strange delivery numbers - custardy?

soolin

I've had a couple more 'where is my item' emails and just went to look at the RM delivery confirmation numbers (standard parcels) and they don't look at all right. I am used to the format :
320443722XXXXBE56F4D8  ( i have replaced 4 numbers with Xs) however some of my recent ones show this format
XXXXAD131D8  (again I have replaced 4 numbers with X's ) and very few of this new type of delivery confirmation shows as delivered.

Has anyone else started seeing these new short numbers? I'm at a week and more for 2 second class parcels, and I just checked one sent on Tuesday 1st class and that doesn't show as delivered either.

I have changed a few of my listings across to show courier now and might use MyHermes for a while for some of my eligible parcels until RM pick up speed again locally.

custardy

Short numbers haven been around as long as the long.
No idea on the reasons for short/long
IME the POC ones are always long.
Short seems more a business type label

soolin

custardy said:

Short numbers haven been around as long as the long.
No idea on the reasons for short/long
IME the POC ones are always long.
Short seems more a business type label

Thanks Custardy, I have always had the long numbers whether I have used my business account, the Post Office or even ebay packlink - I wondered why there was a sudden change (for me at least).

It must just be one of those co incidences that mean my late or so far undelivered post is all on short numbers. 

MR1988

All my small parcels are short number in past few months. Never really paid attention how it was in the past.

soolin

My 1st class item arrived on day 4 but I’ve now got a very angry buyer and an INR threatened  on a 2nd class sent Monday. Buyer has frankly been a little time consuming, lots of questions (after purchasing) and within an hour of buying on Sunday wanted to know whether I had posted…buyer wants a refund , doesn’t have ‘time’ to wait for an INR. 

I’ve an awful lot of other items not showing as delivered that were sent 7 or 8 days ago as well, trying to narrow down which centre I dropped the post at to see if one place has been more affected than others. 

I’ve decided to switch everything that I can now to courier and give RM a rest for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks. Some of my items will still need to go RM as I haven’t changed all my listings across to show Packlink and they still show RM, and my large letters will have to confine as RM. 

Grumpelstiltskin

I must have been lucky last week I posted a 1st. class parcel Monday afternoon and it arrived Tuesday 140 miles away.

soolin

Grumpelstiltskin said:

I must have been lucky last week I posted a 1st. class parcel Monday afternoon and it arrived Tuesday 140 miles away.

I suspect this is a localised issue which is why I wondered whether the place I use to post my items makes a difference to what has arrived and what hasn't . 

MR1988

I've posted some items on Monday/Tuesday and they arrived barely today to buyers and some haven't been delivered yet. It does seem like RM is a bit slow these days..

Spoonie_Turtle

I would be most inclined to say it's localised as we've had no problems with post whatsoever.  [That said, we've only had one fairly short period of time during the entire pandemic when we were getting post less frequently, but even that was a month, maybe 6 weeks at most.]

soolin

My INR is now open - buyer is extremely angry and wants an immediate refund. I actually have until Friday to refund to close the case, I suspect I am heading for poor feedback anyway - so will probably delay until Thursday and keep an eye on the delivery confirmation. Thursday will be 10 days from postage so there is a chance I can beat this INR, fingers crossed. 

soolin

Well my item has not arrived- (Track and trace is not working for me so I had to get someone else to check it) . I tried using the RM automated service and it asks me to read my tracking number and then says I haven't said anything so it can't help! I tried complaining to RM but after waiting on phone I just got cut off.

I am quite cross about this as I have to refund now but it's only been 10 days since buyer bought the item so I suspect it may well still arrive before I can start my claim with RM.

I have switched as much as I can now across to couriers as I can't risk these INR cases if my post is going to take over a week to arrive , at the moment MyHermes appears to be taking 3-4 days in total , but I will keep watching and be  prepared to switch back- and of course I have to continue to use RM for my large letters .

EDIT: 1) my OH managed to get the automated system to take the very short 'tracking' number, and the system told him it was not recognised and to find the tracking number direct from  the receipt.
2) I did phone back the RM complaints line , have now been holding for just over an hour being told to hold as they are busy.....
3) a quick check shows that all bar one of my items sent from July with the new short delivery codes show as not delivered - I have received feedback on some of them. All my items sent in the same time frame with the old longer numbers (starting 32) show as delivered. Obviously this is just coincidence, but worrying all the same.