track & trace query

[sufcmike09]

Hi - I hope somebody can help me. I need to trace delivery of a letter sent in October 2011. I can't unfortunately find the original receipt. I have the barcode. The Royal mail helpline simply says that such information is discarded after 12 months. Is there a way round this? I'm quite willing to pay. Would the local delivery office hold any records? If this message is posted in the wrong place please let me know. Thank you in advance for any responses.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

put this barcode tracking number in here:

http://www.royalmail.com/trackdetails" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and see what results you get, if it doesnt bring anything up then unfortunately the information has been deleted and cant be recovered

[sufcmike09]

Thanks for the reply unfortunately this is my problem, I pop in the barcode number and it simply says there is a problem. The helpline tell me that after 12 months (and this is just over two years ago) the information is deleted. My thoughts are that that the Post Office servers must somehow retain this information although it might not be for public consumption. As it's outside the normal parameters I'm quite willing to pay a fee to have this information retrieved. Also I'm curious to know whether the local sorting (delivery) office would have any other means of me getting this information. I believe that the postman/lady have a device that records when items are delivered or not delivered as the case may be and I wonder whether somebody far more knowledgeable than me could shed some light as to whether this information may be kept somewhere?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

The data is not retained and not stored locally so unfortunately even though you would pay there is no way you are going to be able to retrieve the data

[sufcmike09]

Thanks again. When you say the data is not retained are you saying that the information is completely wiped from the Post Office records, or is it just not available for public consumption? I think the latter is probably true, but perhaps one of the technical guys out there can help? Also when did the post office go over to the electronic system of signing for letters. It's a long shot, but could the local sorting office have some paper records? I appreciate your thoughts.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Thanks again. When you say the data is not retained are you saying that the information is completely wiped from the Post Office records, or is it just not available for public consumption? I think the latter is probably true, but perhaps one of the technical guys out there can help? Also when did the post office go over to the electronic system of signing for letters. It's a long shot, but could the local sorting office have some paper records? I appreciate your thoughts.

Local sorting office never retained the records previously the written signatures were sent in and scanned onto system, this still actually occurs for some items not scanned on a PDA but these paper copies are now destroyed after 12 months

As for computer records they are not retained after they have been removed from system

No matter how you ask the information you are after has been destroyed you cannot get it anymore sorry