Royal Mail screwed up - do I have any right to be compensated?

Tirian

A couple of months ago, several items of post that should have come to me ended up being returned to the senders marked as "addressee gone away", even though this was not the case at all (some of these items were letters, so it wasn't even that they had knocked and got no answer -they could have gone in the letterbox!). I called RM and complained about this, and they said they would inform the local sorting office.

However, I later discovered that yet more items had been returned to senders, marked the same way. I made a second complaint and requested a written response. I received a written apology, but I am still considerably annoyed and inconvenienced by this.

For example, I have had to have several items I ordered re-sent to me. I had to go into my bank and present proof of ID and address to get them to re-open my account, since it had been made 'dormant' because they had tried to send a new card to me and had it returned. I am still missing an eBay purchase from France of the value of around £20.

I feel that I should be entitled to some compensation from RM for all of this inconvenience. Fortunately the bank account that was restricted was not my main one, otherwise it would have been a lot more problematic.

However, I still reckon I should be recompensed at least £50 for all of this. Is there any likelihood at all that I could get this?

dmg24

However, I still reckon I should be recompensed at least £50 for all of this. Is there any likelihood at all that I could get this?

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

The contract is between Royal Mail and the sender. You are a third party, and therefore have no claim.

Tirian

Yes, thanks a lot, I can see you are very helpful soul. I'm not talking about their contract, I am talking about their liability given that they are responsible - even after having been informed of the problem - for my goods being lost, my bank account being frozen and a hell of a lot of hassle for me!

dmg24

They are only liable to those with whom they are in a contractual relationship!

Give them a ring, I'm sure they'll send you a book of stamps!

DAVE1968_2

being a postman for 23 years, you should go to the local sorting office to find out which postman is marking these letters up as addressee unknown,It could be that you yourself sent back a piece of advertising material back to the sender saying addressee unknow so that you dont get sent anymore of their so called rubbish,Only for the postman to assume you have now left that address.You can gt the local office to place a special instruction card on that walk saying please deliver mail as addressed and not to endorse it gone away.As for the compensation side of things you only get compensated for special delivery items and sometimes recorded delivery items.You should send off a P58 form to Royal mail customer services and they will look into it for you. hope this is of some help.

dmg24

As for the compensation side of things you only get compensated for special delivery items and sometimes recorded delivery items.

Only the sender can claim compensation.

Tirian

It's a very bizarre situation, because other items of mail have been arriving for me throughout this time.

I haven't sent anything back addressed to me - I have sent back hundreds of items addressed to the numerous unsavoury previous occupants who all appeared to have run up large CC bills and done a runner. However all that mail has pretty much stopped coming now, and it's finally just been our own mail that's been arriving for a couple of months. Which is why it's so bizarre that this has suddenly started happening to my stuff ..

Labman_2

How did you arrive at the £50 figure? You haven't paid RM for anything!

superscaper

Have to agree with everyone else. The only ones you could claim any kind of compensation off is the people who sent your letters (ie your bank etc). It is their responsibility for getting their mail to you. The fact they chose a particular third party to act on their behalf (ie Royal Mail) doesn't change anything from your perspective. Claim off your bank if you want to, it's up to them if they want to claim off RM as RM's customer. Anything RM do for you is just a goodwill gesture and I don't think they have any kind of legal responsibility to you. It's your bank's fault for their choice in using RM. Even the passport agency no longer trust RM to be their official postal service any more and they've gone elsewhere. You should be complaining to your bank about this and getting them onto complaining to RM as your bank is their customer, not you.

Tirian

Labman wrote: »

How did you arrive at the £50 figure? You haven't paid RM for anything!

I got to it by: £20 for the item I am missing, and £30 for the time and inconvenience of having to go and re-open my bank account, and for having my bank account frozen.

I pay RM for a hell of a lot actually, but that's beside the point. The bank and the sender of the goods haven't actually lost out on anything. I have. That's why I was asking my question.

dmg24

£20 for the item I am missing

You need to claim that from the sender/ seller of the item.

£30 for the time and inconvenience of having to go and re-open my bank account, and for having my bank account frozen.

Even if you could claim, you can only claim for quantifiable losses, which this clearly is not.