Porch delivery

[the-hanz]

Hi
I'm relatively new to the job so I'm sorry if this question has been asked / answered before.. I'm sure it has.

I have always been told that leaving mail / parcels in a porch with an unlocked but closed door is a "secure" delivery but recently a customer has complained that this was not secure and should not have been done.

OK, fair enough they've a right to complain but having looked at the walk today and other walks I have done, 90% of the houses have unlocked porches with letter boxes in the porch door. Many of these houses do not have a letter box on the inner "front door" so am I right in thinking that the mail should not be left at any of these properties? If so, it's going to make my walk extremely short.

[POSTMAN]

You don't try doors so you have no way of knowing the porch door is unlocked.
Deliver as normal unless you get a packet,or the porch door has swung open,then it's a different story.

[POSTMAN]

I have always been told that leaving mail / parcels in a porch with an unlocked but closed door is a "secure" delivery but recently a customer has complained that this was not secure and should not have been done.

Customer is 100% right.

[the-hanz]

Thanks for your response

Perhaps I've had some poor instruction then as I was told to try the door.

Also, I am mainly talking about packets. If I can't leave a packet in an unlocked but closed porch as its classed as not secure then surely I can't leave any letters at all?
cheers

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

If the house has a letterbox on the outer porch door, you do not touch the handle.

If the door looks firmly closed, you can post items through the porch letterbox, the house tenants are then responsible for the mail.

If you try the handle and discover the porch door is unlocked, but you then decide to leave mail in the porch, you are "doorstepping" and leaving mail in an insecure place (which means grief for you should a complaint happen).

If a house only has a letterbox on the outer porch door, but the door does not look securely shut without trying the handle, you can endorse the mail to say there is nowhere secure and take the mail back to the depot.

If the outer porch door is clearly open and so is the inner "main" door, you can leave mail inside the inner door past the threshold, it is up to you if you want to give a courtesy yell to tell the residents there is mail.

[POSTMAN]

EDIT:What ^^^^^^^^^^^said.

Thanks for your response

Perhaps I've had some poor instruction then as I was told to try the door.

Also, I am mainly talking about packets. If I can't leave a packet in an unlocked but closed porch as its classed as not secure then surely I can't leave any letters at all?
cheers

As I said...

You don't try doors so you have no way of knowing the porch door is unlocked.
Deliver as normal unless you get a packet,or the porch door has swung open,then it's a different story.

[the-hanz]

Thanks again.

One other scenario. A porch that is closed with NO letter box on it. Do I try the door so I can deliver the mail through the front door or do I endorse the mail to say it can't be delivered?

[Mightyaj]

I for one will always check the door to get that parcel through!! Sorry but I'm not writing out a frigging card just because technically we're not supposed to open door!

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

You might see a letterbox on the inner door through the porch door window, in which case proceed to attempt to post through the letterbox inside.

Even if you cannot see an inner letterbox, open the porch door to look, but if there is not then do not leave anything in the porch (take it back endorsed).

Similar situation for houses that have newspaper boxes (or anything along those lines) that anyone can open to take the mail, it is your responsibility to leave all mail (including D2D and p739 cards) in a secure place.

[the-hanz]

See, this is where it gets confusing.

The management want first time delivery, you can't open porch doors to deliver but they don't have a letterbox so you can't even put a 739 through...

[the-hanz]

You might see a letterbox on the inner door through the porch door window, in which case proceed to attempt to post through the letterbox inside.

Even if you cannot see an inner letterbox, open the porch door to look, but if there is not then do not leave anything in the porch (take it back endorsed).

Similar situation for houses that have newspaper boxes (or anything along those lines) that anyone can open to take the mail, it is your responsibility to leave all mail (including D2D and p739 cards) in a secure place.

Sorry. Even you are now confusing me, lol.

You originally said not to try opening a porch door but are now saying I should if I see an inner letter box... Which is it?... Sorry

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

Sorry. Even you are now confusing me, lol.

You originally said not to try opening a porch door but are now saying I should if I see an inner letter box... Which is it?... Sorry

Re-read what I said originally...

"If the house has a letterbox on the outer porch door, you do not touch the handle."

All I've written in this thread is my interpretation of the rules, at some point you might get a response from someone who is expected to know the letter of the law.

[A2B]

Similar situation for houses that have newspaper boxes (or anything along those lines) that anyone can open to take the mail, it is your responsibility to leave all mail (including D2D and p739 cards) in a secure place.

Correct me if i'm wrong but all new build flats should have boxes outside, are we supposed to bring the mail back everyday?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thanks again.

One other scenario. A porch that is closed with NO letter box on it. Do I try the door so I can deliver the mail through the front door or do I endorse the mail to say it can't be delivered?

Yes - if you see a letter box through the porch, or know that there is one through local knowledge then you are allowed to post it through the 2nd door, but you can't leave parcels in the porch, as its insecure.

On the subject of the secure porch door. If you can open it, so can a passing thief so its not secure. However, RM have deemed that we cannot check every door, so a closed door is counted as secure, but it isn't if you subsequently open it.

[the-hanz]

Sorry. Even you are now confusing me, lol.

You originally said not to try opening a porch door but are now saying I should if I see an inner letter box... Which is it?... Sorry

Re-read what I said originally...

"If the house has a letterbox on the outer porch door, you do not touch the handle."

I see... bloody hell it's complicated.

One final scenario and I'm done... Many of the houses have their door bells / door knockers on the inner door. I shouldn't open the porch door to attempt to get an answer?