Royal Mail Special Delivery lost item.. no receipt

Bodkin64

Hi,
We have had a self-inflicted disaster using Royal Mail Special Delivery. We posted a package (spare key and V5 for a car we traded in) 3 weeks ago and thought nothing more of it. I have been contacted by the dealer to say they haven't arrived. Things then went from bad to worse, as I've lost the receipt with the tracking number on it.
Everything I've read online suggests I'm probably stuffed. However we have an entry on our bank statement showing it was purchased, and the barcode on the label was scanned in the post office. We purchased the label in the post office, not online. The fact it was scanned suggests Royal Mail should have online record of it, so with this in mind is there no way we can obtain the tracking number from them? This will presumably show it never arrived, and then hopefully we could claim for some compensation.
Wondering if anyone can give us any reassuring advice - please don't make me feel any more stupid than I do already!

rs65

Can the PO you went to provide a duplicate receipt?

Bodkin64

rs65 wrote: »

Can the PO you went to provide a duplicate receipt?

I did wonder about going to the PO but assumed they absolved all responsibility once it's posted so thought dealing with RM was my only option. I'll try anyway.

Fosterdog

They won’t have a record of what tracking number is yours, it was paid for in the Post Office which is a separate company to Royal Mail and when similar queries have come up before people have been told that the PO don’t keep a record of it either.

I know it doesn’t help you this time but if you send anything again take a photo either of the tracking number or the receipt.

You also only have the word of the receiver that it never arrived without you having the tracking number to check they could be lying.

Bodkin64

Fosterdog wrote: »

You also only have the word of the receiver that it never arrived without you having the tracking number to check they could be lying.

I know. However, unless I'm an incredibly bad judge of character, I think they're a bit more scrupulous than the average dealer, seem to have an excellent reputation. And it would be a strange thing to lie about as, so long as I had the receipt I could so easily prove they were lying. So I tend to think it really hasn't turned up. Was wondering about appealing to their better nature and asking them to check it's not at their local sorting office.

unholyangel

OP is there any reference in the payment details on the statement?

Or did you use any device (computer, tablet, phone) to check the tracking number at any time?

If you're anything like me, you put the receipt in a "safe" place. So safe, even you can't find it.

I also don't believe they don't keep any kind of record. However I totally understand why they (or any business for that matter) wouldnt want to accept the increase in costs & burdens that would come with providing that function to their customers. That it potentially stops people claiming against them is just added incentive.

Keep_pedalling

Malcyb wrote: »

I know. However, unless I'm an incredibly bad judge of character, I think they're a bit more scrupulous than the average dealer, seem to have an excellent reputation. And it would be a strange thing to lie about as, so long as I had the receipt I could so easily prove they were lying. So I tend to think it really hasn't turned up. Was wondering about appealing to their better nature and asking them to check it's not at their local sorting office.

They may be honest as the day is long, but it could be eaqually the case that the package has been lost at their end. It's a bit late now but when ever I have used this service Imhave emailed the recipient with the tracking number, so even if the receipt is lost both of us still have a record of it.

molerat

I am sure that the PO branch could give you the tracking number if
a) someone there knew how to interrogate the system by time and date and could be bothered
and
b) it was in their interest to do so.
You have probably dipped out on both counts though.

In the "old days" the only proof would have been the little sticker they stuck on the receipt but now it is all on the computer, I very much doubt that all that information is not kept.

Manxman_in_exile

Why are you sending by post the second key and V5 to a dealer with whom you traded your old car in?


Why didn't you leave those with them when you left the car with them?

Bodkin64

Manxman_in_exile wrote: »

Why are you sending by post the second key and V5 to a dealer with whom you traded your old car in?


Why didn't you leave those with them when you left the car with them?

The dealer isn't local to us. We went to inspect our prospective purchase, and to hopefully agree a deal we took the car we were trading in. But not expecting to complete the handover the same day - I'd never known that to happen before - I (a bit foolishly) didn't take the v5 and spare key. However we completed all the paperwork there and then and drove the new car home. We thought it was surprisingly trusting of him to ask us to post the V5 and key, but this was just a small family garage, no franchise dealer. The new car is outstanding, so no reason to think they are dodgy in any way.

custardy

Its a slim chance.
potentially the delivering office could (given you know whe the SD was due to be delivered) go back in the tracking data of the PDA and track the items to find one that matches the dealership address.

• Assuming the data is still accessible
• They know which PDA/user was on the duty on the day
• They are willing to take the time to do this
• They are willing to give you the data