Special delivery gone missing

[dn5000]

Collected and scanned at door by postman on Monday. - tracking updated as item collected

Received a further update on Monday 2 hours later to say item scanned again - item collected (which I presumed at the time was the item reaching the delivery office from postman)

Since then nothing . Escalation team looking at it but I don’t hold out much hope for what is a time sensitive item.

Just wondered if any thoughts as to what the issue could be .

The tracking number is SE118434464GB

It has been suggested it could have Left at the delivery office as an item to be collected from that office rather than entering the system on its journey, as the tracking stopped at source and hasn’t moved since . Desperate to find it and get it moving in the next 24 hours but fear it is lost or misplaced .

[BenacreNick]

It won't be lost DN, possibly misplaced.

Vague guess is that the collection person when returning to the office - didn't process the item as a Special delivery item ?

Just guessing and it is a possibility.

Eventually it will be located and processed correctly.

By the way, there's no information as to the delivery location, which might be helpful.

[dn5000]

Thank you.

Delivery location was Chelsea DO on the 2 ‘item collected’ notes (still trying to work out why it says item collected twice )

To be honest if it is not delivered by Friday , it’s value will sadly become nil! No progress today sadly…

Tomorrow is another day…

[BenacreNick]

I thought Chelsea was the collection area ?
Where is the item destination area please ?

[dn5000]

Apologies , my mistake - it is going to Bury, Greater Manchester

[BenacreNick]

It could be in Manchester or Bolton by now awaiting its next scan (sorry I can't remember all of the outward sorting selections).

Check that tracking number again at about 11pm or 2am, for its next scan (by the night shift).

[nutcracker]

What type of item was it eg a letter, small box etc

[dn5000]

Normal sized letter under 100g

[dn5000]

It could be in Manchester or Bolton by now awaiting its next scan (sorry I can't remember all of the outward sorting selections).

Check that tracking number again at about 11pm or 2am, for its next scan (by the night shift).

Will check again tonight , thank you.

Just hoping it has somehow passed through the system one way or another

[SpacePhoenix]

If it was a normal sized letter then another possibility is that whoever done the collection has placed it with the other letters, which will have gone to the sorting machines in the MC

[nutcracker]

Normal sized letter under 100g

Monday was a busy day for collections and mail centres due to Valentine’s Day on Tuesday. Corners were cut…And I would always recommend posting mail with any company towards the end of the week and preferably on a Friday…

If there’s no scan by the morning it’s possibly stuck in a bag after it has been emptied. Possible other suggestions the address and/or barcode has been damaged somehow during processing. If a new barcode has been placed on the letter it may have already been delivered under a new tracking number…can you check with the recipient to see if the have received anything?

Specials are rarely “lost” and more often delayed, although even this is a v.rare occurrence for specials to be delayed for more than 24hours as in your case!

Not much can be done I’m afraid but wait for it to show up. Make sure you claim your postage cost back, also your letter is insured up to £500.

[dn5000]

Normal sized letter under 100g

Monday was a busy day for collections and mail centres due to Valentine’s Day on Tuesday. Corners were cut…And I would always recommend posting mail with any company towards the end of the week and preferably on a Friday…

If there’s no scan by the morning it’s possibly stuck in a bag after it has been emptied. Possible other suggestions the address and/or barcode has been damaged somehow during processing.

Specials are rarely “lost” and more often delayed although even this is a v.rare occurrence for specials to be delayed for more than 24hours as in your case!

Not much can be done I’m afraid but wait for it to show up. Make sure you claim your postage cost back, also your letter is insured up to £500.

Thanks for thoughts … does look like some kind of human error somewhere along the way … I have never had a special with this kind of delay and lack of progress.


I live in hope … doesn’t look promising though . Unfortunately if it is not delivered by Friday , it’s not much use to anyone … only reason I did a home collection for first time ever is I can’t go out because of illness … won’t do it again … just a shame the escalation team couldn’t give me the update promised to be after speaking to the delivery office today … mind you by the sound of it not much anyone can do but hope for the best which is crazy for the most premium service (I’d have been better throwing it in the post box with a 2nd class stamp on …

[nutcracker]

Normal sized letter under 100g

Monday was a busy day for collections and mail centres due to Valentine’s Day on Tuesday. Corners were cut…And I would always recommend posting mail with any company towards the end of the week and preferably on a Friday…

If there’s no scan by the morning it’s possibly stuck in a bag after it has been emptied. Possible other suggestions the address and/or barcode has been damaged somehow during processing.

Specials are rarely “lost” and more often delayed although even this is a v.rare occurrence for specials to be delayed for more than 24hours as in your case!

Not much can be done I’m afraid but wait for it to show up. Make sure you claim your postage cost back, also your letter is insured up to £500.

Thanks for thoughts … does look like some kind of human error somewhere along the way … I have never had a special with this kind of delay and lack of progress.


I live in hope … doesn’t look promising though . Unfortunately if it is not delivered by Friday , it’s not much use to anyone … only reason I did a home collection for first time ever is I can’t go out because of illness … won’t do it again … just a shame the escalation team couldn’t give me the update promised to be after speaking to the delivery office today … mind you by the sound of it not much anyone can do but hope for the best which is crazy for the most premium service (I’d have been better throwing it in the post box with a 2nd class stamp on …

Apologies for the service so far….mistakes are extremely rare with special delivery items and staff will get severely reprimanded if they are found to have made a mistake around such an item…..I would highly recommend the service vs our competitors….especially the generous £500 compensation level.

Re Royal Mail customer service, escalation teams etc especially when things go wrong are completely lacking and frankly embarrassing as an employee. Not sure if this is a working email for our ceo Mr Simon Thompson but well worth making a direct complaint
ceo.office@royalmail.com

[dn5000]

Not your fault and I appreciate you taking the time to respond .

No movement still so not expecting any change by morning.

I might just drop Mr CEO a note , mainly about the lack of any real interest from the escalation team who haven’t done what they said they would (which is give me a proper update as to what they have done to investigate ) Mistakes happen sometimes costly ones but the total lack of any real interest , update or urgency hasn’t been much fun.

Not doing my stress levels much good.

Let’s hope that bag it is lying at the bottom of gets picked up or emptied by someone tonight..

Anyway…

[dn5000]

One further question on this - would / should its first point of call be Wandsworth Delivery office once the postman had collected and put into the system ? Given Royal Mail closed the old Chelsea delivery office years ago now.