Incompetent liars at Royal Mail - what do I do now?

taxiphil

I really need to let off some steam about the disgusting treatment I've received from Royal Mail!

I bought some tickets on Ebay for a concert which is taking place today (3 April). The seller sent them Recorded on 27 March. On 28 March I got a "Sorry You Were Out" card (item requires a signature). So later that SAME DAY, I arranged redelivery on the Royal Mail website for 1 April when I would be in all day.

1 April came, and it wasn't redelivered. 2 April, still no sign, so later that day I went to the sorting office where a vile, rude, grumpy old sod on the counter told me it had been returned to sender!

When I asked why, he said "we return it after a week"! I pointed out that they didn't have it for a week - I arranged redelivery THE VERY SAME DAY that they first attempted delivery. (And in any case, the redelivery was arranged for 4 days after the first attempted delivery, so there was never any question of them holding it for a week).

He then brazenly said "A week means 7 days since the date it was posted, not the date we first tried to deliver it. And it was posted on 25 March. And we didn't get the redelivery instruction off head office until today."

This was a TRIPLE LIE! :mad:

a) It was posted First Class on 27 March, not 25 March - I didn't win the f***ing auction until the late evening on 26 March, for heavens sake!!!! :rotfl:(Even if he'd been telling the truth about it being sent on 25th, that raises another question as to why a First Class letter took 3 working days!)

b) They are supposed to hold it for 7 days since the date of first attempted delivery, not for 7 days since the day it was posted!

c) The redelivery instructions inputted by customers on the RM website are sent electronically to local sorting offices instantaneously, NOT FOUR DAYS LATER!

But worst of all, this lying cretin offered no hint of apology or any suggestion of making amends. He just shrugged his shoulders and said "nothing we can do". When I said the tickets were needed for a concert the following day, he suggested I drive to collect them from the buyer (who happens to live 60 miles away). When I asked him what the complaints procedure was, he said, "there isn't one, you take your chances when you send things in the post!" :mad: He eventually pointed to a phone number on the wall and said, "ring them if you want but they'll tell you the same thing."

So, any suggestions as to what happens now? Obviously I'm not going to get the tickets. But I feel absolutely terrible about asking the seller to refund me, as he's not in any way at fault.

Thanks for reading if you got this far!

amcluesent

Write a letter of complaint to the mail centre manager, sent recorded delivery.

soolin

I don't think you are going to get very far with this complaint as all Royal Mail are going to tell you is that the sender used the wrong delivery service and so regardless of the facts you already had problems.

Standard mail does not cover tickets or vouchers, only special does that. Using a non guaranteed service with no confirmed delivery date was very risky on the part of the seller.You weren't even guaranteed to get them in time anyway, I wonder if the seller even realised that?

Obviously though this is worth a try at a complaint but I can't see any compensation given due to the wrong service being used, you could also try a complaint to PostWatch (or whatever they are called this week) once you have exhausted the RM complaints service.

Oh and before anyone queries this post, recorded is just standard post with a signature. It covers up to £36 of loss and is not even considered lost until after 15 working days and is not guaranteed to arrive at a given time.

7db

A complaint might be worthwhile -- the posties haven't followed procedure and you might help them to realign with procedure. You won't - as soolin dismally posts above - get any satisfaction, however.

Incidentally, recorded does have lower loss rates than regular, but is the same service - I don't think it is delivered any quicker.

lolarentt

I was horrified to read this and copied your post to my OH who is a RM manager. She has replied to my email:
Point him in the direction of the complaints bit on the RM Web Site or he
could write direct to:
Adam Crozier CEO at Royal Mail House 148 Old Street London EC1V 9HQ
phone 020 7250 2501/fax 020 7250 2960

We keep any items not collected for 7 days which starts on the date of non
-delivery not the date it was posted. Recorded delivery isn't very reliable
as the item of mail moves around the system in normal mail bags and isn't
tracked through each process. Priority Service is much better as you can
track it on line.

soolin

lolarentt wrote: »

I Priority Service is much better as you can
track it on line.

Not only better surely but a necessity for tickets?

Tight_Old_Git

taxiphil wrote: »

So, any suggestions as to what happens now? Obviously I'm not going to get the tickets. But I feel absolutely terrible about asking the seller to refund me, as he's not in any way at fault.

Thanks for reading if you got this far!

Put in a PayPoo claim against the seller for item not received, the seller then claims off Royal Mail, don't waste your time complaining as you will get nowhere fast.

Any chance you can get the ticket serial numbers and contacting the concert venue and see what they can do?

soolin

Tight_Old_Git wrote: »

Put in a PayPoo claim against the seller for item not received, the seller then claims off Royal Mail, don't waste your time complaining as you will get nowhere fast.

Any chance you can get the ticket serial numbers and contacting the concert venue and see what they can do?

The OP does have that option of course, but there is always the difficulty of paypal making strange decisions when they see an attempt at delivery was made. There is a very good chance that OP would still win though, although we have had threads where sellers have won a case as they can prove delivery was attempted.

Obviously though seller can make no claim from RM as wroong service was used, and that is of course has very little to do with the buyer.

custardy

as has been said its 7 days from a P739 (red card) being left
sounds like you got an RM postiesaraus working in your local office
does the item track as being returned?

however on point C,redelivery requests whilst being instant to the delivery office arent checked live
usually once a day and its not the first time ive had redelivery requests come through incorrectly/incomplete

wheresmydoshat

it doesn't make it any easier that its tickets, which are a mindfield to get any sort of refund for whatever the circumstances.

you are completely in the right, but in future i would go and collect them yourself if u miss delivery, rather than trust RM to do the job.

vaio

soolin wrote: »

I don't think you are going to get very far with this complaint as all Royal Mail are going to tell you is that the sender used the wrong delivery service and so regardless of the facts you already had problems.

Standard mail does not cover tickets or vouchers, only special does that. Using a non guaranteed service with no confirmed delivery date was very risky on the part of the seller.You weren't even guaranteed to get them in time anyway, I wonder if the seller even realised that?

Obviously though this is worth a try at a complaint but I can't see any compensation given due to the wrong service being used, you could also try a complaint to PostWatch (or whatever they are called this week) once you have exhausted the RM complaints service.

Oh and before anyone queries this post, recorded is just standard post with a signature. It covers up to £36 of loss and is not even considered lost until after 15 working days and is not guaranteed to arrive at a given time.

All very true I’m sure but the OP complaint is about service received AFTER it had arrived at his local office i.e. they sent it back to sender much sooner than they should have plus the general “couldn’t give a f***” attitude of the counter staff