My turn for help with lost items (Royal Mail)

soolin

4 weeks ago we apparently had a £100 item delivered with a blank photo as proof of delivery with RM. After lots of wrangling with the shop we bought from and apparently an investigation with RM the shop sent us a new item via a courier. We were lucky on that occasion as we have a video doorbell and could show the shop that no one came anywhere near the house at the alleged time item was delivered.

Today we had 2 parcels delivered by a man in an RM van, this was after our normal post. However we have confirmation that three items were delivered, the missing one has a circle type symbol as our signature. On this occasion it was an ebay parcel which now obviously shows as delivered and signed for so I have no hope of an INR claim. I'm on hold with RM (apparently the wait is in excess of 40 minutes) but I suspect that's it, I'm stuck with a lost signed for parcel .

We also think we are missing at least 2 other small items , both low cost (sub £20 jewellery)  as they are approx 2 weeks past the delivery estimate so I need to talk to the sellers about them (these are not ebay sales)

I'm at a loss now what to do, it seems that something odd is going on with our RM post , we buy a lot and our address is not a difficult one and the £100 lost parcel was from a shop that we use a lot and where our address is on file and the ebay one is on a very old account and my address has not changed for decades. 

I have tried reporting an issue online but RM just sends me round in circles and tells me to phone, then tells me they are busy and if I am a seller to fill out claims for lost items online- so not helpful.

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Best to speak to the depot, Royal Mail CS is a waste of time  

soolin

Royal Mail were useless, just told me to look under any cars on drive and to phone them tomorrow if it doesn't turn up!

Phoned ebay who told me to send a denial of receipt email to RM, they even gave me the email address- so I'm going to give that a try.. For reference and in case it helps someone else, the RM address that ebay gave me is business.customer.service@royalmail.com . I was told to ensure I put 'denial of  receipt' in the subject line. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Fingers crossed.  

If you get a lot of post hopefully the depot know you well, generally in my experience they are pretty good at talking to you about a problem where as CS just have a script to stick to. 

soolin

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

Fingers crossed.  

If you get a lot of post hopefully the depot know you well, generally in my experience they are pretty good at talking to you about a problem where as CS just have a script to stick to. 

I think our issue is going to be that our regular posties are mainly lovely and know us well. However, they have started a van run in the afternoon once or twice a week just for parcels and the drivers will rarely acknowledge you or wait for you to open the door , it seems to be just an assortment of random drivers wearing bits of RM uniform but in a RM branded van. I don’t think we’ve even seen the same one twice. 

I’ll wait and see what the denial of receipt email gets back! 

soolin

I have chased Royal Mail about my missing item and they have confirmed that they admit the fault is with them and my item was NOT delivered to me. The complaint has apparently been closed as resolved as they have written to me to admit liability, but they don't know when the letter was sent (and it's snail mail) and just assured me I will receive the letter in due course. 

I asked about compensation for loss and was told that there is no way I can claim as the recipient, any such claim will be denied  even with proof of their fault and I need to tell the seller to refund me. I explained that seller is using an RM business account which precludes him from claiming compensation (My business account was the same) and they said it doesn't matter, he can try a claim if I am happy to share the contents of the letter with seller to attach to his claim but that seller remains responsible. I have spoken to ebay who told me to open an INR , but agreed seller should be able to close this with proof of delivery- but said if seller won't refund to wait to open an INR until I get the letter and attach that letter to my INR claim as it will be taken into consideration. However, I am up against the clock now as my claim must be opened within 30 days of delivery and RM can't tell me where the letter admitting fault is- or even if it has been sent! 

So I have no item, no way of getting a guaranteed refund and no comeback at all against RM who are admitting they were at fault. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

I would open the INR.

Pretty sure you can't add attachments to them but you when on the phone to eBay to sort an appear they have a general email address which the agent will pick up your emails from.

They'll hopefully be willing to refund either from the seller or their own funds off the back of the Royal Mail letter*, I assume you buy and sell a bit and don't have many claims for INR and SNAD so hopefully eBay will want to keep a customer one way or the other  

*You have 30 calendar days to appeal after the case is closed so hopefully the letter will be with you by then.

soolin

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head said:

I would open the INR.

Pretty sure you can't add attachments to them but you when on the phone to eBay to sort an appear they have a general email address which the agent will pick up your emails from.

They'll hopefully be willing to refund either from the seller or their own funds off the back of the Royal Mail letter*, I assume you buy and sell a bit and don't have many claims for INR and SNAD so hopefully eBay will want to keep a customer one way or the other  

*You have 30 calendar days to appeal after the case is closed so hopefully the letter will be with you by then.

That’s my plan B, the fly in the ointment is that the Royal Mail letter has so far failed to materialise so I’m having to wait for that and hope it arrives within the 30 days I have to open an INR. I am so angry with RM that I would be prepared to lose money by taking them to small claims as a matter of principle if I miss the 30 day window , or I don’t get my refund. Yes it’s petty and I would be advising anyone else to just let it go, we are talking sub £30 here, but having had a most patronising chat with RM who said they understand how frustrated I must be that my item wasn’t delivered, but they can’t possibly change the tracking or refund me but they have apologised in writing (the famously non arriving letter) so I should settle for that, I’m prepared to lose money with a claim against them. 

Meanwhile my OH who still needed to get a replacement item plus a few other purchases has started phoning companies to ensure that no one sends anything RM . 

This is , I think, my first INR on this account and it was a private purchase, not a business, done on a private account with a high positive feedback rate for both buying and selling over 15 years. 

GadgetGuru

soolin said:

I am so angry with RM that I would be prepared to lose money by taking them to small claims as a matter of principle if I miss the 30 day window , or I don’t get my refund. Yes it’s petty and I would be advising anyone else to just let it go, we are talking sub £30 here, but having had a most patronising chat with RM who said they understand how frustrated I must be that my item wasn’t delivered, but they can’t possibly change the tracking or refund me but they have apologised in writing (the famously non arriving letter) so I should settle for that, I’m prepared to lose money with a claim against them. 

This sounds like something I would do - just out of principle. It's shocking how easily these companies can get away with anything they want, with the minimal fuss, since most people just walk away without holding them accountable! 

soolin

IftiBashir said:

soolin said:

I am so angry with RM that I would be prepared to lose money by taking them to small claims as a matter of principle if I miss the 30 day window , or I don’t get my refund. Yes it’s petty and I would be advising anyone else to just let it go, we are talking sub £30 here, but having had a most patronising chat with RM who said they understand how frustrated I must be that my item wasn’t delivered, but they can’t possibly change the tracking or refund me but they have apologised in writing (the famously non arriving letter) so I should settle for that, I’m prepared to lose money with a claim against them. 

This sounds like something I would do - just out of principle. It's shocking how easily these companies can get away with anything they want, with the minimal fuss, since most people just walk away without holding them accountable! 

Still no letter from RM, I did ask at what point I complain that my apology letter from RM has also gone missing! 

tightauldgit

If RM are telling the sender it's arrived and telling you they lost it then isn't that fraudulent? 

With regards small claims court, wouldn't your claim be against the sender since you never received what you bought? I'm not sure what you can claim from RM since they don't have a contract with you.