Travel Money horror story advice request
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spellerrob
Posts: 7 Forumite
Hi MSE forums,
We have had a terrible experience after buying travel money via a link from the MSE Travel Money Max comparison tool and I was wondering if anyone would be able to give us any advice for our situation.
TLDR: It seems that half of our money was stolen by a Royal Mail delivery person and we have so far failed to receive any compensation. The loss is about 2150 GBP.
Longer version:
I started out with the idea of helping my elderly mother save some money when buying her travel money by ordering it online, rather than getting charged more on the high street. In August, we ordered travel money (via Travel Money Max) from Currency Online Group via online payment (debit card) and postage (Royal Mail Special Delivery). Unbeknownst to us, the money was split into two packages by the currency company. In hindsight, this must have been due to the large sum of money ordered and the limited insurance offered by Royal Mail Special Delivery.
The following day (Saturday), a single package arrived as expected. However, on examining the contents, we discovered that the travel money had been split and that we'd only received half. As the currency company had told us to expect the delivery on Monday, we assumed that the second half would arrive on the Monday. When it did not arrive on Monday, we contacted the currency company. They then provided the Royal Mail tracking codes and these indicated that, according to the system, both packages had been scanned and delivered at the same time, with the same signature.
However, we absolutely did not receive both packages. I was the person at the door and I received one package, was shown a screen to sign and I signed it.
Since then, we have been doing our best to get to the bottom of this and claim compensation. However, two compensation requests to Royal Mail from Currency Online Group were rejected. I have since gone through the Postal Review Panel and, after another 30 day wait, on Friday we received an email to say that that claim had also been rejected.
After communicating with Royal Mail many times and trying to escalate this as high as possible, we have continuously been rejected by Royal Mail who are taking the word of their delivery driver over us.
During communication with the Royal Mail escalations department, I have been told that the delivery manager has confirmed the items were scanned outside my address. However, they were not scanned in front of me. Therefore, my only conclusion is that this was done on purpose by the delivery person. They must have scanned the two items and then rung my doorbell, handing me only one item. As the recipient, I was not suspicious at the door, as I trusted Special Delivery and I was signing for my item. At that time, I didn't have the tracking information. I also did not know that the travel money was being delivered as two separate items.
In addition, the delivery driver was on holiday during the week after this occurred (this delayed our investigation) and this also raised my suspicions before hearing that the GPS showed that both items were scanned outside my address.
We now don't know what to do next.
Should we report this to the police?
Should we try the Postal Redress Service? (we have been told that if we were unhappy with the outcome of the Postal Review Panel investigation, we can try this)
Do we have any other options?
Any assistance would really be appreciated.
We have had a terrible experience after buying travel money via a link from the MSE Travel Money Max comparison tool and I was wondering if anyone would be able to give us any advice for our situation.
TLDR: It seems that half of our money was stolen by a Royal Mail delivery person and we have so far failed to receive any compensation. The loss is about 2150 GBP.
Longer version:
I started out with the idea of helping my elderly mother save some money when buying her travel money by ordering it online, rather than getting charged more on the high street. In August, we ordered travel money (via Travel Money Max) from Currency Online Group via online payment (debit card) and postage (Royal Mail Special Delivery). Unbeknownst to us, the money was split into two packages by the currency company. In hindsight, this must have been due to the large sum of money ordered and the limited insurance offered by Royal Mail Special Delivery.
The following day (Saturday), a single package arrived as expected. However, on examining the contents, we discovered that the travel money had been split and that we'd only received half. As the currency company had told us to expect the delivery on Monday, we assumed that the second half would arrive on the Monday. When it did not arrive on Monday, we contacted the currency company. They then provided the Royal Mail tracking codes and these indicated that, according to the system, both packages had been scanned and delivered at the same time, with the same signature.
However, we absolutely did not receive both packages. I was the person at the door and I received one package, was shown a screen to sign and I signed it.
Since then, we have been doing our best to get to the bottom of this and claim compensation. However, two compensation requests to Royal Mail from Currency Online Group were rejected. I have since gone through the Postal Review Panel and, after another 30 day wait, on Friday we received an email to say that that claim had also been rejected.
After communicating with Royal Mail many times and trying to escalate this as high as possible, we have continuously been rejected by Royal Mail who are taking the word of their delivery driver over us.
During communication with the Royal Mail escalations department, I have been told that the delivery manager has confirmed the items were scanned outside my address. However, they were not scanned in front of me. Therefore, my only conclusion is that this was done on purpose by the delivery person. They must have scanned the two items and then rung my doorbell, handing me only one item. As the recipient, I was not suspicious at the door, as I trusted Special Delivery and I was signing for my item. At that time, I didn't have the tracking information. I also did not know that the travel money was being delivered as two separate items.
In addition, the delivery driver was on holiday during the week after this occurred (this delayed our investigation) and this also raised my suspicions before hearing that the GPS showed that both items were scanned outside my address.
We now don't know what to do next.
Should we report this to the police?
Should we try the Postal Redress Service? (we have been told that if we were unhappy with the outcome of the Postal Review Panel investigation, we can try this)
Do we have any other options?
Any assistance would really be appreciated.
0
Comments
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There is probably not a lot you can do. Although you didn't know at the time, you signed for two items.0
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Well, I would contact the police: whether or not they can do anything is another matter.0
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Definitely looks like a criminal matter and should be dealt with as such.0
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IMO this is a police matter.
As it stands RM has evidence the cash was delivered. Dont expect them to move from that position without pressure0 -
The order would have been split as special delivery is a max of £2500. Does the "proof of delivery" on the RM website cover both packages? Even if it does, it's worth speaking to your bank and asking them to do a chargeback (goods not received). If they agree to it, it will at least put the onus back on the merchant to prove you received both packages (they will try to rely on the POD, but we've suffered the odd chargeback loss at work where the POD wasn't accepted, as it was deemed insufficient proof that the item had been received by the cardholder).0
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This is why I choose to collect the currency at a collection eg Sainsburys Travel Shop or whatever its called.0
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Surely they should have been signed for separately? How does Royal Mail know they are from same sender? Did you not get tracking info? Normally you receive details in advance of progress and when to expect the tracked delivery.
And, onus is on sender to ensure that you receive an order, so do a chargeback and see what develops.0 -
i would try and do a chargeback. Then never have money sent to your home again. I regularly have deliveries stolen (tbf usually because Hermes keep giving my parcel to the local thieves 5 doors down), but i wouldn't trust anyone to deliver something as easy to steal as moneyAn answer isn't spam just because you don't like it......0
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Surely they should have been signed for separately? How does Royal Mail know they are from same sender? Did you not get tracking info? Normally you receive details in advance of progress and when to expect the tracked delivery.
And, onus is on sender to ensure that you receive an order, so do a chargeback and see what develops.
I have never signed more than once for multiple packages, they are all scanned at same time and require one signature0 -
Surely they should have been signed for separately? How does Royal Mail know they are from same sender? Did you not get tracking info? Normally you receive details in advance of progress and when to expect the tracked delivery.
And, onus is on sender to ensure that you receive an order, so do a chargeback and see what develops.
Pdas can cover (virtually) unlimited items for signature.
Multiple items are scanned and one signature screen is presented
Have you ever had to sign multiple times at the door for a delivery?0
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