Can Royal Mail trace standard post?

catmiaow

I sent an item and the buyer states they have not received, is there any way that royal mail can track standard post not sent recorded?

soolin

catmiaow wrote: »

I sent an item and the buyer states they have not received, is there any way that royal mail can track standard post not sent recorded?

No, they can't even track recorded, only special delivery is trackable.

However basic mail (1st 2nd or parcels) is still covered up to £36 for loss with a certificate of posting.

Bargin_Betty79

I had this problem a few months back. Royal Mail told me there's no way of tracing the item but if you have a proof of postage you can submit a claim to Royal Mail 15 days after the item has been missing (you can download the form from their website). I received a letter back from them after 10 days with a cheque refunding the amount, I then refunded my buyer through paypal.

martindow

Bargin_Betty79 wrote: »

I had this problem a few months back. Royal Mail told me there's no way of tracing the item but if you have a proof of postage you can submit a claim to Royal Mail 15 days after the item has been missing (you can download the form from their website). I received a letter back from them after 10 days with a cheque refunding the amount, I then refunded my buyer through paypal.

You have a very patient buyer! Normally I would try to jolly the buyer along by keeping in touch and reassuring that there will be a refund if it doesn't arrive, but refund at the end of the second week. I then make the PO claim after their waiting time. The 15 days is working days (3 weeks) and then another 10 days makes over a month.

The_Casual_Tailor

catmiaow wrote: »

I sent an item and the buyer states they have not received, is there any way that royal mail can track standard post not sent recorded?

The short answer is no.

Refund them and then claim back off Royal Mail.

My advice is to never send anything if it's not Recorded or Special Delivery, it cuts down of the chancers doing the "It's not arrived" routine.

martindow

The_Casual_Tailor wrote: »

My advice is to never send anything if it's not Recorded or Special Delivery, it cuts down of the chancers doing the "It's not arrived" routine.

I wish I had a pound for every time we have discussed this on this forum.

We hear stories of disasters here but most people are honest and paying an extra 72p on each item posted comes out of your profit and can make you uncompetitive. You need to ask whether your losses from dishonest people make the extra payments worthwhile.

Soolin has posted on this before - copy and paste Soo?!

soolin

martindow wrote: »

Soolin has posted on this before - copy and paste Soo?!

I decided on a new policy actually, if I positively encourage sellers to use recorded, especially my competitors, I am going to look so much cheaper under the new search on ebay that I can destroy the competition.(insert evil laugh). In fact one of my best lines does have a competitor and instead of that decreasing my sales it has actually increased them as Mr X refuses to send without recorded in the UK or international signed for overseas and on sub £10 items that extra 72p (in the UK) and £4 + overseas makes his post and packing look appalling, especially as he is working the low item cost high P and P route anyway. My stars hover at 4.9 across the board, his are hovering at 4.4 and he even has a neutral for excessive postage. Since most of my sales are now to Scandanavia (I rather flooded the UK market) my £1.60 post looks a darn site better than his £7 (which includes international signed for) he barely sells a thing unless I go on holiday (and even now I am listing stuff to go live while I am away). he has actually increased my sales as people see his overall costs and flock to buy my stuff before I sell out, he has created a demand for my items, which is sort of weird.

However to be fair I really must make my usual comment about recorded not being worth the paper it is written on. Regulars need read no further:

Sending 100 parcels a month and using recorded would cost me an additional £72, just how many parcels would I have to lose to get anywhere near covering that sort of outlay from my profits. The idea that the buyers actually pay is also misunderstood, in fact the seller pays via lower item prices. . Say I want to buy a T shirt and have £7 to spend, you and your competitor have that T shirt up at £5, but you are charging £2.72 for postage against £2 charged by the other seller, then you have just priced yourself out of the market by being 72p dearer than someone else.

Looking at it a different way, I still want my t shirt and still have £7 to spend, so all I would bid on your would be £4.28 as I would take into account your postage costs, I would bid up to £5 on someone else only charging me £2 postage.

Build into that the fact that around 50% of recorded items are never signed for so you would lose a paypal claim anyway..and what exactly are you paying hundreds of pounds for over the course of a year?

The_Casual_Tailor

martindow wrote: »

I wish I had a pound for every time we have discussed this on this forum.

We hear stories of disasters here but most people are honest and paying an extra 72p on each item posted comes out of your profit and can make you uncompetitive. You need to ask whether your losses from dishonest people make the extra payments worthwhile.

Soolin has posted on this before - copy and paste Soo?!

I factor in recorded for all my p&p and have a set standard of £4.99 for t's and shirts, £5.99 for jumpers, jeans etc and £6.99 for trainers.

Coats etc go SD at a standard £9.99

I also have set cost for overseas, all clearly shown in the listings.

My feedback is excellent as is my sellers dashboard which is well above the ebay average.

When I buy I factor the p&p into the cost and it would appears that my buyers do the same as if 6 years ebaying and 1000s of transaction I have never had a single complaint, neg or neutral regarding P&P.

Buyers are happy as they know that even with the p&p they are getting an excellent deal.

I won't be changing it anytime soon.

The_Casual_Tailor

martindow wrote: »

We hear stories of disasters here but most people are honest and paying an extra 72p on each item posted comes out of your profit and can make you uncompetitive. You need to ask whether your losses from dishonest people make the extra payments worthwhile.

One loss of a coat would wipe out £200 profit, so it's horses for courses.

shellfishb5

Hello everyone thought i would add my gripe to this post, i recently sold goods to the value of £60 on e-bay using paypal, goods went missing i sent them via parcel post and got proof of postage, paypal decided for the buyer withdrew the funds from my account and gave them back to the buyer so i have lost goods and money, so i claimed from Royal mail got form and sent copy of proof of postage, after about a month they then write and tell me they need original proof of postage so i send them original then i get a letter to say they are not going to deal with my claim as i dont have a valid address, my address is the one i get all my mail delivered to and had received these two letters regarding my claim. why has me having a valid address got anything to do with my claim? that should be irelevent.So have complained to post review people had e-mail from them saying i have to register my address with the royal mail dept in Sunderland b4 they will look at my claim.

soolin

The_Casual_Tailor wrote: »

One loss of a coat would wipe out £200 profit, so it's horses for courses.

I would be using special anyway for items over £36, my business model for recorded assumes items to be within the £36 for a standard claim for loss. Therefore I wouldne' be risking a £200 coat, I don't risk anything as recorded and standard 1st or 2nd class mail give the same level of protection.

I factor in recorded for all my p&p and have a set standard of £4.99 for t's and shirts

I assume you are joking (gulp) , £4.99 post and packing on a t shirt :eek: