Mail redirection failure

amancalledmartin

Hello all

Sorry to bother. I moved house about six months ago and set up a mail redirection with Royal Mail. For the first month several bits of post went astray, both redirected and those with our new address - I had a bank statement that never turned up for a start. I made a complaint and although they couldn't say where the post had gone, stuff did start arriving. I renewed the redirection in September, then the post strikes happened and so I didn't really notice that the post wasn't coming through because none was. When they stopped we still weren't getting redirected post, not even junk. I rang last week to make another complaint and they said as I'd complained before they would "escalate" it and I would get a report within 48 hours. Nothing doing so I've just rung again (they have the worst telephone system ever as well!!). They couldn't tell me anything but said again they would escalate it. I asked them to refund the money paid for the redirection and they said they would extend it for a month. What's the point in extending something that isn't working? I want my money back! Anyway, I rang my local sorting office who have told me that they lost the instruction to redirect and need a new one. And in the meantime they are holding my post to be redirected once they get that instruction. But they don't know how much has got delivered to my old address.

Anyone been here before with this and successfully claimed money off of Royal Mail? I can't believe that a month's extension of a service that hasn't worked is suitable reparation for months of lost post.

Tozer

Agree with you. Have to say that the redirection service is a complete trial and error!

RM tend to operate a system of increasing escalation. Once got Postwatch engaged on it and must confess found them worse than pathetic.

DVardysShadow

Try some test posts. Perhaps 1 or 2 recorded delivery, using a friend's address as the return address. That way, you get some objective evidence with which you can take a complaint a long way.

amancalledmartin

Good idea. Although perhaps I should have tried that just before ringing them again. If push comes to shove I could knock on the door of my old house and ask the new owner if they've been receiving post for me.

Interesting to hear about Postwatch, Tozer. I'd forgotten I had that option.

barnabee

Custardly will be able to advise you the best I think, but there were 'goodwill payments' for redirection failures - the more failures the customer reported the more 'compensation' awarded.

I'm not sure if these are the latest:

1st daily failure: 12 first class stamps
2nd daily failure: free extension of the redirection service for one month
3rd daily failure: one month refund of the redirection fee
4th daily failure: refund of balance of fee paid
5th daily failure and beyond: goodwill payment to be agreed between Royal Mail and the customer.

To be quite honest many failures lie in the way Royal Mail operates. Instead of a regular postie some areas get a different one every day. The redirection system at the delivery depots isn't 'high tec' - it's just a little card that reminds the person sorting your mail to put a sticker on the envelope with the new address.

pmduk

Postwatch is now Consumer Focus. https://www.consumerfocus.org.uk

HopeAndDriftWood

I've had the same problem!
My redirection has lead to people phoning saying their mail was returned to them, and has lead to all sorts of problems.
My complaint isn't getting anywhere either...

The_Pedant

I think it's a common story. Had redirection set up once when an uncle went into a home. After checking the flat a few times, it was obvious the redirection was not working.

At one point they even said "We'll give you another x months free".
This begged the reply, "well if you're not redirecting as you're paid to do then it doesn't matter if it's 1 month, or 6 months; you're still not redirecting it as you should".

After arming ourselves with some test letters that were not redirected, it was escalated, confirmed as being in place, and extended another 6 months for free.

Get some proof of the failure and get the issue escalated with a formal complaint.

Tozer

pmduk wrote: »

Postwatch is now Consumer Focus. www.consumerfocus.org.uk

Thanks - but no doubt equally as useless.

amancalledmartin

Thanks chaps. Sorry; I hadn't been on here for a while. I don't know about daily failures - it's quite clear it hasn't been working for about two months! The chap at the sorting office actually admitted to me that they'd lost my redirection card so they've admitted the post hasn't been redirected. Someone said I'd have to prove that the failure caused me to lose money to get compensation but the way I see it I've paid for a contract that hasn't been fulfilled so a refund is recision and not compensation. They've sent me two books of stamps and a letter saying sorry and that's an end to it. I shall write back and tell them it most certainly isn't! Particularly as my aunt's presents that I sent next day delivery still haven't turned up a week later...

monkeybag

Hi, can anyone give me some advice? I moved a few weeks ago and set up a redirection to start from the 21st, the last day I would have access to my old place. My old letting agents called on Monday 25th to say that mail had arrived since the 21st and they were holding on to it and that they required a 'holding charge' if I wanted them to not destroy it. I think that's a bit scummy of them, but that's a whole other forum note - I'm more worried about the redirection that isn't happening!

I sent myself a 'test letter' 1st class on Monday and I've not had it at my new address, so I called up today to see what was happening. They told me my redirection was only set up yesterday (the 27th) as they couldn't find my new address in their database, that my new house does not exist! They said that I must have selected a 'close alternative' to my address when I set up the redirection online, even though I have their confirmation email stating 'redirection successful' with the correct address details on it. They said it's my responsibility to check what they have on their database (they didn't say how on earth I would have had access to their database!), so would not be refunding me for the lost week, or extending the redirection by the week I lost. The Customer Service idiot I spoke to actually ended the call with 'post goes missing all the time, it's not the end of the world' - an excellent attitude for a Royal Mail employee!

So it's just a tiny amount I want back, or an extension that costs nothing, but on top of that how can I force them to check if the redirection is actually working? I just don’t trust them, I am expecting a big cheque from my insurance company who were not able to change the address on my account, so I'm desperate to get this working!