Royal Mail conning customers or not

jon81uk

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

But I think you already answered that in your previous post that during the strike they could not guarantee delivery for almost three weeks.

Money_Grabber13579

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

But I think you already answered that in your previous post that during the strike they could not guarantee delivery for almost three weeks.

Indeed. But if they can’t guarantee delivery, they should either withdraw the service entirely or permit people to claim a refund for the difference between the special delivery cost and whatever is the nearest non guaranteed delivery service price. 

In my view, it’s not acceptable to charge the same price but just randomly withdraw some of the benefits.  A supermarket wouldn’t be able to sell packets of chicken and then say they couldn’t put any chicken in them for 3 weeks but continue to sell them as if they were exactly the same thing.

jon81uk

Money_Grabber13579 said:

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

But I think you already answered that in your previous post that during the strike they could not guarantee delivery for almost three weeks.

Indeed. But if they can’t guarantee delivery, they should either withdraw the service entirely or permit people to claim a refund for the difference between the special delivery cost and whatever is the nearest non guaranteed delivery service price. 

In my view, it’s not acceptable to charge the same price but just randomly withdraw some of the benefits.  A supermarket wouldn’t be able to sell packets of chicken and then say they couldn’t put any chicken in them for 3 weeks but continue to sell them as if they were exactly the same thing.

But it still offered the other benefits of being tracked and higher compensation levels. 

Manxman_in_exile

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

I'm not sure we know that.

What we know is that the OP claims that some RM employees* are telling him he can't have a refund, but I'd like to know what question he actually asked them to get that answer.

Several other posters have referred to on online form that can be used to claim a refund in the case of late delivery, so I wonder whether the OP is following the correct procedure to claim a refund in the first place, or whether he's asked RM staff* a question other than the one he should be asking.  (Maybe he's asked for a cash refund!  Nobody here knows what question he asked to get the answer "We don't give refunds")

*Is he asking RM staff or PO staff?  I'm always confused between the two.  He may have paid at a Post Office but does he have to submit a claim to RM?

eskbanker

Manxman_in_exile said:

What we know is that the OP claims that some RM employees* are telling him he can't have a refund, but I'd like to know what question he actually asked them to get that answer.

I suspect that rather than simply seeking to invoke their standard refund process (as linked in early responses), OP went in all guns blazing, lashing out in all directions, judging by the tone of all the stuff in the first post:

AndyP1957 said:

Royal Mail consider themselves outside of Consumer Legislation and Protection in my opinion.

[...]

It was delivered 2 days after the Guaranteed Day.  I asked for a refund which I have contested with 4 different people at Royal Mail who all choose to ignore comments about Consumer Law.

A Special Delivery Guaranteed Service is a Service, it also says on Ofcom it must be delivered next day.

At the moment my MP is taking up the issue [...]

NBLondon

Manxman_in_exile said:

*Is he asking RM staff or PO staff?  I'm always confused between the two.  He may have paid at a Post Office but does he have to submit a claim to RM?

Yes - he must claim from RM for failing to deliver the service agreed.  If the OP asked at a PO - they may have got wrong advice.

Money_Grabber13579

Manxman_in_exile said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

I'm not sure we know that.

What we know is that the OP claims that some RM employees* are telling him he can't have a refund, but I'd like to know what question he actually asked them to get that answer.

Several other posters have referred to on online form that can be used to claim a refund in the case of late delivery, so I wonder whether the OP is following the correct procedure to claim a refund in the first place, or whether he's asked RM staff* a question other than the one he should be asking.  (Maybe he's asked for a cash refund!  Nobody here knows what question he asked to get the answer "We don't give refunds")

*Is he asking RM staff or PO staff?  I'm always confused between the two.  He may have paid at a Post Office but does he have to submit a claim to RM?

We do, see my earlier post. Royal Mail posted an FAQ on their website that said for special delivery mail posted throughout almost the entire month of December, there would be no refunds or compensation if the delivery was late.

Money_Grabber13579

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

But I think you already answered that in your previous post that during the strike they could not guarantee delivery for almost three weeks.

Indeed. But if they can’t guarantee delivery, they should either withdraw the service entirely or permit people to claim a refund for the difference between the special delivery cost and whatever is the nearest non guaranteed delivery service price. 

In my view, it’s not acceptable to charge the same price but just randomly withdraw some of the benefits.  A supermarket wouldn’t be able to sell packets of chicken and then say they couldn’t put any chicken in them for 3 weeks but continue to sell them as if they were exactly the same thing.

But it still offered the other benefits of being tracked and higher compensation levels. 

So you’d be happy to pay the same price for a service, even if the supplier decided to withdraw some of the benefits? For some people, I accept that the higher compensation will be the primary benefit but for others, getting there quickly will be the primary benefit. 

If I book an electrician to come and install a new light fitting and also repair an electrical socket and they only install the new light fitting, I’m not going to pay them for the repair. In this case, why should anyone pay Royal Mail for failing to deliver on time when that is one (but not the only) benefits of the service and a key selling point?

jon81uk

Money_Grabber13579 said:

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

But I think you already answered that in your previous post that during the strike they could not guarantee delivery for almost three weeks.

Indeed. But if they can’t guarantee delivery, they should either withdraw the service entirely or permit people to claim a refund for the difference between the special delivery cost and whatever is the nearest non guaranteed delivery service price. 

In my view, it’s not acceptable to charge the same price but just randomly withdraw some of the benefits.  A supermarket wouldn’t be able to sell packets of chicken and then say they couldn’t put any chicken in them for 3 weeks but continue to sell them as if they were exactly the same thing.

But it still offered the other benefits of being tracked and higher compensation levels. 

So you’d be happy to pay the same price for a service, even if the supplier decided to withdraw some of the benefits? For some people, I accept that the higher compensation will be the primary benefit but for others, getting there quickly will be the primary benefit. 

If I book an electrician to come and install a new light fitting and also repair an electrical socket and they only install the new light fitting, I’m not going to pay them for the repair. In this case, why should anyone pay Royal Mail for failing to deliver on time when that is one (but not the only) benefits of the service and a key selling point?

If the electrician had posted on their website that due to other factors they are not able to guarantee some part of the service then yes I wouldn’t expect it. 

Royal Mail set out what they could not do due to the strike action and it was your choice to still use the service. 

user1977

Money_Grabber13579 said:

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

jon81uk said:

Money_Grabber13579 said:

mr_stripey said:

Of course in most cases, stuff gets where it needs to be on time. If they don't achieve that, you can claim the postage cost back.

 

Except in this case, Royal Mail say you can’t.

But I think you already answered that in your previous post that during the strike they could not guarantee delivery for almost three weeks.

Indeed. But if they can’t guarantee delivery, they should either withdraw the service entirely or permit people to claim a refund for the difference between the special delivery cost and whatever is the nearest non guaranteed delivery service price. 

In my view, it’s not acceptable to charge the same price but just randomly withdraw some of the benefits.  A supermarket wouldn’t be able to sell packets of chicken and then say they couldn’t put any chicken in them for 3 weeks but continue to sell them as if they were exactly the same thing.

But it still offered the other benefits of being tracked and higher compensation levels. 

So you’d be happy to pay the same price for a service, even if the supplier decided to withdraw some of the benefits? For some people, I accept that the higher compensation will be the primary benefit but for others, getting there quickly will be the primary benefit. 

If I book an electrician to come and install a new light fitting and also repair an electrical socket and they only install the new light fitting, I’m not going to pay them for the repair. In this case, why should anyone pay Royal Mail for failing to deliver on time when that is one (but not the only) benefits of the service and a key selling point?

Not sure what you think the solution ought to be? I doubt they can quickly put in place some sort of ad hoc discounted price - flagging up to customers that they're not currently getting the usual guarantee seems fair enough to me.