Sorry, we missed you
02-September-2010
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Sorry, we missed you

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Over the last year or so I have become increasingly frustrated with our local postman.  I regularly take days off to receive deliveries which don't come and then miraculously I notice the 'Sorry, we missed you' card has been put through the letter box with no attempt whatsoever to deliver the parcel.  This has happened a few times and a few weeks ago I even saw the little cretin walking down the road putting the slips in houses, clearly making no attempt to make the delivery.

He obviously doesn't have the time to ring the doorbell

Postage stamps, Sorry we missed you

He obviously doesn't have the time to ring the doorbell, yet somehow always has the time to knock back a few drinks at the the local pub.  On more than one occasion I've seen him sitting at the bar so intoxicated he can barely speak.  I've even seen him get up and go to the toilet whilst leaving a back containing letters and packages on the floor.  As far as the postal service goes seeing this kind of thing happening doesn't exactly instill much faith.

I have another gripe with Royal Mail regarding parcels.  I regularly have items delivered via 24 hour express post.  The parcels don't turn up on the due date of arrival, so I pop into the local post office the following day and after a bit of hassle finally get the parcel.  Then low and behold, later that day the 'Sorry, we missed you' card appears out of nowhere.  This is not an isolated incident and I do wonder if something underhanded is going on.  Perhaps someone thinks that I won't go and pick up the parcel so they can just help themselves to its contents - who knows?  I cannot think of any other reason why the card would appear after I've picked the parcel up.  Maybe I'm just cynical!

I have noticed increasingly poor levels of Service from Royal Mail recently and have lodged complaints via the website, all of which seem to fall on deaf ears as I never get a response.  I don't really see what option I have left really.  If I confront the postman about this, do you think the chances of me getting my parcels on time would improve?  I think not.

By: Steve L


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We've just had a letter returned in a Royal Mail returns envelope, which they apparently could not deliver, and the postman has written on the outside "not known at this address". Royal Mail opened it to find our address to return it to us.

There is just one small problem; the person it was sent to is someone we know well, both her name and CORRECT address are printed clearly on the original envelope and she never saw the letter.

Fortunately the cheque inside was returned intact, I had stopped it when we realised it hadn't arrived. Maybe I stopped it just in time!

I will be contacting Royal Mail and asking for an explanation.
*grumpyoldwoman  19-Aug-2010 09:51

 
I have a small online business in the US that frequently ships to the UK. Packages shipped to Australia, Spain, South Africa all manage to get there in a week or 2 at the most That USED to be the case in the UK. The last 3 packages sent to the uk over 3 weeks ago still have not arrived, and I am getting the run around as to where they are. I can track it up until it entered the UK, where they magically vanish without a trace. Unfortunately, I will no longer be able ship to the UK, as the UK seems unable to deliver them.
*Keiffer's Cases  17-Aug-2010 21:46

 
I can see where you're coming from about the postie being lazy, but then not everyone goes to pick their parcel up, so in this sense, surely the postie would be making more work for themselves. Yours does sound a nightmare though if he's in the pub with the post. I'd make an official complaint to your local office.

Anyway. since I haven't got a car any more, I always arrange a redelivery and make sure I'm in. I can't believe the fee for it to be redelivered to a Post Office has risen from 50p to £1.50 though!
*alice  10-Aug-2010 18:57

 
Parcel Force once left a parcel on my doorstep while I was out and had the cheek to sign my name on the widget!

Asked for two redeliveries from Royal Mail and ofc still waiting. Parcels go missing or are bashed even though they are clearly marked 'fragile' and 'this way up'. They just don't seem to care about providing a service.
*Fedup  10-Aug-2010 14:07

 
Same thing here....had two "sorry, you were out" cards on the same week! when I havent been out:(
*eliza  06-Aug-2010 13:30

 
I once chased the postman after he posted a "Sorry we missed you" card through my door, only to discover that he didn't have the parcel with him! They just can't be bothered lugging around all the packages so make you go and pick them up!
*Alison  05-Aug-2010 11:26

 
Our postman does it all of the time! The majority of the time we get all of our post, letters and everything not just parcels, days later and he just writes 'dogs loose' on them even though we keep the dogs inside on a morning just for him.
He doesnt even come some days, like today when I am waiting of a parcel yet again.
*C  31-Jul-2010 12:46

 
It is not just Royal Mail, I have jsut had exactly the same problem with DHL.
I had to watch the lazy c**t drive away!
*Vix  28-Jul-2010 15:34

 
Standards have slipped at the Royal Mail. They've got a culture there that encourages such laziness and ineptitude. The Royal Mail needs reform from top to bottom in order to make it a more efficient company. It needs reform, and here's me hoping that the sooner that happens the better.
*Murray  28-Jul-2010 12:31

 
@Rebekkah

I have had a smilar experience with Parcel Force I ordered some new components for my PC from novatech for next day pre-12 delivery. I was up at 7am and checked the tracking status at 8 finding the van was out on it's round. It was 4 hours later, just before 12, and I had heard nothing and received no card so I checked the tracking status again to find the van had retuned to the depot and failed to deliver the package. Later that evening I checked the tracking again and found it was awaiting collection at the post office around the corner. I can tell you I had a lot of fun trying to get them to give me my package without a failed delivery card to show them.
*Raviel  24-Jun-2010 22:47

 
A horrible trend that has sprung up during the last few years involves ParcelForce employees "taking the easy way out" by not doing their job.
This is particularly true, I find, if the package they would be toting weighs in excess of 2 or 3 pounds and have to walk up a flight of stairs. They will pull up to the house, sit long enough to fill out a note, and stick the note on a door WITHOUT making an attempt to try the doorbell or knock on the door. They are, however, being PAID to attempt a delivery. Then, they will drive to the nearest post office and deposit said item. When the Parcelforce tracking says an item is out for delivery, sometimes people stay home all day waiting. They do this not only to receive their item, but to assist the driver in making a first-time successful delivery. And when the driver lazily fails to do his job, it frustrates everyone. Who is going to call these work-allergic drivers to account and when?
*Rebekkah  09-Jun-2010 15:32

 
These should be called frisbee cards as they are written out and thrown in the letterbox so speedily...ha
*abab2323  06-Jun-2010 21:30


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