Postman signing for my signed for parcel

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  • boo_star
    boo_star Posts: 3,202 Forumite
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    POPPYOSCAR wrote: »
    I do think you are making a mountain out of a molehill over of this.

    Personally I would be glad he had left it and I had not had to trek to the sorting office to pick it up or stay in for it to be re-delivered.

    I could understand if your parcel had been stolen but as it was not I would just let it go.

    I have a little groan to myself when something is sent to me signed for as it is a pain and I cannot see the point of it really.

    Had this happen to me though.

    Postie "helpfully" signed for stuff even though I was in all day every day (working from home.)

    One day an SD parcel was left in the porch, signed for by said postie. Stolen within 5 minutes.

    At the end of the day they aren't doing their job if they do this and although the company reimbursed me they could have easily said "it was delivered, we have proof."
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,688 Forumite
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    boo_star wrote: »
    Had this happen to me though.

    Postie "helpfully" signed for stuff even though I was in all day every day (working from home.)

    One day an SD parcel was left in the porch, signed for by said postie. Stolen within 5 minutes.

    At the end of the day they aren't doing their job if they do this and although the company reimbursed me they could have easily said "it was delivered, we have proof."

    I think there's a big difference between a postman signing for a parcel because they've knocked with no reply and signing for a parcel without trying to find out if someone is in.
    Or do you mean you ignored the knocking?
  • NBLondon
    NBLondon Posts: 5,532 Forumite
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    Gavin83 wrote: »
    Well not really. He paid to have the item delivered, along with extra insurance should a problem occur, which it didn't. The idea of a secure delivery is largely meaningless and is down to interpretation.
    Yes, really. If the OP paid the seller for that specific delivery service including householder signature - he didn't get what he paid for and has an issue to raise with the seller. If he paid an agreed fee for an unspecified form of delivery then he got what he paid for.
    custardy wrote:
    Would you really?
    So if a customer disputed a signature on an item you would immediately sack the employee on the say of that person
    Jimtheslim wrote: »
    I never said I worked with customers. I also never said I am in a position to sack anyone. My point is that if I signed something off under someone else's name in my field of work and it was brought to the attention of my supervisor and proven I had done it I could likely get sacked.
    There must be plenty of work environments where forging a customer's signature is gross misconduct and hence a sackable offence once an investigation shows it is not the customer's signature and no other person could have signed. Banking for a start.
    Pollycat wrote: »
    I think there's a big difference between a postman signing for a parcel because they've knocked with no reply and signing for a parcel without trying to find out if someone is in.
    Presumably both are against the RM procedures as custardy and fb1969 point out. And if it's done without the prior agreement of the addressee - I don't think it makes any difference as to the reason.
    Wash your Knobs and Knockers... Keep the Postie safe!
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,688 Forumite
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    NBLondon wrote: »
    Presumably both are against the RM procedures as custardy and fb1969 point out. And if it's done without the prior agreement of the addressee - I don't think it makes any difference as to the reason.
    I didn't say it made a difference.
    I was just trying to clarify what the poster I quoted meant - out of curiosity.
  • NBLondon
    NBLondon Posts: 5,532 Forumite
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    Pollycat wrote: »
    I didn't say it made a difference.
    I was just trying to clarify what the poster I quoted meant - out of curiosity.
    Sorry Polly - I was misled by the words
    Pollycat wrote: »
    I think there's a big difference
    but I see what you mean now,
    Wash your Knobs and Knockers... Keep the Postie safe!
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,688 Forumite
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    edited 17 January 2020 at 9:17AM
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    NBLondon wrote: »
    Sorry Polly - I was misled by the words but I see what you mean now,

    Not necessary. ;)
    I've had the same regular postie for a number of years and he's a friend of someone I used to socialise with.
    He has - on very rare occasions - signed for a SD parcel then posted it through the letter box when nobody has been in.
    We both know that he's done me a favour and saved me a special trip into town.
    I appreciate that this is against RM procedures.
    I'm pretty sure he wouldn't sign then leave a parcel outside.
  • Gavin83
    Gavin83 Posts: 8,751 Forumite
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    NBLondon wrote: »
    Yes, really. If the OP paid the seller for that specific delivery service including householder signature - he didn't get what he paid for and has an issue to raise with the seller. If he paid an agreed fee for an unspecified form of delivery then he got what he paid for.

    Fine. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this then.
  • fb1969
    fb1969 Posts: 560 Forumite
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    edited 16 January 2020 at 5:03PM
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    Speaking as a postie and a slightly pedantic one at that - the "Signed For" service is not intended as a method of 'secure delivery' that is being referred to.

    "Signed For" items travel through the system, and are treated pretty much in the same way, as normal post. It is scanned when/if posted at a Post Office and is only scanned again when delivery is attempted. If you want a secure service you should use "Special Delivery" as that is scanned at numerous points thoughout the journey.

    Any postie who signs for items thinking they are doing a favour for the recipient is taking a risk. The recipient is not the customer, that is the sender and the person who contracted Royal Mail to deliver the item by whatever means they paid RM to do.

    While being caught signing for a item may result in retraining and a telling off, signing for a Special Delivery in normal circumstances is viewed far more seriously by Royal Mail.

    NBLondon wrote: »
    Presumably both are against the RM procedures as custardy and fb1969 point out. And if it's done without the prior agreement of the addressee - I don't think it makes any difference as to the reason.

    In some ways there are two different issues. If the postie is putting the name of the recipient and then signing, there is a potential for it to be viewed as fraud. If they are signing with their own name it is just a case of being against RM procedures. As I mentioned before, there are a few circumstances when a postie can sign for an item - but they are few and far between and there is policy in place that states what those circumstances are.
  • boo_star
    boo_star Posts: 3,202 Forumite
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    Pollycat wrote: »
    I think there's a big difference between a postman signing for a parcel because they've knocked with no reply and signing for a parcel without trying to find out if someone is in.
    Or do you mean you ignored the knocking?

    They didn't knock.
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,688 Forumite
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    boo_star wrote: »
    They didn't knock.

    Then that is very wrong (and different to my experience in post #37).
    I'd have waited for him/her and had a word about not being 'helpful' and needing to knock instead of signing for a parcel then leaving it in a porch.
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