Get it sorted, fed-up West Fifers tell Royal Mail

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/ro ... oyal-mail/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ROYAL MAIL have guaranteed that all West Fife Christmas cards will be delivered on time if posted by Saturday as packets and parcels pile up in a Bathgate warehouse.

Dunfermline and West Fife MP Thomas Docherty told the Press he had received assurances from Royal Mail that card deliveries would be made in time for Christmas.

However, with roads clear at the start of this week following the Arctic weather, customer frustration is boiling over as parcels continue to remain undelivered, with some being told not to expect any by Christmas.

Amanda Jones, of Duloch, was waiting on delivery of 17 items yet had had only two deliveries over the space of a fortnight.

She said, “When a Royal Mail bloke delivered a parcel I was made up. I told him that I had about another 16 items outstanding for delivery.

“He gave me a wary look then told me I shouldn’t expect them before Christmas as Royal Mail had decided to change the way they deal with parcels and that all parcels were going straight to a warehouse in Bathgate and were literally just piling up.



"He said the only reason I got the parcel was it was tracked.”

The only card chairman of North Queensferry Community Council Brian Armstrong has received over the past two weeks has come from the local scout group.

He said, “We got mail on Tuesday 30th November, the next was 9th December and then nothing.

"We have seen some vans in our street and they seem to be bringing next day or priority deliveries.

“We have had one card which was delivered by Scout mail, who charge 20p.

"They can do it at rock bottom prices with virtually no resources yet Royal Mail are useless.

“It’s like they look after the customers that pay extra money for these priority packages but the rest of the great unwashed public can go take a running jump.”

Bob Tennant, of Cairneyhill, said, “We’ve still not received any mail since Saturday 4th December despite improving road and weather conditions.

"I visited the Woodmill Street mail sorting office where I was advised that the ongoing poor weather conditions was the reason for the mail still not being delivered.

“Last week I was advised that although the road to Cairneyhill was clear for deliveries, other areas were not and it would therefore be unfair to make any deliveries to Cairneyhill when other areas were still blocked and still not receiving their mail.”

Royal Mail said it had invested an extra £20 million to ensure cards and gifts arrived on time.

On top of the 20,000 employees brought in to handle the increased workload at this time of year, 1300 temporary staff are also being employed, with workers increasing the length of their shifts and working on Sundays right up until Christmas.

Mr Docherty said, “Many constituents have contacted me regarding problems with their postal delivery and I am grateful to receive assurances from Royal Mail that they have invested in additional services over this busy period.

"In Scotland Royal Mail has recruited an extra 1300 people and staff will be working all weekend to make sure all mail will be delivered before Christmas.”

A Royal Mail spokeswoman said, “Like every other essential service we have been hampered by the worst weather in 30 years and there has been some disruption to deliveries and to mail coming into Scotland.

“Every Christmas we use an extra outhouse facility at Bathgate to deal with packets and parcels in our network from the thousands of people who are online shopping.

“Royal Mail is doing everything humanly possible to deliver the mail and our people are pulling out all the stops to get the mail through.

“We have announced a range of extra measures that we have put in place to deal with the mail in our system and, as we always do at this time of year, irrespective of the weather we are advising customers to post and order as early as possible.”

[Biker Mouse]

“We have had one card which was delivered by Scout mail, who charge 20p." FFS!!

[steven100]

" Royal Mail are useless", I don't think we are as good as useless. The guys being a bit optimistic.

[DGP1]

ROYAL MAIL have guaranteed that all West Fife Christmas cards will be delivered on time if posted by Saturday as packets and parcels pile up in a Bathgate warehouse.

How can they guarantee this, unless RM are going to ignore their own H&S and send us out no matter what the conditions are (maybe they're going to give us each a buddy to help us deliver, I'll take a manager ).

[youwot!!!!!]

you can have mine.

[DGP1]

you can have mine.

You can just imagine how they'd react, you wouldn't see them for a couple of years again until they'd recovered

[Wessex]

you can have mine.

You can just imagine how they'd react, you wouldn't see them for a couple of years again until they'd recovered

Saturday I was reliably informed that the capo dei capi was coming in to help do the packets from my area.Still there when I got back.Reckon he saw the -7 c temperature and pulled the duvet back over his head.