http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2011/de ... sfeed=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Around 600 Royal Mail customers have had an average of £50 debited from their cards by mistake after the group admitted to ongoing technical problems with its website.
Customers using its SmartStamp and Online Postage services are being contacted by Royal Mail and offered a £25 goodwill gesture on top of the cash being refunded.
The accidental debits are the latest in a series of problems with Royal Mail's website applications. In early December, Royal Mail's popular online Price Finder service, which allows consumers to calculate the cost of sending parcels, broke down, angering thousands of people looking to send Christmas cards and presents.
The Price Finder page – which calculates the postal cost of packages based on their size and weight – is still broken, displaying only a holding page which states the organisation is still "experiencing technical difficulties". It has now been out of service for over three weeks.
The latest problem has hit Royal Mail's SmartStamp and Online Postage application services, used by around 30,000 customers, and managed on behalf of Royal Mail by Capgemini. Royal Mail merely said "difficulties are being experienced", adding that Capgemini "is working hard to return the website to normal".
In a joint statement issued by Moya Greene, chief executive of Royal Mail Group, and Paul Hermelin, chief executive of the Capgemini group, said: "The technical problems mean that for around 600 customers we have debited their payment cards twice as they sought to repeat a transaction which the system told them had failed. The estimated average additional amount is around £50.
"As the records of those impacted customers are reviewed, they will be contacted as a matter of urgency and their accounts will be credited in full. They will also be provided with an additional payment of £25 as a gesture of goodwill.
"Some customers have also paid for postage which has then not printed out or have not been able to see the result of a top-up to their pre-pay account. Where this is happening, or where other problems are occurring, we are fixing those problems on an individual basis. These specific payment issues do not affect customers using Online Postage via PayPal."
Greene and Hermelin apologised for the disruption "at this key time of the year for our customers".
ANNOUNCEMENT : ALL OF ROYAL MAIL'S EMPLOYMENT POLICIES (AGREEMENTS) AT A GLANCE (Updated 2021)... HERE
ANNOUNCEMENT : PLEASE BE AWARE WE ARE NOT ON FACEBOOK AT ALL!
RM customers debited twice as technical problems continue
-
POSTMAN
- SITE ADMINISTRATOR
- Posts: 32737
- Joined: 07 Aug 2006, 03:19
- Gender: Male
RM customers debited twice as technical problems continue
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
-
POSTMAN
- SITE ADMINISTRATOR
- Posts: 32737
- Joined: 07 Aug 2006, 03:19
- Gender: Male
Re: RM customers debited twice as technical problems continu
Busiest time of the year,and they decide to feck around with their website. 
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
-
POSTMAN
- SITE ADMINISTRATOR
- Posts: 32737
- Joined: 07 Aug 2006, 03:19
- Gender: Male
Re: RM customers debited twice as technical problems continu
Website Technical Difficulties
Updated: Thursday 8th December 2011
SmartStamp® and Online Postage Problems
A joint message from Moya Greene, Chief Executive of Royal Mail Group, and Paul Hermelin, Chief Executive Officer of the Capgemini Group.
An apology
We would like to apologise for the difficulties some Royal Mail customers are experiencing with a number of the applications on the website. We very much appreciate that this is the busiest trading period of the year for many of our customers.
The Parcelforce Worldwide and Post Office’s websites are largely unaffected by these difficulties although there have been issues with a small number of services. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
Performance continually being reviewed
The performance of the Royal Mail website is continually under review by Capgemini, who manages it on behalf of Royal Mail. Capgemini has advised that there are currently problems with the SmartStamp® and Online Postage applications.
The majority of our SmartStamp® and Online Postage customers – approximately 30,000 in total - are not affected by the current problems. Difficulties are being experienced, however, by some SmartStamp® and Online Postage customers. We have therefore taken the decision to maintain the SmartStamp® and Online Postage applications as it is such a busy time of year for so many customers. Capgemini is working hard to return the website to normal.
Problems being addressed
The technical problems mean that for around 600 customers we have debited their payment cards twice as they sought to repeat a transaction which the system told them had failed. The estimated average additional amount is around £50. As the records of those impacted customers are reviewed, they will be contacted as a matter of urgency and their accounts will be credited in full. They will also be provided with an additional payment of £25 as a gesture of goodwill.
Some customers have also paid for postage which has then not printed out or have not been able to see the result of a top up to their pre-pay account. Where this is happening, or where other problems are occurring, we are fixing those problems on an individual basis. These specific payment issues do not affect customers using Online Postage via Paypal.
Royal Mail and Capgemini would like to sincerely apologise for the disruption at this key time of the year for our customers. We do really appreciate the level of inconvenience this is causing some of our SmartStamp® and Online Postage customers.
We will keep you updated about our progress as we strive to restore services to normal.
Moya Greene Paul Hermelin
Chief Executive Chief Executive Officer
Royal Mail Group Capgemini Group
Updated: Thursday 8th December 2011
SmartStamp® and Online Postage Problems
A joint message from Moya Greene, Chief Executive of Royal Mail Group, and Paul Hermelin, Chief Executive Officer of the Capgemini Group.
An apology
We would like to apologise for the difficulties some Royal Mail customers are experiencing with a number of the applications on the website. We very much appreciate that this is the busiest trading period of the year for many of our customers.
The Parcelforce Worldwide and Post Office’s websites are largely unaffected by these difficulties although there have been issues with a small number of services. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
Performance continually being reviewed
The performance of the Royal Mail website is continually under review by Capgemini, who manages it on behalf of Royal Mail. Capgemini has advised that there are currently problems with the SmartStamp® and Online Postage applications.
The majority of our SmartStamp® and Online Postage customers – approximately 30,000 in total - are not affected by the current problems. Difficulties are being experienced, however, by some SmartStamp® and Online Postage customers. We have therefore taken the decision to maintain the SmartStamp® and Online Postage applications as it is such a busy time of year for so many customers. Capgemini is working hard to return the website to normal.
Problems being addressed
The technical problems mean that for around 600 customers we have debited their payment cards twice as they sought to repeat a transaction which the system told them had failed. The estimated average additional amount is around £50. As the records of those impacted customers are reviewed, they will be contacted as a matter of urgency and their accounts will be credited in full. They will also be provided with an additional payment of £25 as a gesture of goodwill.
Some customers have also paid for postage which has then not printed out or have not been able to see the result of a top up to their pre-pay account. Where this is happening, or where other problems are occurring, we are fixing those problems on an individual basis. These specific payment issues do not affect customers using Online Postage via Paypal.
Royal Mail and Capgemini would like to sincerely apologise for the disruption at this key time of the year for our customers. We do really appreciate the level of inconvenience this is causing some of our SmartStamp® and Online Postage customers.
We will keep you updated about our progress as we strive to restore services to normal.
Moya Greene Paul Hermelin
Chief Executive Chief Executive Officer
Royal Mail Group Capgemini Group
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
-
DGP1
- Posts: 15551
- Joined: 07 Jun 2007, 20:39
- Gender: Male
- Location: Terminus
Re: RM customers debited twice as technical problems continu
Hmmmmmm they've done the same with deliveries and you think they will ever learnPOSTMAN wrote:Busiest time of the year,and they decide to feck around with their website.
I'm preparing myself for the zombie invasion, rule number 1 - Cardio