two parcels posted first class recorded- wait over 10 days?

[secondclass]

Hi,
I posted two small parcels on the 5th and 8th of may. The parcels were to go via Royal Mail first class recorded delivery, one for a 120 mile trip to the borders, the other parcel a little further to yorkshire! Using royal mails track and trace service today (it is now the 16th) the page states the same for both items, "we have your parcel", with the city centre PO address underneath. It would seem that my parcels havent even moved as far as the main sorting office in town! lol. How long should first class recorded delivery take for a small parcel to travel this distance, before I should start to worry? I thought initially for the item I posted via the same main city centre PO on the 8th, I could wait another week, but for the item posted on the 5th, it does seem to be taking a little long. I used DHL to post 1 even larger item (a dvd player) last week, and they got to the same location in 4 working days. They werent much better, as their service was next day delivery!

Do first class recorded small parcels via RM often take well over 10 working days to even leave a town/city? Would it be realistic to go to the main PO on monday and ask them about my items, or wait a bit longer? Or would I be better asking at the main sorting office instead? I am also wondering if the "track and trace" RM service online for my items will actually tell me when my items have left town, eg what PO they are now at, or if it will merely state "item delivered" with a scanned signature, if ithey do ever get delivered? Perhaps I am just panicking too early, I dont know-as I have not really used it before, and so thought it would be slightly faster than its been so far. My parcels are small, one is fairly heavy. The correct postage was definately paid for! thanks very much for any further info or answers to my questions, if anyone has any experience or knowledge of this service, that would be great! :) cheers

[k979aaa]

Maybe the van broke down (backlog) or some postman went sick and the van driver got told too leave those parcels and do that walk (backlog) but till you can give the first part of the post code who knows eg LT15 for instance.

[secondclass]

lol, well, the 2 small parcels were going to completely different destinations, so im guessing they are just delayed rather than stolen, for example. How likely is it that 2 parcels sent on different days to different places would go 'missing', expecially when its not december, when RM arent overflowing in non reliable questionable xmas workers ;)
i hope its not extremely bad luck, and they are instead both delayed, but could either the RM sorting office or the main high st PO tell me if it was definately sent or not if I asked one of them on monday? Who would be better to ask? Perhaps they could have been accidentally left somewhere and not taken to the sorting office

[Steviea34]

Good morning Second Class, if you have used the Recorded Service & not SD, unfortunately you cannot track the item throughout its journey.
The recorded service only requires a Signature on Delivery. I expect you will be wasting your time checking with your local P.O, i expect the items are well in the system by now. K979aaa states you give the first part of the postcodes this would definately help, then some persons on this site could maybe shed some light on there respective D.O's performance etc. Have you contacted the Delivery Offices direct to enquire they are not sat in their callers office awaiting collection - good luck anyway.

[Rowdy]

If they had come into my office and were too big for a walking postie to take them out then the would be added to the ever growing parcel mountain that sits in our office. We may need to build an extension soon to accommodate them. This of course is all down to 'operational problems'. A common spin used by Royal Mail managers which translates to us who live in the real world as 'wilful delay of mail'. We posties are the ones who get all the flack but it is the management who are destroying this company.

I hope your parcels turn up soon and that they are not lost, just sitting a sorting office because some manager won't do his job and ensure that the mail is delivered safely and on time.

[secondclass]

I dont think they were too big, each about the same size, roughly the size of a small external hd, or 3 stacked dvds. Well within limits.
Im sure if i was over the size or weight limit with any parcel they wouldve told me. Unless theyd rather not state, as an excuse to inspect any parcel. Lol.

the parcels were travelling from here, IV3, to perth PH1, and yorkshire WF3. The first parcel 1kg, the second 0.4 kg. The website states nothing but the city PO here, with "we have your parcel" for both sent around the 5th and 8th. Cheers for the info everybody. If DHL can post heavier items from here to the same distance in a couple of days, i wouldve expected RM to do it for even smaller lighter parcels in at least one week. Lol! ;) Thanks

[Stormproof]

It might be in there somewhere

[secondclass]

hehe :) yeah, i know what youre saying! Perhaps I should know too to some degree too,
since I did the xmas shift letter sorting over 2 xmas's! lol. they are small parcels after all
(essentially 'packets') so ill prob give it all another week! the delivery office isnt huge up here,
but ive no idea if they really have the necessary space etc according to the amount of
packets/parcels the RM receive in any week.. i only did xmas letter sorting, never got
to see many parcels being handled :lfo perhaps they need more £££ to improve
services/offices and not big boss wage packets. just kidding. i think! i hope

The 'track and trace' service seems only handy if the goods are recieved by a neighbour who
decided to keep it for themselves, and forget that they did in fact have to sign for it! would it
really do any good if I did contact the local RM sorting office, if my parcels arent recorded or
taken note of in any sense? Id doubt many would consider going through what they have
'in stock' to try and find my parcel, given the above photograph and level of hard workers!
only joking of course!

Although they are not 'recorded', does the sorting office at least take note of the reference
on the packet, to indicate that the items have been received by them? I handed my parcels to
the large PO in the main town centre, they should have given them to the main sorting office.
It seems only that way that Ill be able to receive any help of any sort.

thanks

[andy2007]

Thanks for your patience over this. Personally, I'd have put a complaint in several days ago.

The backlog is caused by a chronic lack of resources, and will continue to grow, until there are enough people complaining about it. Just look at what's happening to the Post Offices. Profit, before quality, seems to be the mantra for RM Group Management.

I suggest that you get on the phone to RM to complain, first thing in the morning. They'll probably try to fob you off. But please bear in mind, that the person you will be talking to, isn't personally responsible for the cock up. They're there to field the complaints, for those who are.

Even 3rd Class Mail (the ones with an M instead of a 1 or 2), should only take a week. The service you have recieved is terrible, and they need to be told!

I hope you get this sorted out soon.

[k979aaa]

Yep it is a disgrace that packets are left but more and more of this will happen as royalmail has it's vision on modernisation in which two postmen in a van do everything walks (ie deliver letters) and parcels and probably sweep the streets at the same time with a broom up thier backsides!. I do hope your parcel's turn up soon as it is not the service which when i started it was it is a business now and profit is the be all and end all. If you don't get your parcels delivered soon here is the email address for the man responsible Adam Crozier ask.adam@royalmail.com

[secondclass]

will the royal mail sorting office at least be able to tell me if they have received my item from the city centre PO?

[k979aaa]

will the royal mail sorting office at least be able to tell me if they have received my item from the city centre PO?

Unlikely if sent recorded delivery but possible if sent as a special delivery!.

[andy2007]

No. The only items they can do that for, are the ones with a Tracking Chip. And that is only available to Business Customers.

The Track and Trace on the Internet, just tracks the paperwork. Not the actual item. Personally, I think that it's rediculous that the Public can't use the new version, with the Tracking Chips. Because then, they could find out precisely when it enters and leaves a Building. And even which door, it went through. So they can also know who (among a small group) has actually brought it in, taken it out. But with any luck, it'll eventually become available to everyone.

[k979aaa]

No. The only items they can do that for, are the ones with a Tracking Chip. And that is only available to Business Customers.

The Track and Trace on the Internet, just tracks the paperwork. Not the actual item. Personally, I think that it's rediculous that the Public can't use the new version, with the Tracking Chips. Because then, they could find out precisely when it enters and leaves a Building. And even which door, it went through. So they can also know who (among a small group) has actually brought it in, taken it out. But with any luck, it'll eventually become available to everyone.

So your telling me that royalmail don't know where the special delivery items are so if one was miss laid or left in the bag no one would know.

[secondclass]

If i ask who i sent the first parcel to and nothing turns up on the monday, should i direct my query to the main sorting office here (who may be able to find and forward the parcel, if it has just been stuck there) or would i be better off trying to use an official helpline? If there was one? Id imagine the helpline would just forward the info to the main sorting office anyway.

I still find it hard to believe its a case of the RM having a large backlog, being behind in work, as i did send off parcels a fair distance earlier in the year, around jan, and had no problems at all.