Do specials on saturday have to be delivered by 1pm?

mattandbenny · Post by **mattandbenny** » 28 Jan 2019, 14:41

So i just wanted to clarify something - i delivered a regular silver label special (not sat guaranteed one) on saturday at 13:20 and long story short i am in the s**t for it - i need to attend a fact finding conduct interview for this (i missed a geniune one a couple of months ago and was on a warning).

I just wanted to clarify the rule for specials on saturdays - if my arguement will hold up or not - that RM guarentees next WORKING day delivery and as it wasnt a saturday guaranteed one then i did nothing wrong delivering it after 1pm as the next working day would be monday, so RM only guaranteed it by 1pm monday.

Just want to know where i stand as i have heard some say this is correct and some say incorrect.

Phantom · Post by **Phantom** » 28 Jan 2019, 15:08

Ringer21 · Post by **Ringer21** » 28 Jan 2019, 15:35

Our office are told unless it's Sat guaranteed it doesn't have to arrive before 1pm

Bahia Feliz · Post by **Bahia Feliz** » 28 Jan 2019, 15:35

The sender,who is the customer never paid the extra fee to have it delivered on the Saturday,all you can do is use this as your defence.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 28 Jan 2019, 15:37

If an SD has been allocated to your walk on a Saturday then you have to at least attempt to deliver it before the stated time. If they are not in to sign for it and you have to write a P739 out that isn't your fault.
I think RM put pressure on DOMs to come down on Postie's like a ton of bricks when SDs are failed. Hopefully yours is a bit more lenient.

postmanzach · Post by **postmanzach** » 28 Jan 2019, 16:20

We were told just last week not to worry about doing them before 1 unless they are SG stickered.

Woody Guthrie · Post by **Woody Guthrie** » 28 Jan 2019, 17:06

The bottom line is it doesn't matter.
Royal Mail's contract with the customer has nothing to do with us.
Unless you've been specifically told to ignore the 1pm deadline it doesn't matter whether it stands or not.

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 28 Jan 2019, 17:32

I txt our phg, he says yes they have to be delivered by 1pm,... but, on RMs own website, on the special delivery page, it specifically states, ''1pm delivery on a Saturday (for an additional fee)''....so it will be in your favour if it was NOT SG stickered. you could use that argument as a reason.

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 28 Jan 2019, 17:48

Celgar wrote:If an SD has been allocated to your walk on a Saturday then you have to at least attempt to deliver it before the stated time.......

Am I misunderstanding your post?

What's the point of the extra charge for Saturday Guaranteed SD's if you have to deliver a non-SG SD by 1PM on Saturday?

I don't change route on a Saturday for non SG SD's and if they get delivered after 1pm so be it. Never had any come back from management.

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 28 Jan 2019, 18:13

Ringer21 wrote:Our office are told unless it's Sat guaranteed it doesn't have to arrive before 1pm

I had this query the other weekend. I thought I was in the shite, and fessed up to the DOM on Monday (It was pissing down and TBH I was on auto-pilot and just lost track of the time)

He told me not to worry... unless the Special has a Yellow SG (Saturday Guarenteed) sticker It doesn't have to be delivered by the 1pm deadline, although it obviously needs to be delivered, and signed for, that day. Don't stress over it....

barcajr · Post by **barcajr** » 28 Jan 2019, 18:18

Once delivered a large special (not SG) on a Saturday after one, after getting it mixed up with the normal packets. Got no come back whatsoever

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 28 Jan 2019, 18:19

I think yellowbelly is bang on. why pay extra for a SG if a normal SD would be there for 1pm on a Saturday. no point whatsoever. you have a case.

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 28 Jan 2019, 18:46

a normal SD mon-fri is £6.50. if you want it guaranteed on Saturday its £10.80. why would anyone in their right mind pay £4.30 more if a normal SD would do the same job as a SG..?? hit your DOM with that.

themailman · Post by **themailman** » 28 Jan 2019, 19:32

I was always under the impression that the yellow SG sticker and extra postage paid was to ensure that the item gets fast tracked in the system, by means of an extra flight/lorry etc to ensure it gets to the Mail Centre that serves your DO. Something to do with a cut off point for those drivers who work Mon-Fri.
Once scanned into your DO/walk on a Saturday it is then 'live' and should be delivered by 1pm, yellow sticker or not.

NewPostieUK · Post by **NewPostieUK** » 28 Jan 2019, 19:55

This has cropped up many times. The only definitive answer is: Do as instructed. Ask your manager.

In my opinion, we shouldn't even be taking out specials on a Saturday unless they are SG.