Returned to Sender/Intercept

rifleeyez · Post by **rifleeyez** » 17 Nov 2018, 21:45

Quick question,

I had ordered something important (as it always is...) yesterday (Friday) for Next Day Delivery, but I hadn't changed my address on the account details, so it was delivered today (Saturday) to my old address.

I lived in a 3 flat block and nobody has moved into my old apartment yet. I got on well with my neighbours, and they knew I had moved, but they didn't know my new address so took it back to the Post Office today (Saturday) around lunchtime, 3 hours after it arrived, telling them this.

My question is can I go down the local office first thing on Monday and collect it from my Local Office before it's sent elsewhere? Is it kept ''in limbo'' for a certain amount of days at my local office before it's sent back to a main hub (and then the sender), or is it taken on a truck back to the main Sorting Office (Tyneside in my case) Saturday night (tonight) or Sunday/Monday before 9? Tracking still just shows it's been delivered, for what it's worth. On the Royal Mail site it says they keep packages foe 18 days before returning to sender? Is that correct? And is that the local office for a period, or back to the main office?

Just wondering if I can intercept it while it's local, as it's awkward (2-3 hours away) to get to the main sorting office it came from (if I can even intercept it), or if it's already gone by 9am Monday and is likely to move elsewhere before then?

Many many thanks all.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 18 Nov 2018, 08:53

Do you mean the local Post Office or do you mean the Royal Mail Delivery Office?

If you mean the Post Office then they would simply have put it into the mail. Post Offices are under strict instructions never to give mail to anyone unless it has gone through the Local Collect or Post Restante channels.

If you mean the Royal Mail office you might get a different answer.

rifleeyez · Post by **rifleeyez** » 18 Nov 2018, 15:20

Snaggletooth wrote:Do you mean the local Post Office or do you mean the Royal Mail Delivery Office?

If you mean the Post Office then they would simply have put it into the mail. Post Offices are under strict instructions never to give mail to anyone unless it has gone through the Local Collect or Post Restante channels.

If you mean the Royal Mail office you might get a different answer.

It arrived with the postie as normal on Saturday morning. My neighbour knew I had recently moved, so she took it back later on Saturday at lunchtime to the local Post Office in town (where I'd normally collect my mail had I missed it), telling staff there that it had arrived that morning but I don't live there now, and she didn't know my new address. Not sure why she didn't keep it knowing I'd pop round as I still pay rent there (under contract), but that's a totally different story. I presume he gave it to her to put in the communal area as it's a 3 flat block, or she found the ''We missed you card'' in the communal letterbox and took it out of the post box by the front door. No idea, I didn't ask as it's not relevant.

I was wondering what my options are here to get this. On one hand it says they keep post for 18 days before Returning to Sender, but I might have got confused and because my neighbour stated I'd moved, maybe it's a different process?

If I pop down first thing on Monday, so tomorrow, will it be there at my local office? Has it already gone elsewhere, maybe back to a larger depot already, and it will be back with the sender Tuesday? Just seems a pointless extra burden on staff as I can go to my local office first thing Monday and collect it.

Post by **Snaggletooth** » 19 Nov 2018, 06:51

rifleeyez wrote:... took it back later on Saturday at lunchtime to the local Post Office in town (where I'd normally collect my mail had I missed it)...

Although you are calling it a Post Office, your description makes it sound like a Royal Mail delivery office. Is the place you refer to just somewhere you collect mail or does it sell foreign currency, process car tax and issue benefit payments etc?

rifleeyez · Post by **rifleeyez** » 19 Nov 2018, 08:36

Snaggletooth wrote:
rifleeyez wrote:... took it back later on Saturday at lunchtime to the local Post Office in town (where I'd normally collect my mail had I missed it)...
Although you are calling it a Post Office, your description makes it sound like a Royal Mail delivery office. Is the place you refer to just somewhere you collect mail or does it sell foreign currency, process car tax and issue benefit payments etc?

Sorry yes it has currency converting/buy stamps etc, but it also has a collections office that you enter through a completely different door around the back of the building, where I would collect my post from a member of staff and sign for it and all the vans stop. So it sounds like it's both, just in the same building/area.

I presume she would have taken it to the Post Office though and given it to staff there, rather than the other office where I'd collect my post. I am going to pop down about 10:30 and see what the situation is, hopefully they've kept hold of it for a few days before returning it as it just seems an unneccessary process going back through the system.

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 19 Nov 2018, 09:32

What's the tracking number?

rifleeyez · Post by **rifleeyez** » 19 Nov 2018, 09:37

SpacePhoenix wrote:What's the tracking number?

Tracking number is FR971867218GB

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 19 Nov 2018, 12:52

Looks like they picked it up successfully.

rifleeyez · Post by **rifleeyez** » 19 Nov 2018, 15:08

TrueBlueTerrier wrote:Looks like they picked it up successfully.

Yup, picked it up today no problem.

Thanks for taking the time to write everyone!

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 19 Nov 2018, 16:01

rifleeyez wrote:
TrueBlueTerrier wrote:Looks like they picked it up successfully.
Yup, picked it up today no problem.

Thanks for taking the time to write everyone!

... and many thanks for coming back and updating us, much appreciated.