Unreceived item

soolin

masonic wrote:

I'm still waiting with bated breath to hear how you are able to get additional insurance for 1st class mail.

I've pored over the RM site, I even asked at my local post office and like you masonic I don't think this exists. I still think there is some confusion over the difference between standard 1st and 2nd class post and parcels (which can be insured).

What I would really like is an extended Recorded delivery service, so take out the guaranteed next day bit and just increase the insured limit for a small additional payment...maybe we should send the suggestion to the PO?

Soo

helen21_2

E-mail received off seller, sent anther parcel out and give me the tracking numbers. So hopefully i should be getting my stuff, thanks for all your help, especially soolin, thanks

masonic

soolin wrote:

What I would really like is an extended Recorded delivery service, so take out the guaranteed next day bit and just increase the insured limit for a small additional payment...maybe we should send the suggestion to the PO?

From conversations I've had with the counter staff at my PO, they seem acutely aware that hardly anyone needs a next day guarantee. I guess RM have realised it would cost them almost as much to run a 'signed for' service for valuables properly (or deal with all the high value claims that would be involved in running it in its current state). Anyway, with their new charging structure they are planning to implement, this is going to be the least of anyones concern.

buggu

soolin wrote:

buggu, recorded is no good for most mobile phones as the insurance only covers up to £30. For items over £30 they really must be spent special, or for very heavy parcels, by parcel post with the correct level of insurance taken out.

Soo

Sorry meant recordered delivery in general, obviously you would need special delivery if over £30.

RM should just make it Ist, 2nd and special delivery , whereby special delivery is cheaper without the next day service but still have extra insurance.

soolin

buggu wrote:

Sorry meant recordered delivery in general, obviously you would need special delivery if over £30.

RM should just make it Ist, 2nd and special delivery , whereby special delivery is cheaper without the next day service but still have extra insurance.

That would be great wouldn't it! However, like masonic says I think the RM realise we only use special for the insurance levels and not for the guaranteed next day bit, oh well, back to the drawing board.

Soo

Contains_Mild_Peril

I was always under the impression that extra insurance could be purchased with any RM delivery service. Oh well.

soolin wrote:

recorded delivery only covers items up to £30 in value, this can be interpreted different ways by different members of RM staff, but usually if you send an invoice in to support your claim showing the item cost more than £30 then nothing at all will be paid, not even the £30.

WHAT?!!? Seriously? That's totally cheating! An underinsured customer with a legitimate claim should surely receive the amount they're insured for, if less than the claim, whether it's the Royal Mail or any other company? I've been sending things valued at a little over £30 without extra insurance, believing that I was covered for £30 (e.g. a dress I've just sold for £36, I assumed if it were to go missing I would claim £30 compensation and only be £6 out of pocket).

The last bit of bad news is that the RM do not reimburse the cost of postage, so if the item was less than £30 you will only get the phone cost back and not the post and packing shown on the invoice.

Soo

Again, that's cheating! If a company takes your money for a service they then fail to provide, they owe you a refund. If what you are telling me is true, then either
1. Royal Mail are acting illegally by refusing to refund postage paid for items not delivered, or
2. There is some obscure legal loophole of which I am unaware which excludes them from the laws which cover other commerce.

soolin

containsmildperil,

The first part of your post is like I say open to intepretation, the actual wording is as follows: Your Recorded items are covered for up to £30 compensation, in the unlikely event of loss or damage . There have been instances on this thread where compenasation has been refused where the item cost is in excess of £30 as the goods themselves fall out of the insured limit. Royal Mail themselves do not even consider RD as a special service, if you check the website to see how to send valuable items only SD is mentioned.

As for the second part of the post about not reimbursing for the postage element I agree that this is quite appalling and has often been mentioned by me when I have needed to vent. I had been used to getting my full costs returned and only losing the actual postage paid, but this all stopped suddenly about three months ago. So now what happens is the claim form goes in together with the ebay invoice that shows for instance, item of £20 and post and packing of £5, and only the £20 is repaid which leaves sellers £5 out of pocket for that element, plus another £5 out of pocket as of course the post was actually paid. (That doesn't make sense and I can't think how to explain it better).

I believe this to be an absolute scandal and would back any campaign to get the RM to acknowledge that ebay losses are different in that we break down one payment received, ie £25 into different elements for post *and packing*.

I did try submitting my own end of auction email with one single payment figure shown to support a claim rather than the official ebay one, and had my entire claim turmed down as being unproven, so be warned.

Whether or not the RM is acting illegally by reducing these claims in such a way I don't know as I'm not a lawyer.

Soo

Contains_Mild_Peril

I do think it's perfectly reasonable to expect the buyer of an undelivered item to wait the 3 weeks (15 working days) until it's officially lost in the post before expecting a refund. I have been sent a replacement sooner than this when I enquired about an item which had not turned up, and I think the seller went beyond the call of duty in accepting that it was lost before RM's deadline. I would also encourage buyers to leave feedback as soon as possible after receipt of satisfactory goods, particularly if expensive, just in case poor private sellers really are waiting for this before spending the money!

soolin

Contains_Mild_Peril wrote:

I do think it's perfectly reasonable to expect the buyer of an undelivered item to wait the 3 weeks (15 working days) until it's officially lost in the post before expecting a refund. I have been sent a replacement sooner than this when I enquired about an item which had not turned up, and I think the seller went beyond the call of duty in accepting that it was lost before RM's deadline. I would also encourage buyers to leave feedback as soon as possible after receipt of satisfactory goods, particularly if expensive, just in case poor private sellers really are waiting for this before spending the money!

If sellers are asking buyers to wait until a RM claim is processed then the buyer will have a long wait. 15 working days before RM will accept a claim (ie three weeks) and then another 2-3 weeks before claim actually paid.

It is immaterial anyway as paypal allow a chargeback from day 7 and don't link that chargeback to whether or not seller receives funds from the RM.

Soo

masonic

Contains_Mild_Peril wrote:

I do think it's perfectly reasonable to expect the buyer of an undelivered item to wait the 3 weeks (15 working days) until it's officially lost in the post before expecting a refund. I have been sent a replacement sooner than this when I enquired about an item which had not turned up, and I think the seller went beyond the call of duty in accepting that it was lost before RM's deadline. I would also encourage buyers to leave feedback as soon as possible after receipt of satisfactory goods, particularly if expensive, just in case poor private sellers really are waiting for this before spending the money!

I think it is perfectly reasonable if the seller states it in their refunds policy on their listings. However, they would need to be aware that if someone like me comes along and pays using paypal, they will not be negotiated with before a paypal chargeback is submitted.