Royal Mail Claims & Complaints not helping

Ma77gas

I returned a package to Amazon the day after it arrived. It was a laptop that I bought and then thought better of. I sent it from the Post Office locally using Amazon Tracked Returns. That was on March 21st. Amazon then kept telling me they hadn't received it and that Royal Mail were advising to wait until May 21st before taking further action because of huge delays returning items. Now Amazon still haven't received it, and Royal Mail's customer service have replied to an email query with the same information that is on the website which gets me nowhere and doesn't even indicate that they read my email. The current wait time for getting through to Royal Mail's human support is between 40 and 60 minutes. Does anyone know a) If Amazon retain any liability here for a refund b) If Royal Mail's human support (I'm trying hard to leave out some tempting adjectives) will be able to find this item or do anything other than read me what's on the website when I track it? Has anyone had any luck whatsoever getting a useful conversation out of them? Thanks.

Aylesbury_Duck

If it was sent using Amazon's own label and process, your complaint lies with Amazon and them only. There's no point pursuing Royal Mail, you aren't their customer. This far down the line the item is clearly lost somewhere in the system, whether physically or administratively. It's highly unlikely to turn up over two months later.

Yes, Amazon are liable here. When you put the laptop back into the post office using Amazon's label, it effectively became Amazon's responsibility again. I presume you have evidence that it was all checked in/posted, so there's no chance that Amazon can accuse you of not posting it?

Keep talking to Amazon on their customer chat facility.

elsien

For future reference, Royal mail complaints are useless. Generic , or saying that they will escalate which produces the same generic responses but just takes longer.

mikb

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6670077/royal-mail-claims-complaints-not-helping

As above, your complaint should be directed to Amazon, as they arranged the return, and it became their problem when you handed it over to their agent, Post Office/Royal Mail.

On a broader point when arguing with Royal Mail, your "leave it a bit longer" comment, be aware that taking too long to launch a lost item complaint can result in them rejecting it.

Start too early and they reject with "Oh, it might turn up, you have to wait X working days after the due-delivery-date" . But, as I got caught in the past, waiting too long means they say "unfortunately you should have complained earlier …" and time you out.

Ma77gas

Thanks for the replies. I have very little faith in Amazon's customer service and i am expecting them to simply disown the problem saying they cannot refund unless the package arrives. I assume my next recourse is the small claims court?

Aylesbury_Duck

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82015183#Comment_82015183

Possibly, but there might be other avenues to pursue first. How did you pay for the laptop?

Ma77gas

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82015271#Comment_82015271

By bank card on Amazon. The postage was paid for the same way at the Post Office and I have the receipt.

sheramber

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82015304#Comment_82015304

Did you pay the return postage?

Ma77gas

I have been on the chat and was told the refund has now been issued. I have to assume this is pot luck regarding finding an associate who knows the law in the UK and how to issue refunds. Thanks all.

pasufi

Royal Mail service failure — and a warning for anyone sending time‑critical documents:

On 26 May, I sent a First Class Signed For parcel from Archway Post Office to the Bangladesh High Commission in Kensington. Royal Mail’s tracking (02134FAC04096ABD) claims they attempted delivery on 27, 28 and 29 May, each time citing an “Access Issue”. Since 29 May, there have been no further delivery attempts recorded.

I contacted both Royal Mail (complaint ref 1235 5489) and the High Commission on Thursday 4 June 2026 via email. I then rang Royal Mail on Friday 5 June and, after waiting 37 minutes, finally spoke to a staff member who took the details and informed me that an investigation would take 72 hours. I was told they would not call me back — I would need to ring again after three working days just to find out what was happening. Not to get the item delivered, but simply to find out what was happening.

In contrast, the High Commission responded within hours. A staff member rang me back on Friday lunchtime and confirmed there were no access issues at all and that the High Commission had been open throughout. They were fully staffed and able to receive signed‑for deliveries during normal working hours. This directly contradicts Royal Mail’s tracking information.

As of 6 June 2026, Royal Mail has neither delivered the item nor contacted me with any explanation. I paid a premium fee for a service that has not been provided, and this delay is now jeopardising my family’s travel plans — potentially costing us £5,000. This experience raises serious concerns about the reliability of Royal Mail’s “First Class Signed For” service, particularly via the Kensington Delivery Office.

The service has been unresponsive, inaccurate, and not fit for purpose. Others sending important documents should be aware of these risks.

Chief_of_Staffy

Whenever I've gone through the Amazon refund process, the refund was processed as soon as the tracking updates as received into the system, which may be several days before Amazon receives it. I thought this was how it normally worked.