Royal Mail has been "expecting it" for 4 days

robbie77 · Post by **robbie77** » 25 Sep 2018, 10:12

So I (perhaps stupidly) decided to try the Royal Mail "Click & Drop" service after we started a small merchandising operation for a website we run.
These are tiny items, so the envelopes are about the size of a postcard.
The envelopes are too small for the large printed labels, and to big for the label printer we specifically purchased for this task, so we took screengrabs of the labels, then pasted them into the label printer program.

Incidentally, the "Click & Drop" service doesn't seem to have any method of allowing us to create smaller, more compact labels for smaller packages, which seems like a stupid thing for Royal Mail to miss.
Surely they could create a smaller template specifically for some of the most popular label printers in the world, removing all the wasted white space for instance?

Being a smart cookie I decided to send the first batch of UK mail and one to the US "tracked", so I could be certain the copy/paste of labels was acceptable and the codes could still be read etc, then we'd send the rest as standard.

Well, it's been 4 days.
All the UK tracked shipments have arrived fine, but the one to the US is still displaying "We're Expecting It".

Royal Mail has received it. If the UK merch has arrived with customers then they've definitely received the US mail.

The problem now is that we're seeing orders daily for the US and we can't ship any of them until we know that this label printing method works.
Thankfully our customers understand the problem and they're okay with it, for now.

We emailed Royal Mail yesterday hoping for an answer but I guess it's going to take a while.

It's just sitting there telling me they haven't received it at all when I know they most certainly have.
I just don't understand how they can inform me that the UK mail has been delivered as expected, and yet this one to the US seems to have vanished into thin air!

Does anyone have any information on this?
I'm guessing everything is probably fine and it's on its way, and that maybe their system is just terrible when it comes to tracking mail leaving the UK.

Any help or reassurance is greatly appreciated.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 25 Sep 2018, 21:11

1. Did you include a CN22 or CN23 customs form with the labels you put on your item to the USA?

2. If you included the above, did you shrink it to fit?

robbie77 · Post by **robbie77** » 26 Sep 2018, 07:10

Snaggletooth wrote:1. Did you include a CN22 or CN23 customs form with the labels you put on your item to the USA?

2. If you included the above, did you shrink it to fit?

No, I didn't include either form.
The value of the goods is below £270 and small enough to be considered a letter.
I was informed that I wouldn't need one.
I guess this is the problem.

If this is the problem then would it be acceptable to print a CN22 in the same manner and affix it to the back of the envelope?
It seems ridiculous (or impossible) to print out a full CN22 on A4, put it in a plastic bag, and try to stick that on an envelope the size of a postcard. lol

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 26 Sep 2018, 08:37

A post card wouldn't need a CN22.

Something inside an envelope may need it.

CN22s can be quite small - print onto A4 and cut down

https://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/cn22.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Addendum: CN22s are for items less than £270 in value

CN23s are for items over that value.

Those are quite big https://www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/CN23.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 26 Sep 2018, 17:38

Printed at the correct size, a CN22 is about half the size of a postcard. Or your local Post Office may give you a roll if you ask.