Puzzle - RM card sender did not pay full postage

*Rainbow*Warrior*

Sorry if this is in the wrong place but I wasn't sure where to ask and I know ebay people have a lot of experience with RM!

I've received a card saying RM cannot deliver my item because the sender did not pay the full postage, and it's asking for £8.00 payment from me.

I'm not expecting any delivery that hasn't arrived, and have been stung before with an appointment reminder from the dentist which I had to pay to collect - admittedly that was a smaller amount, but in principle it makes me reluctant to fork out £8 just to satisfy my curiosity as to what this is.

On the RM website it states if an item is held up by Customs the fee will be at least £8.01 (the £8.00 fee plus whatever the charge is), so the fact that this is £8 exactly pretty much rules out something coming from abroad. Plus the fact that it doesn't say it's Customs charges, it says the sender did not pay the full postage.

The RM website also says a UK item charge would be at least £1.50. Now I know most 'normal' parcels cost around £2.85 or £3.95, that sort of amount, so I'm trying to work out what the correct postage would have been. If the fee is £1.50, that would leave postage of about £6.50. Can't imagine what someone would be sending me that is big / heavy enough to cost that much and still be unexpected.

It's not a big deal so please don't get angry and tell me to just pay the fee (which naturally I would if I was expecting something!). I'm mildly curious and just wondered if anyone can make a guess as to what the postage would have needed to be in the first place. There is a category that would cost £6.60 but that would be too much, it would make the charge £8.10 not £8.

Would you pay the fee if you're not expecting anything? I'm really undecided about whether I should pay up or leave it. The card says it will be returned to sender if I don't pay. I'm pretty sure from previous experience that RM will not give out any info unless I pay so I have no way of working out who it's from.

Does anyone have any thoughts please?

TKPeters

Firstly make sure its from the Royal Mail & not a scam.

If you want to see what it is before paying, go to your local delivery office & ask to see the parcels before paying

*Rainbow*Warrior*

TKPeters wrote: »

Firstly make sure its from the Royal Mail & not a scam.

If you want to see what it is before paying, go to your local delivery office & ask to see the parcels before paying

It arrived with normal post, delivered by postman, so I assumed that meant it was genuine?

Will they let you see a parcel before paying? I was sure they wouldn't even go and look for it unless you had already paid?

donnac2558

If you are not expecting anything, then its a scam, or delivered to the wrong address.

I doubt they will let you see the parcel without paying.

There was a scam going round with postcards, following postman round and putting in letterbox just after he/she left. Do not phone up any numbers given on the card for one.

*Rainbow*Warrior*

If I do decide to pay it, I would do it face to face at the sorting office. It does have my name and address on and it looks legit. but I accept what you are saying, scammers do their best to make things look genuine.

Will have to see if my curiosity level rises in the next few days or not. At the moment I'm happy to leave it... unless I suddenly remember something I've ordered online!!!!

ilikewatch

I had a similar card a couple of months ago - went to the delivery office who were only too happy to let me see the package before I paid - turns out it was an unsolicited catalogue and RM were fine with just returning it to sender.

TKPeters

They will let see the parcel & see the senders address [google it to see who the sender is, if it doesn't say their name], although you cannot open it till you've paid

molerat

I don't understand how a parcel can get into the system with underpaid postage - you can't just pop it into a post box. I think the only possible way to get an £8 charge is for a <10Kg 2M parcel to be paid as < 5Kg. http://www.royalmail.com/personal/new-pay-a-fee-surcharges

shaun_from_Africa

molerat wrote: »

I don't understand how a parcel can get into the system with underpaid postage

It might be the case that the package was dropped off at a Post Office and had the correct charges paid at the time but the postage label came off some time afterwards.

molerat

But there is no "missing APL" postage amount that would account for the £8 charge.

TKPeters

molerat wrote: »

I don't understand how a parcel can get into the system with underpaid postage

Businesses with their own postal collections & they've not put any postage on it or the label has peeled off.