn't been delivered next day. I'm worried the same thing will happen and I just won't know if the letter got there.

The letter is headed to Dorchester if anyone knows of particular snare ups or issues there.

Any insight much appreciated and thank you all for everything you do!
yellowbelly
Posts: 3696
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 15:51
Gender: Male

Re: Tracked post - what happens when...?

Post by yellowbelly »

Buern wrote:
15 Dec 2021, 23:25
Hello lovely posties,

So I sent the most important letter of my life last week but made a daft mistake while doing it: I sent it tracked as I needed to know it was received but I popped it in a post box as I missed the bit about it needing to go to the post office. The tracking number tells me I'll be informed when delivery is attempted but that was last Monday and there's been no update.

Will the letter likely have been delivered but someone just not scanned it? Should I presume it is lost? I have an amazing postie (honestly think he might be the best in the country, definitely in the county!) who goes above and beyond the call of duty all the time but I imagine in the present circumstances elsewhere there will be people on shift work and lots of absences so maybe the letter just wasn't scanned at the other end?

What happens if someone rejects a tracked item? Does it return to sender?

I wrote the letter again and posted yesterday tracked from post office just in case but even that one hasn't been delivered next day. I'm worried the same thing will happen and I just won't know if the letter got there.

The letter is headed to Dorchester if anyone knows of particular snare ups or issues there.

Any insight much appreciated and thank you all for everything you do!
Sending it from a PO just means you'd have got a proof of posting from them ie the start of it's journey was recorded.
Also (but I'm not 100 per cent sure about this) PO's might segregate 'Tracked' items from normal mail as
well to ensure it gets scanned at mail hubs on it's journey.

As you missed the PO bit out the first scan it will hopefully get is at an mail centre hub on its way if it
gets spotted as a tracked item (as it's probably mixed up with normal mail). One of the mail centre
staff will know more about this than me.

If you're happy to post the tracking number on here, somebody might be able to advise what appears
to be happening (if there is any tracking appearing).

There are delays all over (not necessarily at Dorchester) which may slow the item on the way there.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12119
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Tracked post - what happens when...?

Post by SpacePhoenix »

I don't think Post Offices accept Tracked items. Are you sure that it was Tracked and not Special Delivery
yellowbelly
Posts: 3696
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 15:51
Gender: Male

Re: Tracked post - what happens when...?

Post by yellowbelly »

I stand corrected (although they do accept Tracked Returns I think that's where I've thought they could accept any tracked).
N|M
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 192
Joined: 19 Nov 2021, 21:26
Gender: Male

Re: Tracked post - what happens when...?

Post by N|M »

If this was sent to a post box, chances are it will endup classed as open bags, which at our mail center it will get sorted by the the imp or sent to the conveyor belt (horizon section) to be sorted that way, other mail centers may deal with open bags (post box mail ) differently.
What happens if someone rejects a tracked item? Does it return to sender?
If there is a return address then it will be "RTS" (return to sender) if rejected - no return address it will be sent i think to ireland to be looked at and find the address if possible.