Ordered transcript from university, never received it

nathanielsaxe

Hi,

So my problem isn't about a company per se, its about my university.

Before I graduated in the summer, I pre-emptively ordered another copy of my transcript (one to send to employers etc, and one to keep) and was told that they'd send it out once I had graduated. This was in July and I graduated in September. I sort of forgot that I had ordered the transcript, but recently remembered so emailed the university to ask where the transcript was. They said that they had sent it out on the 3rd August via Standard UK post office mail.
From the Post office website, seeing as how it was not tracked or recorded, I'm pretty sure that the transcript is now lost and the university has stopped answering my emails.

I'm not sure what else I can do. Is there anything else that I can do, apart from paying the university more money to get another transcript sent out?

Thanks for the help.

agrinnall

Why can't you just photocopy your copy of the transcript? No employer would need an original copy (to keep, although they might possibly want to see it).

Clearly emails to the university aren't working, I'd pick up the phone and call them, it's more difficult for them to ignore you when they are speaking to you.

arcon5

I don't think you can do anything.

Its been 2 months since you graduated, had you not received the item their terms will likely state non-deliveries must be reported within a certain time period.

ThumbRemote

arcon5 wrote: »

Its been 2 months since you graduated, had you not received the item their terms will likely state non-deliveries must be reported within a certain time period.

Assuming the OP isn't psychic, how could they be expected to know the transcript had been sent out if they weren't told of it?

nathanielsaxe, this should be covered by the Sale of Goods act as per any normal consumer transation. You have paid for something and not received it. Perhaps it's worth writing to the university to remind them of their obligations to fulfill the contract or provide a full refund.

arcon5

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Assuming the OP isn't psychic, how could they be expected to know the transcript had been sent out if they weren't told of it?

nathanielsaxe, this should be covered by the Sale of Goods act as per any normal consumer transation. You have paid for something and not received it. Perhaps it's worth writing to the university to remind them of their obligations to fulfill the contract or provide a full refund.

considering they said it would be dispatched "once I had graduated" and he graduated in September, its safe to asssume it was to be sent in September?

Claiming ops not received it and wants a replacement/refund may well work if they had reported non-delivery within a reasonable time. But 2 months isn't reasonable. Otherwise based on your logic, if I order goods and fail to report them missing, I can email the company in 2 or 3 years and have a replacement.

Again, their terms should outline the procedure. So long as their terms are fair, I wouldn't hold out much hope.

halibut2209

"once I had graduated" is ridiculously ambiguous. That could be anytime, and universities fall into that vast category of institutions well known for taking months to do what other people can do in a day.

2 months is completely more than reasonable. Something has been paid for, and not received.

Plus the university have already lied (going by the OP) as they were told it would be sent out after graduating, but then claim it was sent over a month before that.

ThumbRemote

arcon5 wrote: »

Again, their terms should outline the procedure. So long as their terms are fair, I wouldn't hold out much hope.

Their terms are irrelevant. This is a SOGA issue.

nathanielsaxe

agrinnall wrote: »

Why can't you just photocopy your copy of the transcript? No employer would need an original copy (to keep, although they might possibly want to see it).

Clearly emails to the university aren't working, I'd pick up the phone and call them, it's more difficult for them to ignore you when they are speaking to you.

I only remembered as one of my potential employers wanted me to mail them my transcript. I told them that I'd scan one for them and then realised that my second copy had never materialised.

I think I will call them and ask

arcon5 wrote: »

considering they said it would be dispatched "once I had graduated" and he graduated in September, its safe to asssume it was to be sent in September?

Claiming ops not received it and wants a replacement/refund may well work if they had reported non-delivery within a reasonable time. But 2 months isn't reasonable. Otherwise based on your logic, if I order goods and fail to report them missing, I can email the company in 2 or 3 years and have a replacement.

Again, their terms should outline the procedure. So long as their terms are fair, I wouldn't hold out much hope.

I graduate in September, but by July, we already knew what results we were getting and the exams were all marked.

I guess that is true. I've not ordered a lot of things off the internet, but when I have, they've told me that "we've sent it out at this date by such and such mail". The university didn't.

As for their terms,The webpage that details the procedure doesn't mention anything about not receiving the transcript, it just tells us how to pay. They say that it should take 10 working days to process and that it may be longer.


Thank you all for your views, I really appreciate the help

Psychaley

arcon5 wrote: »

considering they said it would be dispatched "once I had graduated" and he graduated in September, its safe to asssume it was to be sent in September?)

You'd think so but with Universities "After you graduate" can mean "A few months after you graduate".

When I graduated we were told our degree certificates would be sent out after the ceremony (July) we received our certificates in November and some people received theirs in the new year.

One of my friends just completed her Masters this summer, was told she'd receive her transcript after results were published but only received it this week.

Unless you ask for something to be sent over via e-mail it seems that universities will take their time to send things out via post (especially if it's around A-level result and/or Freshers weeks I find) so waiting 2 months before questioning the whereabouts of the transcript seems quite reasonable to me.

arcon5

ThumbRemote wrote: »

Their terms are irrelevant. This is a SOGA issue.

halibut2209 wrote: »

"once I had graduated" is ridiculously ambiguous. That could be anytime, and universities fall into that vast category of institutions well known for taking months to do what other people can do in a day.

2 months is completely more than reasonable. Something has been paid for, and not received.

Plus the university have already lied (going by the OP) as they were told it would be sent out after graduating, but then claim it was sent over a month before that.

2 months is not reasonable.

So where do you draw the line on reporting items not received? 12 months? 2 years? 4 years?

Most companies will have a procedure in their terms that you must report an item as not-received within a set period. Usually 28 days would be considered reasonable. If you don't then you are in breach of that and I see no reason why this cannot be considered as fair.

It just so happens the university don't have such a term/policy for these situations that they can refer op to. Because of this & the fact op wasn't advised of a shipping estimate/date, op may well have a case, but generally in this situation if you haven't reported the goods as not received then id be extremely surprised if you could convince a judge to award you a refund after such a lengthy period of time. Otherwise i'm claiming I didn't receive a few bits I ordered and wasn't sent by registered post last Christmas.
It's no different to when you order concert tickets which don't arrive and you fail to follow the terms/procedures setout by the retailer which people are quick to scream 'tough luck'.

arcon5

Psychaley wrote: »

You'd think so but with Universities "After you graduate" can mean "A few months after you graduate".

When I graduated we were told our degree certificates would be sent out after the ceremony (July) we received our certificates in November and some people received theirs in the new year.

One of my friends just completed her Masters this summer, was told she'd receive her transcript after results were published but only received it this week.

Unless you ask for something to be sent over via e-mail it seems that universities will take their time to send things out via post (especially if it's around A-level result and/or Freshers weeks I find) so waiting 2 months before questioning the whereabouts of the transcript seems quite reasonable to me.

I've gotta agree. A friend at university was for some reason owed jus over £100 by the university. Several cheques got "lost" in transit and took nearly a year to get the money back :eek: