Postal blunder sets back efforts to help the dying

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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A HOSPICE that cares for dying people claims it lost out on thousands of pounds after Royal Mail delivered tickets for a fund-raising raffle two months late.

Treetops Hospice said it organised for 14,200 envelopes filled with spring draw tickets to be sent to supporters.

It paid £2,630 for postage and for Royal Mail to pick them up from the printers.

Bosses at the Risley charity became concerned that it had not sold as many raffle tickets as usual.

The hospice said it then received calls from 150 people complaining that their raffle tickets had arrived after the closing date – and it was too late for them to be bought or sold to friends.

The charity said takings from the raffle were nearly £9,000 down on the previous year's spring draw.

It has asked Royal Mail to compensate for the loss of donations but the company has refused, apologising to Treetops but saying it can only offer a refund for the amount paid for postage for the late delivered items.

George Cameron, chief executive of Treetops, said: "Our reputation is damaged. It makes us look completely stupid.

"These are people who have supported us over the years, angrily calling us and telling us to take them off our mailing list.

"We don't know what damage has been done to our credibility."

One supporter who received her tickets after the closing date was Mavis Webster, of Cotmanhay Road, Ilkeston.

She said: "I think it is disgusting.

"I got the tickets through the post, saw the closing date had passed and called Treetops to give them a piece of my mind.

"They explained to me that there had been a delay in the post, but two-and-a-half months is ridiculous.

"My husband, who died two years ago, used to be the postmaster in Ilkeston.

"He would have been furious if he had been told the same story."

Mr Cameron said the hospice got 73% of its running costs through donations, with the remaining funding coming from the NHS.

He said the blunder had cost Treetops thousands of pounds.

"Last year's spring draw saw us make around £18,000 from the 10,000 sets of tickets we sent out," he said.

"This year we sent out more than 14,000 tickets and expected an even greater return but we have taken just £10,000.

"We have spoken to Royal Mail but they have told us they won't compensate us for any of the loss of what we might have made on the draw."

The annual spring draw sees supporters sent a book of raffle tickets which they then sell to family, friends and colleagues for £1 each and return the money and the ticket stubs to the hospice.

Mr Cameron said last year 10,361 people were sent three books of five raffle tickets.

This meant 155,415 tickets were sent out, of which 16,031 were sold and the total income was £17,335, which included additional donations on top of the £1 ticket price.

Of that, Treetops made a net profit of £11,253.82 – taking into account the price of printing the tickets, prizes and postage.

This year 14,216 people were sent three books of five tickets – a higher number than last year.

This meant 213,240 tickets were sent out in total, of which 9,945 were sold and the total income was £10,865.30 including additional donations, giving Treetops a net profit of £2,292.70 – nearly £9,000 down on the previous year.

The hospice said the 14,200 envelopes were picked up in bulk from the printers by Royal Mail.

A spokesman for Royal Mail said the letters would have arrived at a depot, probably the Derby Mail Centre, before being sorted and sent out to the relevant delivery offices.

But he said he did not know what caused the delay.

"Its very difficult to say," he said. "We deal with 64 million items of mail a year so we cannot possibly track everything."

When asked if a bulk delivery like this had ever been delayed before, he said he did not know, and that Royal Mail was in talks with Treetops to resolve the issue and had "apologised for the difficulties caused".

He said: "Delay is covered by our bulk mail compensation scheme linked to quality of service.

"We can refund the postage for items that were not delivered if the hospice can provide a list of those addresses that did not receive their items.

"Unfortunately, under the terms of the service used, there is no compensation for consequential loss."

Treetops provides palliative care for people dying from illnesses such as cancer and Motor Neurone Disease.

It also provides respite to relatives who are looking after family members.

Melissa de Vos is the lottery manager at Treetops.

She said: "From the sheer volume of phone calls and letters from disappointed hospice supporters we have no doubt that a large number of people would have liked to have been included in our draw.

"There is no question in my mind that Royal Mail is responsible for the lack of entries."

[POSTMAN]

Not enough info on this but it all seems a bit strange to me,2 months late doesn't seem right and 1st thoughts are it's nothing to do with us.

[fishtank]

She said: "From the sheer volume of phone calls and letters from disappointed hospice supporters we have no doubt that a large number of people would have liked to have been included in our draw.

Have another draw,get RM to pick up the tab for printing and postage....job done surely.

"There is no question in my mind that Royal Mail is responsible for the lack of entries."

Every charity is unfortunately feeling the effects of recession...i can't see why theirs would be any different.

[Lounge Lizard]

"Treetops Hospice said it organised for 14,200 envelopes filled with spring draw tickets to be sent to supporters.
It paid £2,630 for postage and for Royal Mail to pick them up from the printers."
- And did the printers, who would have known the date on the tickets, not think it strange that 14,200 stuffed envelopes had not been picked up for over two months ?