Does Royal Mail have a legal obligation to deliver your mail?

Jovialist

Hi,

So I'm in a bit of strange situation. I'm staying at my deceased relative's house while the will and probate is sorted, and forwarding my own mail on to here. The relative lives in a slightly out of the way place, and the postal arrangement was a strange one, with a homemade box far away, down at the end of the road, and far away from the house. The box was basically falling to pieces, and it was a pain to collect.

As I would be receiving important mail, I decided to set up new box next to the house and have a camera on it to improve security.

The problem is, the road, which can get a bit slippy and muddy when for cars and vans when it rains a lot. So the postie has been complaining about it - although it would be fine for the postie to walk down the road, but it would be time consuming for them. I have tried to take measures to improve the road, but due to various reasons and problems, they've come to not much above naught.

So the postie is now getting more and more awkward. Holding on to and not delivering mail for longer and longer periods - I'm also slightly concerned as to where they're keeping the mail in mean time, possibly in their van. They want me to put a box back at the end of the road, but I'm not happy with the security of this, as I can't sensible mount a CCTV camera there, or leave it with a neighbour, which I'm not happy with, either.

I do certainly have my sympathies for them, and I would be ok if they skipped some delivery days when conditions weren't so great, but I think it's now got to the point where they're now behaving unreasonably, in my opinion, and possibly even breaking their job contract. I have haven't received mail in over a week, and I was certainly expecting some, and the weather and road were fine for vehicles, Saturday, so it now seems to becoming a battle of wills, and an attempt to make me do what they want.

I'm going to phone up and complain, but I just want to know the legal situation, first. Does Royal Mail have a legal obligation to deliver my mail?

Thanks!

theoretica

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/78314/statement_delivery_exceptions.pdf

Is it a more than 7.5 minute walk?

p00hsticks

Jovialist said:

The problem is, the road, which can get a bit slippy and muddy when for cars and vans when it rains a lot. So the postie has been complaining about it - although it would be fine for the postie to walk down the road, but it would be time consuming for them. I have tried to take measures to improve the road, but due to various reasons and problems, they've come to not much above naught.

Are we talking about a public road here or a private road/driveway ?

MalMonroe

Hi, if it were me then I'd have to phone up my local Royal Mail depot and ask if they can sort out this problem. Especially if I were paying to have my mail redirected.

I can understand any post person's reluctance but you are entitled to have your mail delivered to your address (in this case your temporary one) just like everyone else. If there's a problem then RM needs to sort it out.

You could also mention that you are expecting very important mail and some of it is very time-sensitive so you need it to arrive on time, rather than for it to be accumulated over a period of days before being delivered. Also let them know that you will not be replacing the box at the end of the road. That was an unofficial arrangement and as you say, there's no way of monitoring any post.

You could do this in a polite and courteous way to begin with, just asking them to sort it out for you in the first instance without raising a complaint but if things don't improve then you could go back to them and make an official complaint. Post men and women where I live (in a rural setting) have to get out of their vans and walk to us with our post. Why can't you have that same service? If it takes them longer then it takes them longer. It's their job - and of course you are paying extra to get your post. It's really not good enough.

bris

They won't go anywhere they think is potetially dangerous.
They do have a point when they say stick to the original box location.

I assume it had been in the same place for years before hand.

Jovialist

p00hsticks said:

Jovialist said:

The problem is, the road, which can get a bit slippy and muddy when for cars and vans when it rains a lot. So the postie has been complaining about it - although it would be fine for the postie to walk down the road, but it would be time consuming for them. I have tried to take measures to improve the road, but due to various reasons and problems, they've come to not much above naught.

Are we talking about a public road here or a private road/driveway ?

Private road.

Jovialist

MalMonroe said:

Hi, if it were me then I'd have to phone up my local Royal Mail depot and ask if they can sort out this problem. Especially if I were paying to have my mail redirected.

I can understand any post person's reluctance but you are entitled to have your mail delivered to your address (in this case your temporary one) just like everyone else. If there's a problem then RM needs to sort it out.

You could also mention that you are expecting very important mail and some of it is very time-sensitive so you need it to arrive on time, rather than for it to be accumulated over a period of days before being delivered. Also let them know that you will not be replacing the box at the end of the road. That was an unofficial arrangement and as you say, there's no way of monitoring any post.

You could do this in a polite and courteous way to begin with, just asking them to sort it out for you in the first instance without raising a complaint but if things don't improve then you could go back to them and make an official complaint. Post men and women where I live (in a rural setting) have to get out of their vans and walk to us with our post. Why can't you have that same service? If it takes them longer then it takes them longer. It's their job - and of course you are paying extra to get your post. It's really not good enough.

Thanks for agreeing, and the advice. The postie's a bit stroppy, to be honest, but I do appreciate it'll make their round slightly more time consuming and tiring. I'm not sure they'll be compensated for that or not.

Jovialist

theoretica said:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/78314/statement_delivery_exceptions.pdf

Is it a more than 7.5 minute walk?

Ah, very interesting. This is what I was after. I'm not sure to be honest, but I'd say it can be done in 5 minutes, each way, 10 minutes total, so it looks like I've got postie banged to rights on the rules.

Thanks for the replies, forumites!

Thrugelmir

Why isn't possible for the Postie to drive up to the property?  

unholyangel

Jovialist said:

theoretica said:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/78314/statement_delivery_exceptions.pdf

Is it a more than 7.5 minute walk?

Ah, very interesting. This is what I was after. I'm not sure to be honest, but I'd say it can be done in 5 minutes, each way, 10 minutes total, so it looks like I've got postie banged to rights on the rules.

Thanks for the replies, forumites!

Not sure you do have them bang to rights. 

I read it as 7.5 mins at a very casual and leisurely pace. While your comment reads 10 mins, if they're  walking at a brisk pace. 

ETA: it says measured "by a walking pace that is safe in all circumstances". Does that mean circumstances relevant to the road at any particular time? Relevant to the road generally? Or is it measured based on the worst possible conditions? 

Mojisola

Jovialist said:

The problem is, the road, which can get a bit slippy and muddy when for cars and vans when it rains a lot. So the postie has been complaining about it - although it would be fine for the postie to walk down the road, but it would be time consuming for them. I have tried to take measures to improve the road, but due to various reasons and problems, they've come to not much above naught.

I think the postman will give this as a reason for not delivering.

"Some addresses are significantly more difficult to reach than others and we

considered that where delivery is difficult because of poor access conditions along a

private road or track which is not maintained in adequate condition"