Tracking Status on Special Delivery Guaranteed Item

MsW · Post by **MsW** » 05 Sep 2016, 11:24

Hi all, hoping you can give me some advice here. I posted an extremely important parcel/letter on Friday - first of all, the young lad on the counter promised me faithfully that it would be delivered on the Saturday, but only registered it for next working day delivery.

Secondly, I can now see that it's turned up in Leeds, presumably in error. Tracking info as follows:

05/09/16 10:49 ON ITS WAY TO EARLY TO LATE SHIFT HANDOVER LEEDS MAIL CENTRE
05/09/16 07:29 ARRIVED OUT OF COURSE LEEDS MAIL CENTRE
03/09/16 18:36 ON ITS WAY TO SHEFFIELD MAIL CENTRE SOUTH MIDLANDS MAIL CENTR
03/09/16 17:06 ITEM COLLECTED SOUTH MIDLANDS MAIL CENTR
02/09/16 17:49 SENT AT POST OFFICE 13 Neighbourhood NN18 9EJ

I'm guessing that means that it's not going to arrive today, either?

This would be the worst possible parcel to go AWOL...someone's job literally depended on it getting where it's supposed to be. Wish I'd just taken the train up there and hand delivered it now.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 05 Sep 2016, 12:39

Leeds would be the right place for parts of West & North Yorkshire. Is that where the item is destined for?

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 05 Sep 2016, 12:44

BTW you posted it at 17:49 on Friday, and almost all Post Offices have their last collection before 17:30 on weekdays, so the chances of it arriving on Saturday were slim to non-existent.

MsW · Post by **MsW** » 05 Sep 2016, 13:09

Hi Snaggletooth, and thank you for replying. Yes, I did query the time when I dropped it off - the young lad told me that it would be picked up first thing and delivered before 1pm. I didn't think it sounded right at the time and I did question it, but he was so confident that it would get there I just let it go.

The parcel was intended for Sheffield. It's after 1pm now, so it's clearly not going to make it - I'm just going to have to try to do some damage limitation and hope that I can get the process that it was intended for started next month instead. Value of the documents amounts to about £200, but this is going to cause absolute eruptions with people higher up the food chain than me...I'll just wait for the inevitable carpeting I suppose.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 05 Sep 2016, 14:27

Obviously it appears that it has gone to the wrong part of Yorkshire. Time scales are tight on Special Delivery and it is likely that the package will be sent on to Sheffield tonight and delivered tomorrow, which is what happens when things go to the wrong mail centre.

You are entitled to a refund on the cost of postage. Any further compensation depends on whether you purchased consequential loss cover on top of the normal postage cost.

With regards issues with your employer, you have a lot of evidence about what service you used and how it went wrong from the receipt and the tracking, so on the face of it you should be able to successfully defend a formal disciplinary action.

MsW · Post by **MsW** » 05 Sep 2016, 14:49

Hi Snaggletooth. Again, thanks for your reply.

I expect it will be delivered tomorrow - just immensely, immensely frustrating. I did purchase insurance, so I expect a claim will be forthcoming for the cost incurred for the documents arriving past the deadline for receipt. As I say though, the issue is more that someone will now not be able to take up an offer of employment - frustrating for us and probably devastating for her.

Thanks for the concern regarding my employer - I don't think disciplinary action is likely though, just an implosion of the highest order.

Think this is the first thing that I've ever posted by guaranteed where there were serious implications for it not getting there on time, and it's the first time the PO have ever let me down.

MsW · Post by **MsW** » 06 Sep 2016, 09:06

Hi folks.

Thought I'd update that it's arrived safe and sound at it's intended destination - signature etc all showing up on line.

Thanks again for reading, and Snaggletooth for the advise.

Regards,

MsW

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 06 Sep 2016, 11:31

Well it's good that it isn't lost.

MsW wrote:I did purchase insurance, so I expect a claim will be forthcoming for the cost incurred for the documents arriving past the deadline for receipt.

You can now put in a claim to Royal Mail by downloading and sending a P58inland form. You can claim for any costs incurred due to lateness if you purchased the the separate Consequential Loss cover - check your receipt - the normal included compensation cover probably will not pay out for this (depends on exactly what you were sending). You should receive a refund on the cost of postage regardless of what cover you have.

MsW wrote:Think this is the first thing that I've ever posted by guaranteed where there were serious implications for it not getting there on time, and it's the first time the PO have ever let me down.

Be careful not to mix up Royal Mail and the Post Office, they are very different organisations with very different roles in this. You might want to make a complaint about poor advice on delivery times at your local Post Office (call 08457 22 33 44 to make a complaint to the PO) but that is unlikely to result in any compensation: you wanted the item there on Monday and it was guaranteed to arrive Monday, the failure in that respect lies with Royal Mail.