royal mail refusing to deliver -any advice custardy?

elsien

Brief summary - lived in my house for 8 years, outer porch door (no lock), main front door with letter box, normal postie (several different ones over the years) have managed to get the post into the letter box no problems.
Every time they go on holiday, the post is dumped in the porch - including my ebay postal orders, cheques, bank statements and everything you need for id fraud! Every time this happens I complain and it gets sorted till the next time.

New sorting office manager (obviously I'm damaging his complaints record) is now telling me that my door is too narrow for postie to get through,and saying that I have 2 weeks to either a)have a letter box fitted to porch door ( which would exactly the same as just leaving it on the porch floor)
or b) put it in writing that they can leave post in the porch. If I don't do anything, they will return all my post to sender saying "no point of delivery."

Yes my door is narrow (1/2 french door), but all the regular posties manage to use it with no complaint, it's only the relief/holiday ones who can't be bothered. I really think it's the posties being idle, because over the years I've had so many different excuses, (including saying they were using an outside mail box that I don't even have) and this is the first time in 8 years that anyone has ever said my door is too small!

Is there anything I can do, any further avenues of complaint, or have royal mail got me over a barrel?

elsien

Thought about that but we have one of those at work, and it's easy to stick your hand inside the flap to get the post out. I live in a bit of a dodgy area, so am not sure I'd be entirely happy using one.

jacksons_mum

i have the same problem - my porch has no door on it, regular postie uses the letter box, relief ones just chuck it on the porch floor. i havent bothered complaining because im usually in when it comes but i know how annoying it is

Contains_Mild_Peril

elsien wrote: »

Thought about that but we have one of those at work, and it's easy to stick your hand inside the flap to get the post out. I live in a bit of a dodgy area, so am not sure I'd be entirely happy using one.

You can get different designs, and some are extremely difficult to steal from (unless they get so full that there's mail near the slot). An alternative would be to fit a lock and a letterbox to your porch door and keep it locked.
My teenage son used to do a paper round and sometimes left papers on porches or doorsteps where he had difficulty getting them through the letterbox, and some people complained that their papers weren't being delivered properly. His employers took the view that it's his job to put it the letterbox, not the householder's job to make it easier for him. A 13/14-year-old delivering a free weekly paper is expected to perform to a higher standard than posties delivering important mail!
Since delivering mail requires quite a bit of physical activity, I'd be surprised if a postie is actually too fat to fit through a narrow door, which presumably must have been designed to provide access for any normal-sized person. It sounds as though he's just too lazy to take the mailbag off his shoulder in order to do so.

frivolous_fay

Contains_Mild_Peril wrote: »

It sounds as though he's just too lazy to take the mailbag off his shoulder in order to do so.

Or... to look at it another way... doesn't want to pull a muscle or slip a disc by repeatedly dropping and lifting a mailbag off his shoulder

I await Custardy's observation on this... but I'm guessing this falls under health and safety advice. A postie with a bad back / trapped nerve won't deliver much mail.

elsien

The thing is, I'd understand their point about not being able to get through the door if it was always a problem, but it's only the relief staff. For the last eight years, the "proper" posties have delivered my mail with no problem - is it only the relief staff who are oversized, or what?
My porch door isn't very strong - homemade wooden thing, as I can't get one made to fit with a normal door due to the size which is why I've never put a lock onit.So them suggesting I put a letter box in the porch doesn't make my post anymore secure than just opening the door and throwing it in.
TBH I'm also feeling a bit as if I'm being penalised for daring to complain. I'm not normally one for complaining, but I do shifts and am often away from home for 24 hours at a time, and coming home to find my new bank card and pin number on the floor was the last straw. Previous sorting office managers have had a word with the staff and got it sorted, but this chap is new and making his mark. He also said that they couldn't deliver because of my dog jumping up the door. Apart from the fact I have a letter cage, is he really trying to say I'm the only one in the area who's dog jumps at the door? That's what's making me think he's just looking for excuses to shut me up.

jasmineswhiskers

Get rid of the porch door?? If it's not secure is it serving any purpose? Just a thought.

Time2Go_25

Sounds like another jobsworth who has forgotten what providing a service means. No the wonder they are scared of competition.

elsien

jasmineswhiskers wrote: »

Get rid of the porch door?? If it's not secure is it serving any purpose? Just a thought.

Mainly because it cuts out a lot of draughts - I live in a terrace where the front door opens directly into the living room, and keeps the rain off me when I'm faffing around with keys, shopping etc.

I've also had a look out front, and there isn't enough brickwork to fit an outside postbox to securely, unless I do it to the back of my front wall, which they'll then ignore because they won't see it.

custardy

the problem you have is posties are under more and more pressure
mine(and most) are nearing melt down with RM's summer lapsing system
im not long home from a 5am start on what maybe my worst day ever @ RM
so where a postie may have previously gone out of their way to help customers,now feel pressured/harrased into getting on with it and good will is near out the windo
i know exactly the type of door you mean and with a full red pouch they are a real pain
unfortunatly no DO manager is going to force a postie into a situation that could lead to injury
bending forward to try and stretch whilst holding the pouch back puts huge strain on the lower back
you really need to set a delivery point or resign yourself to collecting your mail
technically the postie is not meant to open the door,its the recipients duty to set up an acceptable delivery point eg letterbox
you may want to consider a secure wall mouted mail box

custardy

pdel61 wrote: »

Sounds like another jobsworth who has forgotten what providing a service means. No the wonder they are scared of competition.

i'll take that
service? it was a service,now its a business
RM scared of competition? more like the competition scared of the USO
universal service obligation
why havent you got a business post/tnt/dhl postie on your route? all been licensed for years now