Postman signed for my recorded letter whilst I was on holidays

pvt

A Recorded Delivery (or Signed For) does not have to be signed for by the named recipient. For example if I am out it is perfectly acceptable for my wife to sign to say my recorded delivery letter has been delivered to the address.

The definition under the Postal Act of 'correctly delivered' is that it is delivered to the address, not the named person.

Similarly, nobody can rely on the date a recorded delivery letter was delivered as being the date the named addressee received it. For example my wife, quite reasonably, signs for an RD letter while I am overseas away on business for 10 days, but I don't see it till I get home. Whilst, by that time, I may have missed a deadline by when the letter requires I do something, nobody can actually argue that I had received the letter on the date it was signed for.

The signature simply acknowledges that the letter has been delivered to the address, and records the name of the person who verifies that has happened. Not sure I can see why that cannot be the postie himself.

[Deleted User]

fb1969 wrote: »

Glad it has all been sorted.

Regarding the postie, typing as a postie. Posties are fairly heavily pressured to get everything delivered and this includes taking items to neighbours where possible. If the letter was "signed for" (previously "Recorded Delivery") it is possible that they actually got a neighbour to sign for it and either put it through your letterbox or the neighbour did. However "Special Delivery" should never be taken to a neighbour.

The postie may have signed for it in their own name, so no fraud wold have occurred and dismissal would not be an issue. Signing for a Special Delivery would not mean dismissal either but it would probably mean a warning.

If you still have the item use this link and it should give you the name of the person who for signed it https://www.royalmail.com/track-your-item

The printed name was my surname and the signature was just a squiggle.

[Deleted User]

pvt wrote: »

A Recorded Delivery (or Signed For) does not have to be signed for by the named recipient. For example if I am out it is perfectly acceptable for my wife to sign to say my recorded delivery letter has been delivered to the address.

The definition under the Postal Act of 'correctly delivered' is that it is delivered to the address, not the named person.

Similarly, nobody can rely on the date a recorded delivery letter was delivered as being the date the named addressee received it. For example my wife, quite reasonably, signs for an RD letter while I am overseas away on business for 10 days, but I don't see it till I get home. Whilst, by that time, I may have missed a deadline by when the letter requires I do something, nobody can actually argue that I had received the letter on the date it was signed for.

The signature simply acknowledges that the letter has been delivered to the address, and records the name of the person who verifies that has happened. Not sure I can see why that cannot be the postie himself.

But then if postie signs it defeats the object of recorded delivery. Yes I agree anyone at the address can sign for it but if postie is signing for why not just sign for them all at the depot and chuck them in the bag as normal post.

fb1969

Fair enough, agreed he/she was totally wrong.

At the postie level I'd suggest you either have a word with them or put through an official complaint. The latter can be done in person at the delivery officer, or online - that will feed through to the office within a day or so.

As I mentioned above, Recorded Delivery can be signed for by a neighbour and this is Royal Mail "policy" now. That is the company's policy and not the postie's but it is down to the postie's own discretion, personally I never get a neighbour to sign for a letter but I would for a package.

Recorded Delivery goes through the system as normal mail and can easily be overlooked, especially since some idiot thought orange labels aren't needed! Special Delivery is pricey but does provide the extra assurances.

pvt

[quote=[Deleted User];68197065]But then if postie signs it defeats the object of recorded delivery. Yes I agree anyone at the address can sign for it but if postie is signing for why not just sign for them all at the depot and chuck them in the bag as normal post.[/QUOTE]
I don't see that it does defeat the purpose. The purpose is that there is a record that the letter was correctly delivered. If the postie himself puts it through your letterbox and signs to say he has done so, then the purpose has been achieved.

If, however, postie signed for them all at the sorting office and delivers them as normal, the same is not true. There is no guarantee he doesn't accidentally sandwich it between two letters for another address and miss-deliver it, or inadvertently drop it out of a hole in his bag half way around his route.

I have no idea what RM's policy is on who may sign for a letter, and they may frown on posties signing for them, but all you get is a signature from "someone" to record the fact that it was properly delivered. Which as I previously said, can't be used to guarantee that the named recipient received it, or when.