International Tracking with Royal Mail Airsure

arunadasi

Thanks for the link, but that says the same thing.
I spoke to a postwoman yesterday and she confirms that it has probably been delayed due to Christmas holidays (in Austria, two more as in the UK!) and that if I haven't received news of its delivery by Wednesday I should let them know. I don't doubt that it will arrive some time but the exact date is of prime importance!

martindow

chancesare wrote: »

OP needs it for AUSTRIA, yours is just AL too far

Oops - sorry. Not concentrating on reading today.

arunadasi

OK, here's an update. The tracking website is still showing exactly the same message. A few days after New Year I called the Post Office and they were able to tell me that the envelope left the UK on the 30th December -- 10 days after posting! They could not track it further, but told me to track it on the Austrian website, which I did, but the number was not recognised. I called the Austrian post office service and they also could not track the number. They told me that the envelope would simply have been shot through the letterbox. And as the 31st was a holiday there, it would defintely not have arrived in time.

What irks me is that Royal Mail gives the assurance on their website that Airsure includes confirmation of delivery. This is what they say:

• Fast, secure and reliable
• Priority handling in the UK and abroad
• Online tracking and delivery confirmation
• Up to £500 compensation
• Contract Airsure® available, offering discount to bulk mail customers
• From just £4.90 in addition to Airmail postage

Airsure® can be up to one day faster than Airmail. Your item will receive priority handling at home and overseas and benefits from an online tracking facility so you can check your mail's progress along the way. We work closely with our international partners to ensure and maintain a high quality of service for our customers. For that reason, Airsure® is only available to selected destinations.

My bold/red.

Royal Mail should not make these claims if their partners don't give a hoot. Really, it's false advertising.

If I had known that there is no delivery confirmation I would have gone for International Signed For. I didn't need the signature, but I did want to know exactly when the envelope arrived -- it was very time sensitve, potentially worth a few thousand ££££, but HAD to arrive by the 30th.

Luckily I got so nervous on the 28th that I arranged to send the same thing again via DHL, and it arrived on the 30th! Tracked all the way to delivery and signed for! Cost £25, but worth it.

martindow

arunadasi wrote: »

If I had known that there is no delivery confirmation I would have gone for International Signed For. I didn't need the signature, but I did want to know exactly when the envelope arrived -- it was very time sensitve, potentially worth a few thousand ££££, but HAD to arrive by the 30th.

ISF is just the same - no guarantee of online tracking. RM's problem is that if the delivery PO does not provide delivery confirmation there is nothing RM can do.