special delivery

[chrisj]

Special Delivery Guaranteed™
On time or your money back!

Valuable gift or important letter that has to be there tomorrow? When you need to know it’s arrived safely and on time choose Special Delivery Guaranteed™ services.
Choose our guaranteed service when you need:
to track important documents online and get signed proof of delivery
compensation cover for sending jewellery, cash or other valuables
Saturday delivery (for an additional fee) to get those tickets or birthday gifts there for the weekend
consequential loss cover (available for an additional fee) for example, tax returns or documents that if late, could result in penalties.
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Actually the name has been changed slightly to Special Delivery Guaranteed. And it says tomorrow - not 3 days later from Friday.
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Having said the above, I can now see where there is some slight confusion with Saturday delivery of Specials.

From the FAQ:
"Where in the UK do you deliver?
We deliver most items the next working day by 9:00am or 1:00 pm – depending on the service you select. We also deliver on Saturdays if the item arrives at our local delivery office that day, but we can't guarantee delivery."

Why did RM put the last statement - we can't guarantee delivery on Saturday?? But if it arrives at the Delivery Office, it should be delivered or it will be 'wilful delay'. Note: the customer can track to see if item actually arrived at Delivery Office.

*** I think all Specials that arrive at a DO is guaranteed for 9am or 1pm and that includes Saturday. The only difference is that an SG for a small fee will have to be there on Saturday otherwise there will be compensation to pay. And no compensation if an ordinary Specials arrive on Monday even if it were posted on Friday.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

read a little further down the faq and you get info on the saturday

Can I have something delivered on Saturday?
For a small fee, Post Offices throughout the UK will accept your items on Friday for 9:00am* or 1:00pm delivery on Saturday. Saturday delivery cannot be accepted for some businesses including:

so unless SG has been paid for then it is not guaranteed for delivery by 1pm on a saturday. the product documentation only says that delivery may be attempted on a saturday(when not SG) and does not specify a time, where as times are specified for Monday to Friday and SG

[NewPostieUK]

The next working day on Friday is Saturday.

So it boils down to whether Saturday is a working day or not. If it is, why do we have to pay extra when posting something on a Friday? According to you all SD's have to be delivered next working day, it's guaranteed, so posting something on a Friday is guaranteed to be delivered Saturday, why pay for SG then?

If Saturday isn't a working day, then the next working day is Monday. If the sender sends something on a Friday and doesn't pay for SG then it should be delivered Monday.

Just my take on things.

[DGP1]

FFS why are people whining over this, if you pick it up from the RLE then just deliver it by 1pm, saves any hassle for anyone.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

The next working day on Friday is Saturday.

So it boils down to whether Saturday is a working day or not. If it is, why do we have to pay extra when posting something on a Friday? According to you all SD's have to be delivered next working day, it's guaranteed, so posting something on a Friday is guaranteed to be delivered Saturday, why pay for SG then?

If Saturday isn't a working day, then the next working day is Monday. If the sender sends something on a Friday and doesn't pay for SG then it should be delivered Monday.

Just my take on things.

paying for SG guarantees is before a set time on a saturday, not paying for SG means it may be delivered after those times,

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

FFS why are people whining over this, if you pick it up from the RLE then just deliver it by 1pm, saves any hassle for anyone.

though by doing that you may get grief from the DOM, if you cut off at the end of you hours on a saturday leaving half an hours worth of mail, and he figures out that you stopped delivery half way through and had a half our round trip to end of your duty and back to ensure it was delivered by 1pm when not a SG and then cut off which wouldnt have happened had you just delivered it when you got to that delivery point on your round you could be looking at a potential conduct case(though admittedly i dont know any dom with the sense to look that closely at things but hey it could happen!)

[NewPostieUK]

paying for SG guarantees is before a set time on a saturday, not paying for SG means it may be delivered after those times,

I absolutely agree with you. However, I stand by my opinion that delivery shouldn't be attempted on a Saturday, as it's guaranteed Next Working Day, which is the Monday.

If Saturday is a working day, then there is no need at all for SG.

[chrisj]

But Saturday is a working day for RM delivery staff and so many other companies as well.

There is no guarantee of delivery at all or even before 1pm on saturday according to FAQ; unless someone pays for Saturday Guaranteed.

I suppose it is down to local arrangement/agreement whether all normal Specials (except SG) are delivered before 1pm.

[pod25]

But Saturday is a working day for RM delivery staff and so many other companies as well.

There is no guarantee of delivery at all or even before 1pm on saturday according to FAQ; unless someone pays for Saturday Guaranteed. (Not what you said earlier)

I suppose it is down to local arrangement/agreement whether all normal Specials (except SG) are delivered before 1pm.

No, there is no such thing as local arrangement/agreement. This is a National ruling, made by Royal Mail, which applies to ALL.

And for the record, the national understanding of a working day, is Monday to Friday, regardless of the fact that Royal Mail works a Saturday.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Here is my take on it.

SG is sold as a guarantee of a delivery attempt on a Saturday, even if they have a Saturday retention.

Normal Specials are guaranteed Next Working day. Saturday is a working day for us so delivery is attempted, except for those with an OFFICIAL Saturday retention such as Businesses - which in effect means that for both delivery is guaranteed next working day.

At my office all Specials HAVE to be attempted by 1pm on the day of delivery - except normal ones on Saturday. No one has ever been brought to task after a later than 1PM delivery on a Saturday unless it was SG , and that includes me.

[chrisj]

Yes, I did back track a little on what I said previously...

Having said the above, I can now see where there is some slight confusion with Saturday delivery of Specials.

Furthermore, Royal Mail advertises Special Delivery as being delivered tomorrow - so the issue of working day did not come into it. Again, having said that, they also mentioned the next working day somewhere on the website...

We work on Saturday, everyone knows we work on saturdays so if you do no want your Special Delivery item delivered on Saturday then do not post it on Friday. And that is the issue with NewUkPostie.

So what is the National Ruling that applies to everyone as regards normal Special Delivery and International Specials on Saturdays?

If there was one then you can just let us know and that will put all these sorts of discussion to bed once and for all.

However, if my manager tells me to deliver an ordinary Special item or International item on saturday, I will do what he says regardless of what the National Ruling says.

In the last 2 weeks, we have had special instructions via email from customers to deliver an item in a certain way - managers pulls out a tracked item and says this has to be delivered one way or the other... What? Has the customer paid specially for this service?

[pod25]

Its called "typical sales tactic" They offer a service, without actually checking what the rules are first.

It is a huge black hole, SD, SG-SD. Where is the Royal Mail headed rules for these types of deliveries ? (For us posties, not what is advertised on the web site)

[bluealbert]

It's simple,if you post a SD on Friday it's not guaranteed till Monday,although 90 odd % will be delivered on the Saturday. IF you pay for the SD and it fails you are entitled to compensation

[bustedflush]

If you want to receive your Special Delivery on Monday then take it to the Post Office before 12pm on Saturday.

This is so so simple. Special Delivery 1pm is what the customer paid for and that is what they should get.

I want to Receive it, I am the customer, the buyer, I haven't got it, I can't take it to the post office.

I want it delivered to my house on monday, not saturday.

I hear what you are saying. The use of the word 'you' is more of a general statement not referring to you NewPostieUk specifically.

It's up to you to keep arguing. Specials get delivered the next working day - simple?

The next working day on Friday is Saturday. And for Saturday, it is Monday.

Wrong.
The next DELIVERY day is a Saturday, the next WORKING day is a Monday. Go see for yourself. Post a standard Special Friday and you will be told with no exceptions that it's guaranteed by 13:00 MONDAY. Anything earlier is a bonus, unless a SG Special. RM simply meet the conditions of the service as it's sold. Therefore (and this has been confirmed by our DIM in WTL) a non-SG special can be delivered anytime on a Saturday. In reality, most posties finish pre 13:00 on a Sat so it's academic anyway.

[Rumple]

If you want to receive your Special Delivery on Monday then take it to the Post Office before 12pm on Saturday.

This is so so simple. Special Delivery 1pm is what the customer paid for and that is what they should get.

I want to Receive it, I am the customer, the buyer, I haven't got it, I can't take it to the post office.

I want it delivered to my house on monday, not saturday.

The contract is with the sender not the recipient. The sender is "the customer".