‘Royal Mail must do more to help’

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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ROYAL Mail is not doing enough to stop prank letters that have left pensioners out of pocket, it has been claimed.

The Oxford Mail reported on two Headington residents who received hoax letters claiming to be from the Royal Mail earlier this month, but with insufficient postage that had to be paid.

Now it has emerged that exactly the same thing happened to another pensioner living in nearby Old Marston this time last year.

Mick Heavey, of Oxford Road, said in the run-up to last Christmas he received a note through his door from Royal Mail informing him there was a letter with insufficient postage applied.

He drove to the same delivery office as the recent victims, Headington pensioners David and Kathy Bowmar-Scothern, and was greeted with an identical hoax note.

It read “Post early for Christmas. Ha ha! He he! From the girls and boys at the Royal Mail sorting office.

Mr Heavey said: “They also – sarcastically – included a Post Office guide on how to make a complaint. “Though theirs is written in black and mine in red, it does look like it was written by the same person.

“I also drove to the Royal Mail sorting office in Ledgers Close, Littlemore, to collect the letter and ironically, joked to the desk clerk that I would be ‘mad’ if I’d paid £1.36p for junk mail.

“On opening it I was furious at having my time away from the office and petrol wasted, but was not amused when the clerk’s first response was that it wasn’t anything to do with them, as it had got a Hemel Hempstead stamp on it.

“I asked to speak to the office manager, but he refused to speak to me. Instead he told the desk clerk to offer me the £1.36p back – as long as I handed over the letter to them. When I asked about compensation they weren’t interested but said they would investigate.”

Disabled couple Mr and Mrs Bowmar-Scothern were told that Royal Mail were investigating the matter when they said they had received a similar letter earlier this month.

A spokesman for the Royal Mail also claimed, in a previous statement to the Oxford Mail, that “they had never come across this before”. Neither they nor Mr Heavey are happy with how the matter has been dealt with.

A spokesman for Royal Mail, Adrian Booth, said: “Royal Mail takes this issue very seriously and we are grateful to the Oxford Mail for bringing it to our attention.

“Our customer services team works closely with our investigation team and we would urge anyone with concerns to contact our customer service department on 08457 740740 or via our website royalmail.com”

Were you hoaxed by the prank letter? If so call the Oxford Mail newsdesk on 01865 425445 or email us at news@oxfordmail.co.uk

[Lounge Lizard]

“I also drove to the Royal Mail sorting office in Ledgers Close, Littlemore, to collect the letter and ironically, joked to the desk clerk that I would be ‘mad’ if I’d paid £1.36p for junk mail." Is this old news ? £1.36 was the charge before price rises last April.

[POSTMAN]

They reported it last month,this month they are reporting that it also happened last year,do they not tip at xmas down there.