Royal mail special delivery query

Lady_K

Previously I ordered a package from a company and used their standard delivery which turned out to be particularly slow and I was worried, it should have been 3-5 days but this took something like 10 days, so this time I asked for a quicker delivery option and she said they did special delivery for £3 extra charge. The parcel was £4.99 plus the £3.00. I ordered just after 12 mid day Tuesday, she said they wouldnt be able to process the order that day so it would go the next day but I thought after the worry I went through the last time it was still better than going through that I'd rather pay the extra £3. So it was due to be sent on Weds she said it would be with me Thursday.

It didnt arrive yesterday so I rang to check if all was ok, she said it should be there and I should ring my local parcel depo to see why it wasnt. I asked her for the tracking number and she said there wasnt one it just went by special delivery, I had presumed it would have one as I had paid £8 for delivery. The parcel is 1598kg in weight and 50cm/35cm/6cm in size.

It has turned up today a few mins ago and to me it doesnt look like its had any kind of special delivery unless I'm wrong. It just has a number 2 in blue in the top right hand corner and nothing else, does this sound like first class delivery? What should it look like there are no other stickers on it at all

tbw

Lady_K wrote: »

Previously I ordered a package from a company and used their standard delivery which turned out to be particularly slow and I was worried, it should have been 3-5 days but this took something like 10 days, so this time I asked for a quicker delivery option and she said they did special delivery for £3 extra charge. The parcel was £4.99 plus the £3.00. I ordered just after 12 mid day Tuesday, she said they wouldnt be able to process the order that day so it would go the next day but I thought after the worry I went through the last time it was still better than going through that I'd rather pay the extra £3. So it was due to be sent on Weds she said it would be with me Thursday.

It didnt arrive yesterday so I rang to check if all was ok, she said it should be there and I should ring my local parcel depo to see why it wasnt. I asked her for the tracking number and she said there wasnt one it just went by special delivery, I had presumed it would have one as I had paid £8 for delivery. The parcel is 1598kg in weight and 50cm/35cm/6cm in size.

It has turned up today a few mins ago and to me it doesnt look like its had any kind of special delivery unless I'm wrong. It just has a number 2 in blue in the top right hand corner and nothing else, does this sound like first class delivery? What should it look like there are no other stickers on it at all

Thats one REALLY heavy parcel !!!!

max2009

Special delivery they give you a receipt with a tracking number on.Sorry it is a courier company they used then.

Lady_K

Unless I weighed it wrong on my kitchen scales. It was just 2 skirts and a top it also weighed out at 3lb 8oz perhaps I did it wrong but its not that heavy.

Anyway I rang a free number to royal mail and its been sent second class for sure so they have charged me the extra for nothing. I've rang them to let them know as maybe they send someone to the post office to do it for them and they didnt do it or maybe they did it themse;lves but I'm not happy about it

Lady_K

They are refunding me the extra charge I paid for the faster delivery as it didnt happen, they checked their paperwork and it was not put down as first class delivery even though they charged me the extra.

The royal mail said there is no enhanced 1st class delivery anymore and it should be recorded delivery. The firm said they charge an extra £5 for that but its not even next day, I dont mind paying extra but it seems they charge what it should be for special next day delivery when it isnt but I will speak to them about it next time I order as I will want recorded

sarah_elton

Lady_K wrote: »

The parcel is 1598kg in weight

That's about the weight of a Mini, think you mean 1.598kg or 1598g.

If the parcel had a sticker with a "2" in the corner it was sent 2nd class (not 1st which has a "1").

Special Delivery would have said "SD" and also had a silver sticker on the front with a tracking number and barcode on it. Special Delivery is guaranteed next day. For this weight, it would be £8.25 to you or me, or £7.75 for a business with an account.

Recorded can be added to 1st or 2nd class but it doesn't change the speed, and gives no speed guarantee. It simply gives a signature on delivery and tracking.

custardy

Lady_K wrote: »

They are refunding me the extra charge I paid for the faster delivery as it didnt happen, they checked their paperwork and it was not put down as first class delivery even though they charged me the extra.

The royal mail said there is no enhanced 1st class delivery anymore and it should be recorded delivery. The firm said they charge an extra £5 for that but its not even next day, I dont mind paying extra but it seems they charge what it should be for special next day delivery when it isnt but I will speak to them about it next time I order as I will want recorded

you are getting mixed messages here

1st class/1st class recorded is the same with regard to delivery times
2nd class/2nd class recorded is the same regarding delivery times
special delivery always has an item number

tbw

Lady_K wrote: »

Unless I weighed it wrong on my kitchen scales. It was just 2 skirts and a top it also weighed out at 3lb 8oz perhaps I did it wrong but its not that heavy.

You said it was 1598 KG!!!!

Lady_K

sarah_elton wrote: »

That's about the weight of a Mini, think you mean 1.598kg or 1598g.

If the parcel had a sticker with a "2" in the corner it was sent 2nd class (not 1st which has a "1").

Special Delivery would have said "SD" and also had a silver sticker on the front with a tracking number and barcode on it. Special Delivery is guaranteed next day. For this weight, it would be £8.25 to you or me, or £7.75 for a business with an account.

Recorded can be added to 1st or 2nd class but it doesn't change the speed, and gives no speed guarantee. It simply gives a signature on delivery and tracking.

Thankyou, I worked it out on royal mail site and it said for special delivery with tracking number it would be £7.70 but they charged me £8 just for what they called first class but said it wouldnt have a tracking number according to them it would have cost me £10 for the special delivery so they are charging too much.

Lady_K

tbw wrote: »

Lady_K wrote: »

Unless I weighed it wrong on my kitchen scales. It was just 2 skirts and a top it also weighed out at 3lb 8oz perhaps I did it wrong but its not that heavy.

You said it was 1598 KG!!!!

Yes I know my kitchen scales can be changed to weigh both kg and lbs I just pressed the button and got both readings I should ave put 1.598 but I'm useless at that kind of thing

Ivory_Tinkler

It's £8.25 for a next day delivery for a parcel up to 2kg on the Royal Mail website (that's for a delivery before 1pm)