Is recorded delivery really worth it?

Wolfsbayne

I sent a computer game to an ebuyer two weeks ago and he hasn't left feedback though for buys after mine he has. It was sent recorded delivery but there is no information available - it says info won't be there until it has been delivered, etc.

The thing that is concerning me is my postman has put three parcels through the door for me this week that have been recorded delivery that he's neither requested a signature for or removed either of the stickers therefore the sorting office will have no proof of the item being received/dispatched by them? I've gone online and checked the codes and they are coming up with the same message 'no info until it has been delivered'.

So my concern is, that the receiver has received the item but the recorded delivery hasn't been done properly and he may then make a paypal claim. Where would I stand with paypal?

It could be he has forgotten to leave feedback but he has left feedback since, he also hasn't contacted me which I would have done 10 days after dispatch. Im probably just being cynical and paranoid but ive been stung before on amazon where someone claimed they hadnt received a computer game and claimed her money back (along with several other people's sales).

custardy

Wolfsbayne wrote: »

I sent a computer game to an ebuyer two weeks ago and he hasn't left feedback though for buys after mine he has. It was sent recorded delivery but there is no information available - it says info won't be there until it has been delivered, etc.

The thing that is concerning me is my postman has put three parcels through the door for me this week that have been recorded delivery that he's neither requested a signature for or removed either of the stickers therefore the sorting office will have no proof of the item being received/dispatched by them? I've gone online and checked the codes and they are coming up with the same message 'no info until it has been delivered'.

So my concern is, that the receiver has received the item but the recorded delivery hasn't been done properly and he may then make a paypal claim. Where would I stand with paypal?

It could be he has forgotten to leave feedback but he has left feedback since, he also hasn't contacted me which I would have done 10 days after dispatch. Im probably just being cynical and paranoid but ive been stung before on amazon where someone claimed they hadnt received a computer game and claimed her money back (along with several other people's sales).

you should raise an issue with your delivery office.
i put things through for some of my customers however i always sign for the item so the online tracking updates.
though i do this much less now with the current climate in RM

however RM are on the verge of rolling out pda style units for RD/SD items so this may address this by default

soolin

My view is that recorded is not worth it for ebay goods. if item fails to show as delivere donline then you will lose a paypal chargeback..no question, no argument. You have said yourself that you have other instances of recorded not being signed for and this is my own experience as well.

Save your 70ps and just keep a COP and if item fails to arrive with buyer then put in a claim with the Royal mail. 100 parcels a month at 70p per item for recorded would cost me £70..I would have to lose a lot of parcels to make that worth my while.

The only time I pay extra for a service is if my goods are worth more than 100 x the price of a first class stamp..then I'll use special delivery so that I am covered against loss in the post.

RFW

From a personal point of view, I have less chance of receiving recorded delivery letters/parcels than normal post.

If I am out (which I invariably am as post arrives at around 3pm) the postman insists on getting a neighbour to sign and leaving it with them and then doesn't even tell me about it. I have asked several times for him to return them to the sorting office, but he still does it. So for me recorded either doesn't arrive or turns up 3 or 4 days later when I find out about it.

custardy

RFW wrote: »

From a personal point of view, I have less chance of receiving recorded delivery letters/parcels than normal post.

If I am out (which I invariably am as post arrives at around 3pm) the postman insists on getting a neighbour to sign and leaving it with them and then doesn't even tell me about it. I have asked several times for him to return them to the sorting office, but he still does it. So for me recorded either doesn't arrive or turns up 3 or 4 days later when I find out about it.

this is something thats being raised the opposite way.from posties
rm are happy for posties to get rid of items like this
less items coming back means you need less staff to cover collections
personally leaving with neighbours isnt much use on my duty as its all flats but i think the union should be pushing for this practice to be stopped or official procedures put in place

angel

I recently had important court papers that I had to make sure were served so I sent them recorded to prove that I'd sent them. The first lot weren't signed for so I had to go back to the court, pay to have copies made and stamped and sent them recorded again. Again no signature so I had no idea if they had been recieved or not. It turned out that both lots were just put through the door with the regular post. I was fuming.

Then again, when my postman leaves me recorded post rather than making me go miles on a bus to the sorting office I'm relieved!

It's a mad situation.

kevinyork

I agree with Soolin. It isnt worth it. Strangely some customers think that sending something recorded to them will more likely guarentee its prompt arrival but recorded deliveries go in the same sacks as normal mail so this isnt true.

As a point of interest, if Royal Mail dont get a signature you can claim off them and they send you 6 First Class stamps. This isnt applicable to where items are lost, only delivered without a signature.

We have a recorded delivery book and a couple of months back started checking it against RMs online system to see if a signature was available. In 48% of cases it wasnt (this is out of over 1000 items sent recorded delivery nationwide). This just showns that sending something recorded isnt worth it.

We put in a claim for the RDs where there was no signature available and they sent us books of 6 stamps for each one for the first claim (one month's postings). We put in another claim for a second month where there were no signatures for loads of RDs and now the say we are only due back our original 70p for each one as we are a business customer. Only private individuals get the books of stamps apparently.

We wrote to the Chairmans office to say how dissapointed we were that the RD system obviously wasnt working and they said it was and we must have some isolated ommissions. Isolated! We have over 475 out of 1000 items sent by RD where a signature is not available.

frivolous_fay

If I ruled the world.... there would be a couple of different types of non-standard post available.

1. 'Cover Your Arras':
No nonsense, signature on delivery, 100% guaranteed not to slip through the system, to identified persons at the correct address

2. 'I just want it to bloody get there, I don't need it bloody signed':
Next day delivery for when you need it to get there the next day, but you know you won't be in when the postie comes and you really don't wanna go out in the howling wind / snow / rain to go to the godsforsaken delivery office. In fact, you know that if it required a signature, it would actually mean the recipient didn't get it until the FOLLOWING day!

How about it? Anyone wanna mock up some slips on photoshop for me?

custardy

frivolous_fay wrote: »

If I ruled the world.... there would be a couple of different types of non-standard post available.

1. 'Cover Your Arras':
No nonsense, signature on delivery, 100% guaranteed not to slip through the system, to identified persons at the correct address

2. 'I just want it to bloody get there, I don't need it bloody signed':
Next day delivery for when you need it to get there the next day, but you know you won't be in when the postie comes and you really don't wanna go out in the howling wind / snow / rain to go to the godsforsaken delivery office. In fact, you know that if it required a signature, it would actually mean the recipient didn't get it until the FOLLOWING day!

How about it? Anyone wanna mock up some slips on photoshop for me?

of course a letter would cost about £20 to send

frivolous_fay

custardy wrote: »

of course a letter would cost about £20 to send

Not really.... the first one is basically Special Delivery without the next day element, and the second one is basically recorded with a next day element but without anyone deluding themselves there's gonna be a meaningful signature at the end of the journey Pretty close to recorded now really

custardy

frivolous_fay wrote: »

Not really.... the first one is basically Special Delivery without the next day element, and the second one is basically recorded with a next day element but without anyone deluding themselves there's gonna be a meaningful signature at the end of the journey Pretty close to recorded now really

but your forgetting 1st/2nd class are non profit as it is
you offer next day means the need for more staff regardless of signature and a far earlier cut off for posting items
whats the cheapest courier for next day delivery? £7? and they are dwarfed in items handled by RM