"we have your item" isn't showing on RM Track & Trace

[Jim57]

When I send an item by RM signed-for service, the RM Track & Trace website shows the status as "we have your item" with the date they received it & the time (under Full Tracking Details).

Today, when I checked an item sent by signed-for, the Track & Trace status says:-

Royal Mail Signed For™ items are only scanned when the item has been delivered. Depending on whether the item was sent 1st or 2nd class, this may be a few days after posting. Please try again later.

Please come back later

Information on your Royal Mail Signed For™ item is not yet available.

The item was sold on Ebay & I like to let my buyers know exactly when I posted the item to them. Has something gone wrong on this occasion? The barcode is obviously being recognised, but why aren't the usual details being shown?

[NewPostieUK]

A 'Signed For' item (formerly 'Recorded') is often not scanned at all until a delivery is attempted. It's not treated an differently to normal mail, although it seems it is sometimes scanned at the Post Office when it is sent.

You just pay for a signature upon delivery.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Where did you post the item? Ie post box a post office or using a franking machine etc? If posted at the post office did you get a receipt showing the reference number?

[Jim57]

It was taken to a post office & went through all the normal proceedures. I got the receipt with the barcode number. It's the number that I entered on the Track & Trace page.

I had assumed that the details were entered onto the tracking system when the details (weight, address etc.) were entered by the PO staff. Do they need to then scan the barcode on the package for the full details to be entered onto the Track & Trace system?

To be honest, I've never really paid much attention, so don't know whether previous parcels were scanned or not. I only know that on all previous occasions the time & date & branch address were shown on the Track & Trace page when I got home, with the status showing "we have your item".

EDIT...Just checked again & it's now showing

Status: We have your item

Item ************* was posted at ********************* on 11/08/15 and is being progressed through our network for delivery.

Looks like it was just slower than usual at updating?

[Snaggletooth]

If you have a receipt with the barcode number on it then the Post Office have done everything that they should do. The same action puts the details on to the receipt and into the Track & Trace system. The only thing that can go wrong at branch level is somehow scanning the wrong item or miss-typing the barcode if entering manually (and there is a check digit system to weed out the majority of the latter).

However, about 3 years ago we had a whole rash of problems with the Post Office's computers intermittently not talking to Royal Mail's computers. I don't know which side was at fault but it went all the way up to Moya Greene's office. The problem is now quite rare but it looks like you were a victim of that.

[Jim57]

If you have a receipt with the barcode number on it then the Post Office have done everything that they should do. The same action puts the details on to the receipt and into the Track & Trace system. The only thing that can go wrong at branch level is somehow scanning the wrong item or miss-typing the barcode if entering manually (and there is a check digit system to weed out the majority of the latter).

However, about 3 years ago we had a whole rash of problems with the Post Office's computers intermittently not talking to Royal Mail's computers. I don't know which side was at fault but it went all the way up to Moya Greene's office. The problem is now quite rare but it looks like you were a victim of that.

Thanks for the info.