"While you were out" -- Royal Mail false delivery attempts

[Alex K]

The driver of Royal Mail van LB05 LLJ has just now -- 1320, Saturday 16 October -- hopped out of his vehicle, walked briskly to my neighbour's door on Abbotswood Road, and... has not rung, has not knocked, has only pushed a slip of paper through the cache-sexe on the letterbox and pootled off again.

Without a glimpse of the slip of paper, of course I can't be sure. It might not be a notice to go pick up a parcel on Silvester Road, or at the Forest Hill sub-station.

But is it others' impression as well as mine that Royal Mail parcel-delivery attempts are, too often, nothing of the kind?

[Ladymuck]

And yesterday they shoved a "recorded delivery" letter through my letter-box without knocking to obtain my signature - tut tut Royal Mail.

PS: hi Alex K x

[KidKruger]

Definitely. I was re-wiring my downstairs hall a couple of years ago at a time when I'd ordered a load of stuff over t'internet so plenty stuff was being delivered, it happened 3 times in 2 days, I saw the man turn-up and stick the slip-through the letterbox and stride back to his wagon. I live next to the sorting office so I wasn't bothered, but it was useful to see this because now when it happens I don't have to scratch my brains wondering how I never heard

Having said that, some days in the same week I DID get a knock and parcel from the chap (a different chap ?) when I answered the 'knock'. Perhaps it happens because it's close to clocking-off time when they have plans and don't want to be late.

I'd doubt it's pure laziness - because THATS their job !!

[louisiana]

It happens all the time. I've reported it in the past year or two. (I work from home and have actually watched them do it from my window next to the front door and facing the front footpath.)

Most recently, though, several parcels have gone completely missing - and when that happens only the sender seems able to complain.

[Moos]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that RM have changed their policy and no longer deliver all parcels, instead just delivering the slip. However, they haven't changed the wording on the slip, which seems pretty disinegenuous.

[louisiana]

Moos, this tactic has been used for several years. I work from home and have a lot of stuff supposedly delivered. Or did the policy change around 2002 (when it was already happening)?

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Yep, the postman did the same to me today, saw him get into his van and drive off after delivering me a slip of paper, I was too late to catch him and demand my parcels.

[Loz]

Surely it is some sort of breach of contract with the sender?

PS Big up the Abbotswood Massive!

[DJKillaQueen]

This has happened to me too...the red card through the door with no attempt to deliver the item. Twice I've managed to catch the postman in the act and have complained on numerous occasions to Royal Mail. It seems to be something some sorting offices do when they are short staffed or feel the postman won't have enough time to complete the round. Last Saturday post didn't arrive until 4.30 pm!

Personally I don't use Royal Mail for sending parcels anymore. Private courier firms cost the same and are far more reliable. The sooner Royal Mail is privatised the better imo.

[jctg]

There's been no change in policy or anything like that. Postmen and women do this because it makes their lives easier and there is pretty much zero chance they will get reprimanded for it by their boss. That's all there is to it.

[TheGreatErnie]

Yes RM are useless somehow I managed to "sign" for a recorded delivery item the other day despite being at work

[Terry Thomas esq]

I say

the poor old postie seems to have a rather bad press here, jolly rotten bounders what !

However, I did get one of those jolly little 'whilst you were out' slips on Wednesday and strike me if the chaps in the sorting office aren't open till 8pm on a Wednesday - good show what

[yummumbums]

Well i have encountered this before, but to their credit i had to disappear out to do the school run and as i was walking up to the school quite far from my home a royal mail van swerved over and pulled up and the chap jumped out and said miss ********* here is your parcel, i was shocked, i couldn't believe he recognised me as i only have a parcel delivery once every couple of months! so it is not all bad!

[Lu]

And it's not just Royal Mail. I was waiting for something I'd ordered online to be delivered by a private courier company 'between 8am and 1pm' so I took the morning off work. At 12.50 I called to see if they were coming and they claimed to have called but no-one was in. I was definitely in and my flat is the size of a shoebox so there's no way I wouldn't have heard the buzzer. I made a bit of a stink and was told the driver was having his lunch but would come straight afterwards. On arrival he admitted that he had too many things to deliver that morning and had put mine (and probably other people's) down as undeliverable on his schedule because he ran out of time. So my advice if you're waiting for a delivery is to always call them halfway through the scheduled delivery time. Otherwise you risk taking time off work for nothing.

[Twirly]

The slip being delivered with no doorbell being rung has happened to me too, more than once - very frustrating.

I've also had the slip for things that they seem to be able to get through the letterbox one month but not the next, despite it being a magazine that doesn't seem to change in size from month to month.

[Ridgley]

Yep happen to me too, I wrote a thread regarding this.

[DJKillaQueen]

There's no doubt that Royal Mail has gone to the dogs since restructuring, cuts to staff and deliveries. But what choice did Royal Mail have? They were losing millions every week? The whole service needs an overhual by someone who knows how to turn it back into a profit making high quality service. There's nothing Royal about it at the moment.

[dorisminor]

4pm deliveries are not on either and they frequently happen. Such a crap service!

[EDDORDC]

I am that much-maligned postman seen delivering a ?slip of paper? to a house in Abbotswood Road on Saturday afternoon. Here?s what I was actually doing?

The drivers at East Dulwich Delivery Office have to chip in with letter deliveries when required and I was delivering to nearby Burrow Road. Amongst the mail for Burrow Road I came across a missorted letter for Abbotswood Road. I could have simply taken it back to the office to go out for delivery on Monday, but as I was only round the corner I thought I might as well go and post it ? after all, the recipient might have been waiting for it. So there you go - it would have been prudent of you to actually check with your neighbour (who you must surely have a friendly relationship with?) before making such an accusatory posting.

[DJKillaQueen]

Still doesn't change the fact that no attempt was made by Royal Mail to deliver the item which is what the sender pays postage for. It's not your fault as an employee I know, the company you work for is shoddy, understaffed and increasingly frustrating to those that use it. Royal Mail has lost a huge amount of business to private courier and delivery companies and unreliable service is why. The longer the poor service goes on, the less sympathy postal workers will have from the public when the government eventually privatises it and the unions bring about the customary strikes.

[Alex K]

@EDDORDC -- Please re-read my initial posting. Note this paragraph:

"Without a glimpse of the slip of paper, of course I can't be sure. It might not be a notice to go pick up a parcel on Silvester Road, or at the Forest Hill sub-station."

The shoe may fit, but you claim that this time you weren't wearing it. Well, it's pinched you enough to call forth a reply.

Thank you for taking the time to present your version of events.

As for opinions on postal service held in this household: My partner's passport application, sent Friday to Liverpool via recorded delivery service of your employer -- the Royal Mail, EDDORDC, and entrusted to your colleagues -- has, you've guessed it!, BEEN LOST.

No doubt you're the exception, EDDORDC. But the services provided by you and your colleagues make you lot out to be a bit of a shower. See the posting by DJKillaQueen, above, and reflect on it... and on your chances of continuing to ride the gravy train when, as it must, privatisation comes your way.

[Sue]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Still doesn't change the fact that no attempt was

> made by Royal Mail to deliver the item which is

> what the sender pays postage for.

xxxxxxxx

DJKQ, as I read his post, he is saying that he did deliver it, and explaining the circumstances.

Alex K, your post is just rude.

"The shoe may fit, but you claim that this time you weren't wearing it. Well, it's pinched you enough to call forth a reply. "

The guy's explained the circumstances, and came on here to do so. He doesn't deserve to be shot down.

I'd like to say that I live in Ulverscroft Road and my postman is generally helpful and friendly, if clearly overworked.

The situation re Royal Mail is complex, and trying to blame the staff doesn't help.

ETA: If that was you, do you think you would be more motivated to try to do a good job, or less motivated, after reading these remarks?

[Alex K]

Thanks, Sue -- our thresholds for "rude" differ, it seems. But I'm still evolving! Give me some time, I may catch up with you.

I'm pleased that your postie is a champ. I wish the ones were who handle our mail.

More motivated or less motivated... Tough one. Could they really be LESS motivated? We can't assess the motives, only God can do that. We're limited to assessing the performance. And my partner's passport application is, yep, STILL lost.

I wish that application had been handled by the Ulverscroft Road staff...

[ianr]

Alex K Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> @EDDORDC -- Please re-read my initial posting.

> Note this paragraph:

>

> "Without a glimpse of the slip of paper, of course

> I can't be sure. It might not be a notice to go

> pick up a parcel on Silvester Road, or at the

> Forest Hill sub-station."

>

> The shoe may fit, but you claim that this time you weren't wearing it. Well, it's pinched you enough to call forth a reply.

>

> Thank you for taking the time to present your version of events.

Alex K, your initial post was exemplary in *not* jumping to conclusions. But this is dreadful. You may be upset about the reported loss of your husband's passport application, but you have no right to let that influence your reading of what EDDORC has said. Your tone is sneering and dismissive, and carries at least an implication that you don't accept the truth of what he's said.

I also don't understand DJKQ's "Still doesn't change the fact that no attempt was made by Royal Mail to deliver the item", which conveys to me a probable gross misreading of EDDORC's post.

[Alex K]

Thanks, Ian. I'm happy to take responsibility for what I imply, but not for what you infer.

However, if you understand my tone as sneering and dismissive, so be it. I believe you. What you felt is what you felt.

It's not easy being coarse-fibred. Like a safecracker her (how's that for sensitivity?) fingertips, I need to fine-sandpaper my expressive and interpretive skills if I have a hope of writing to be read in a properly nuanced manner. Postings to this forum are a challenge!

As to truth, and acceptance: Rashomon, and all that. None of us ever knows the truth of someone else's version of events. We have confirmation from EDDORC that something was passed through my neighbour's door. And then the trail grows cold.

So what colour IS your red, Ian?

Pondering the heritage of Wittgenstein, who received at least two postal deliveries a day...