Do you always get proof of postage?

Hezzawithkids

I always get a POP for my Ebay stuff; never yet had an item go missing (or claim to be missing) but I read on other MSE forums that they're not worth the paper they're written on anyway. I've yet to test out the system but at the same time I wouldn't want to risk not having one. I always state to my buyers that I will keep POPs for 30 days but actually it was only last weekend I had a big clear out and threw some away that were 2 years old!

lyndorset

vet8 wrote: »

Does everyone get POP, because if that is the case I think the time and effort required to do that would make selling my things pretty pointless.

It is not worth not getting POP. I know what you mean about time though, I have all but stopped selling on Ebay, because of the time it takes to go to the PO & the customer does not expect to have to pay for that with the p&p or even for the packing in most cases, that makes me cross! I sell (& buy) books on Greenmetropolis, much better system I think, but beware heavier books, you need to add extra for p&p.

Premier_2

cyberbob wrote: »

... RD delivery is incredibly unreliable with 1/3rd of items not getting a signature so it really is not worth the extra expense. ...

Source?

Recorded mail is delivered like any other 1st or 2nd class mail, but usually now gets a tracking online when you deposit it at the post office (a fairly recent development) and a signature on delivery (or a status such as being returned).

Any item that has been accepted and not delivered (or returned) should be claimed for. With reecorded, the lack of signature confirming delivery is good enough (as far as I am concerned) to prove the item didn't arrive.

With a proof of postage, you'll usually rely on an intended recipient returning a letter from RM confirming an item was not delivered.

Premier_2

pursestring wrote: »

Your postman is right - anybody present when it's being delivered can sign it.

That's also why RD is not accepted by PayPal as proof of delivery, as far as I know.

That is incorrect.

RD is perfectly acceptable as proof of delivery when it states online that an item has been delivered.

Only for more expensive items is the signature online required, and RD often provides that too.

cyberbob

Premier wrote: »

Source?

.

Source ME. When I used to send recorded I reviewed 6 months worth and 1/3rd had no signatures or proof of delivery even though they had all been delivered. So at that point I decided it was a waste of time

Premier_2

cyberbob wrote: »

Source ME. When I used to send recorded I reviewed 6 months worth and 1/3rd had no signatures or proof of delivery even though they had all been delivered. So at that point I decided it was a waste of time

How did you know the item was received? Did you contact each person to verify delivery?
In which case, yes it would be pretty useless to buy a dog and bark yourself.

For the few, and I mean few, items that I fail to get given a signature, I just slap in a claim form.

RM then either have to get that written confirmation from the recipient that they received the item (which is all I want from recorded delivery) or RM have to cough up; Minimum 6 first class stamps - worth a lot more than 75p

jtaylor2008

Premier wrote: »

How did you know the item was received? Did you contact each person to verify delivery?
In which case, yes it would be pretty useless to buy a dog and bark yourself.

For the few, and I mean few, items that I fail to get given a signature, I just slap in a claim form.

RM then either have to get that written confirmation from the recipient that they received the item (which is all I want from recorded delivery) or RM have to cough up; Minimum 6 first class stamps - worth a lot more than 75p

Do your crown POs have any claim forms? I tried looking every week when I post things for some claims forms. Apparently, each week that I look, there are none. Went to another crown PO about half an hours drive away and when asked for some claim forms, the person just gave one! :mad: Is there some scheme going on to make it impossible to obtain a batch of claim forms?

pursestring

You have to ask for the claim forms; they are kept behind the counter. Or you can download from the post office website.

Premier_2

jtaylor2008 wrote: »

Do your crown POs have any claim forms? I tried looking every week when I post things for some claims forms. Apparently, each week that I look, there are none. Went to another crown PO about half an hours drive away and when asked for some claim forms, the person just gave one! :mad: Is there some scheme going on to make it impossible to obtain a batch of claim forms?

Sadly I don't have a crown PO anymore

Now WHSmiths supplies the main Post Office services here, and I don't have an hour of my life to waste standing in their queue.

I usually simply download the form from the Royal Mail website

ftp://ftp.royalmail.com/Downloads/public/ctf/rm/Inland_P58_form_English.pdf

TurkishDelight

Never. It's a £4, one and a half hour, bus ride to the PO which we'd have to do every day. We sell enough that the odd thing that goes missing/scam artist that we come up against is vastly outweighed by the time and money we save by not having to go out. If you're going anyway it's obviously worth it though