Royal Mail Screwing Me Over

[george09]

Hello,

So today for the first time Royal Mail has screwed me over big time. I ordered few items from abroad which took a total of 1 month to arrive but before they arrived I moved house, and all mail had to be collected by my neighbors but today as I checked the tracking number for the parcel it said it arrived TODAY but because I wasn't there it was sent back to sender.I went to the house I moved out of and asked my neighbors if they received the sorry you were out card or at least a notice for me to collect the parcel as It should be, but nothing was at the house. Now I'm absolutely livid. I called and they said without a card I can't do anything and that the item already was sent back.... as far as I know by law they are required to keep the parcel for 18 days and only after then can they send it back to sender. They didn't leave a card for me, they "sent it back" and they had the audacity to assume just because I wasn't there I won't be coming to collect the mail so they "sent it back" the FIRST DAY?! I went to the post office and they said they still hadn't gotten anything from the mailman but they said because I wasn't there the mailman sent it back or something... I was fuming at this point and just told me to contact the seller for him to send it back to me...

Now I'm not sure what options are there, if there are any or is my parcel lost (it was valuable by the way).

Any suggestions?

[feduppostie]

sounds like the postie knocked at the door and was told you didn't live there anymore

the only reason we return to sender on the day we attempt delivery is if the householder refuses the item and/or tells us that the addressee doesn't live there anymore

[george09]

sounds like the postie knocked at the door and was told you didn't live there anymore

the only reason we return to sender on the day we attempt delivery is if the householder refuses the item and/or tells us that the addressee doesn't live there anymore

So is there any way I can get my parcel still? Or is there no chance?

[fishtank]

OK George calm down.
First of all you could have avoided the whole situation by paying for a redirection.
That's the root cause of your problem.

You don't say if your old house is now occupied.
If it is and the new occupier refused the item then Royal Mail are within their rights to send it immediately back to the sender.
If the house is still unoccupied then a card should have been left and the 18 day waiting period would still have been valid but I'm not that surprised that a member of staff felt that leaving a card at an unoccupied address was pointless and it would make more sense to return the item to the sender immediately.
It may have been wise to have a word with your postman if you still had access to the property but as I said above the real failure was not having a redirection in place when you moved..

[fishtank]

So is there any way I can get my parcel still? Or is there no chance?

No.

[george09]

OK George calm down.
First of all you could have avoided the whole situation by paying for a redirection.
That's the root cause of your problem.

You don't say if your old house is now occupied.
If it is and the new occupier refused the item then Royal Mail are within their rights to send it immediately back to the sender.
If the house is still unoccupied then a card should have been left and the 18 day waiting period would still have been valid but I'm not that surprised that a member of staff felt that leaving a card at an unoccupied address was pointless and it would make more sense to return the item to the sender immediately.
It may have been wise to have a word with your postman if you still had access to the property but as I said above the real failure was not having a redirection in place when you moved..

I suppose, I just didn't see a point in paying £30 to get few letters re-directed and a parcel when my neighbors could pick it up, I did tell the mailman that I will be moving and that my neigbors will be collecting my mail. But I guess he forgot or something, or there was a new one working.

Just a bit mad that I will have to pay for posting again if the seller will even be willing to send the parcel again. :/

Thanks for your help though

[arnold cheshire]

OK George calm down.
First of all you could have avoided the whole situation by paying for a redirection.
That's the root cause of your problem.

You don't say if your old house is now occupied.
If it is and the new occupier refused the item then Royal Mail are within their rights to send it immediately back to the sender.
If the house is still unoccupied then a card should have been left and the 18 day waiting period would still have been valid but I'm not that surprised that a member of staff felt that leaving a card at an unoccupied address was pointless and it would make more sense to return the item to the sender immediately.
It may have been wise to have a word with your postman if you still had access to the property but as I said above the real failure was not having a redirection in place when you moved..

I suppose, I just didn't see a point in paying £30 to get few letters re-directed and a parcel when my neighbors could pick it up, I did tell the mailman that I will be moving and that my neigbors will be collecting my mail. But I guess he forgot or something, or there was a new one working.

Just a bit mad that I will have to pay for posting again if the seller will even be willing to send the parcel again. :/

Thanks for your help though

how would the neighbours have access to the property ?

[swpostie]

Presumably with a key!

It appears that the postman's had this parcel to deliver, knows you don't live there anymore and has just sent it straight back rather than attempt to deliver it.

A redirection would have prevented this - but he shouldn't have done it anyway.

Complain to Royal Mail.

[arnold cheshire]

Presumably with a key!

It appears that the postman's had this parcel to deliver, knows you don't live there anymore and has just sent it straight back rather than attempt to deliver it.

A redirection would have prevented this - but he shouldn't have done it anyway.

Complain to Royal Mail.

so its still his property then ? its all unclear is it for sale or has he sold it ?

[swpostie]

It doesn't matter.

The postman should still attempt delivery unless he/she has a special instruction to do anything different, or a redirection.

[arnold cheshire]

It doesn't matter.

The postman should still attempt delivery unless he/she has a special instruction to do anything different, or a redirection.

yes i hate it when a neighbour comes out and says nobody lives there . i feel like telling them to f"" off

[DGP1]

If the property is empty then the letterbox may have been blocked/screwed shut, in that case it's just a straight return.
I don't see how this can be RMs fault.

[swpostie]

If the property is empty then the letterbox may have been blocked/screwed shut, in that case it's just a straight return.
I don't see how this can be RMs fault.

I agree - if that was the case then it would, as you said, be a straight return as the property would be inaccessible.

However, as the poster was expecting a P739 to be left, it's unlikely that he had sealed up the letterbox!

Is it RM's fault? Well, technically, it's the postman's fault for not following RM procedure but, as RM are responsible for the actions of their staff, ultimately it must be RM's fault.

[minx]

Hi guys
Customer services here ,the blame for this should be placed with the customer, he moved and no redirect in place, ok perhaps rts a little quickly but cust would have avoided all questions and problems ,if had took responsibility for redirect of mail. Even if he had been left p739 he wouldn't have able to collect as would have different address details and Dom at callers probably would not release it so problems all round because redirect not set up. I trust he will NOT be claiming compensation.

[mandelsons_toenail]

You don't say