Postman left package in woman's bin - which was emptied

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Postman left package in woman's bin - which was emptied before she got home!

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Home/Po ... 122011.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail bosses have apologised after a postie left a Cambridge woman’s parcel in her recycling bin – which was then emptied into a rubbish lorry.

What do you think? Have you ever had a parcel left somewhere daft? Leave a comment at the bottom of this article.

Claire Barnes, of Blackthorn Close, has branded the blunder “dumb”, and said the worker involved was “a muppet”. She said the parcel did not contain anything very valuable, but leaving it in her blue wheelie bin was “silly.”

The 35-year-old said: “I left my house to visit my dad and returned two days later.

“When I got back I found a note from Royal Mail saying my package had been stored in the blue bin – but it had been emptied by the council that morning.

“I called Royal Mail and they said to receive compensation I would need proof of purchase, but I didn’t have that.”

The parcel contained a mask which the natural sciences student intended to wear at a party that weekend.

She added: “Fortunately it only cost £5 so it hasn’t upset me too much. And I didn’t make the party because I was ill.

“But it was a bit dumb and the person who did it must have been a muppet. How could they know when someone would be in?

“From speaking to friends and family, this seems to have happened to other people and my neighbour, who is a postman, says it shouldn’t happen.

“Perhaps because today many people in Cambridge don’t know their neighbours, parcels aren’t trusted with them any more and are put in bins instead to save time.”

Royal Mail spokeswoman Valerie Antoine said staff were not meant to leave packages in bins. She said: “We would like to apologise to Miss Barnes that the correct delivery procedures were not carried out when an attempt was made to deliver a package.

“A ‘sorry, you were out’ card should have been posted through the door informing her that the package had been returned to the local delivery office and listing various options available to her to retrieve it.

“Our staff are always reminded of the appropriate action to take if a customer is unavailable to accept a delivery.”

She said the customer services number was 08457 740 740 and the website was http://www.royalmail.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lounge Lizard]

"The parcel contained a mask which the natural sciences student intended to wear at a party that weekend."

[meercat]

If someone called my actions 'dumb' and me a 'muppet' in a local paper I would sue them for slander. What a really selfish comment. The guy made a mistake by using the bin but for the benifit of the customer, if she had got back and found it and realised she didn't have to travel to and que at the collection office she would have been happy.

[slave]

Where was the bin?? Unless my bin is out on the street it's not touched - if it was on the street the postie needs their arse kicking!

And to be fair a regular postie would (you would think) know the pattern of bin collection, so perhaps it was cover?

[NWpostie]

If someone called my actions 'dumb' and me a 'muppet' in a local paper I would sue them for slander. What a really selfish comment. The guy made a mistake by using the bin but for the benefit of the customer, if she had got back and found it and realised she didn't have to travel to and queue at the collection office she would have been happy.

Its the wrong procedure, the Postie was trying to cut corners, thats where the dumb and muppet comes in, I would rather that my items was in a calling office safe and dry than in some council landfill or have it delivered to a relative who will be in for it.

[mazza111]

Bins are for rubbish, not parcels! I hate the idea of parcels being put in a bin.

[slave]

or have it delivered to a relative who will be in for it.

But that is far too simple for most people to work out, like coming up with a safeplace - considering the amount of tat some people order you'd think they would sort something out! But no.

[janitor]

Had a tracked once, where it says safe place, it was printed if out leave in wheelie bin, 739'd it and returned it to the office.

[bexhil palace]

Always 739 it. One of my customers asked me to leave a packet behind a bin in the front garden.
I told her to write a small note,giving me her permission, and i would gladly do so.
Sadly i'm still waiting,and she's still getting 739d.