Another Royal Mail 'Sorry, we missed you' card
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.
... doesn't have the time to ring the doorbell
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
Comments from visitors
I too get a mixture. If the postman has a brain, he leaves the parcel round the back undercover (this is good). If he doesn't have a brain he leaves it out the front in the rain or cunningly concealed in a recycling box where it can take a week to find it. The ones I really hate are the ones who don't ring the bell, but just card you, which has increased in frequency. Our local sorting office is 15 miles away, so I get it redelivered to the Post Office where I pay an eyewatering 1.50 per item to retrieve MY property several days late - how the Royal Mail aren't making a big fat profit I cannot understand.
DHL are just as bad.
DHL are just as bad.
+1
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I think in this instance you are legally entitled to tear him a new @rse!
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Well here's a completely different complaint about Royal Mail & our local postie! We have a load of Halloween decorations from America, to include a clear plastic sheet that hangs over our front door with the words "Keep Out!" painted on it which is supposed to look like blood. hehe! Because it's American it does not have a hole for the British Mail boxes so the mailbox is obstructed. Well our usual postie was cool with it and agreed to knock just for this week leading up to Halloween and Im usually right there anyway and see him coming. However...we had a different guy today who decided to just tear our decoration up and shove the mail through!!! LOL! Completely destroyed our property and when I chased after him he told me he was LEGALLY required to deliver our mail. I wonder if he is LEGALLY required to destroy our personal property to deliver the mail though? If our mailbox was obstructed from the inside, would he bash our door down to deliver I wonder??? Argh! There always has to be some miserable git to dampen the fun huh? Absolute idiot! And the trick or treaters arent even due til next week. I have filed a complaint anyways....just venting as am still fuming. ;o)
-2
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UGH Just having the worst time ever with Royal Mail! Was waiting on a parcel on Friday, checked downstairs at 11am. No sign. Check again at 12 and the infamous "Sorry we missed you card" was sitting through my letterbox. I wouldn't have made myself available that morning if you weren't going to buzz my flat! I'm not psychic!
Angrily complained to RM who assured me I wouldn't have to wait a further 48 hours and they would make sure it is at my Delivery Office on Saturday, details of the address and opening hours on the card. Brilliant. Arrive at the D.O. and its closed. Opening hours on the back of the card completely incorrect. An afternoon walking there and back (its quite a trek!) wasted. Not even a way to find out the hours on the website so the card was all I had to go by. Another irate complaint due tomorrow I think! Their customer service is a shambles.
Angrily complained to RM who assured me I wouldn't have to wait a further 48 hours and they would make sure it is at my Delivery Office on Saturday, details of the address and opening hours on the card. Brilliant. Arrive at the D.O. and its closed. Opening hours on the back of the card completely incorrect. An afternoon walking there and back (its quite a trek!) wasted. Not even a way to find out the hours on the website so the card was all I had to go by. Another irate complaint due tomorrow I think! Their customer service is a shambles.
+9
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I am so glad I came across this website. I have had this problem twice (where I am home the entire day and never hear the buzzer but somehow a 'Sorry we missed you card' appears in my letter box). I've even been told off when I pick up my parcel from the main office that I wasn't there when I rescheduled my delivery online. Luckily, I know I was there the entire day -- I write and record EVERYTHING in my planner.
Is there no accountability for the postal service? I know isn't the case with every postal employee but it seems to be happening enough to cause real issue. Like any business, you pay for a service and if that service fails on a very explicit part (eg. specific delivery of the goods), then there should be legal consequences. Unfortunately, I don't think complaining works. I think I may start looking into this a little closer. It's clearly beyond poor customer service.
Is there no accountability for the postal service? I know isn't the case with every postal employee but it seems to be happening enough to cause real issue. Like any business, you pay for a service and if that service fails on a very explicit part (eg. specific delivery of the goods), then there should be legal consequences. Unfortunately, I don't think complaining works. I think I may start looking into this a little closer. It's clearly beyond poor customer service.
+3
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Had this problem aswell now I won't go to collect it myself I have them redeliver it I paid for delivery so that's what I want.
+7
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Had similar issues with the RM. "you weren't in cards" when I was in (work from home). Twice I've caught the postie walking up the path to the house with a "you weren't in card" in his hand and when I asked for the parcel I was told that "it wasn't on the van". It's really does take the proverbial.
A new trick that the postie has learnt is for the him/her to sign for the parcel his/herself and leave the Item in the garden or on the door step. Not great if it rains.
A new trick that the postie has learnt is for the him/her to sign for the parcel his/herself and leave the Item in the garden or on the door step. Not great if it rains.
-1
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royal mail dont do 24hour express post.if you used their similar service you would know its called
recorded special delivery before 1.00pm.
you have seen your postman drunk drinking whilst working?
why would a postman deliver a card inviting you to pick up a packet he doesnt have.
if the cretins intend to steal the contents better that they dont red card you surly?
recorded special delivery before 1.00pm.
you have seen your postman drunk drinking whilst working?
why would a postman deliver a card inviting you to pick up a packet he doesnt have.
if the cretins intend to steal the contents better that they dont red card you surly?
-2
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Had the exact same thing happen to me today. Never chapped the door but heard the mail come through so assumed the parcel wasn't coming since delivery time was 3-5 days, go to the door to find the infamous "Sorry, we missed you" slip now I will have to go collect it because he is too lazy to do his bloody job!
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Eclipse. Paula Vennels? that sounds like a woman. Women love attention, lots of emails would pander to her vanity, Dido at Talk Talk preens herself in front of her thousands of critics. Ignoring the pair of them would be far more potent
-1
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Cynical Boblet - 7-Apr-11 15:13
Just had the same thing happen. Card but no parcel so I made my usual special delivery to paula.vennells@royalmail.com. She is the MD and, I am sure, would love to get an e-mail whenever it happens to you.
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I, also, am at the end of my teather with RM. I ordered a sat nav and it was cellotaped to the door handle in full view of the main road when we had gone on holiday! Thankfully my neighbour spotted it and took it in for me (he took a photo of it so I could use as evidence when I complained) that postman is no longer working for RM. I also had an order delivered from my HO. This was sent four times and it never got to me. the last 2 times they were sent recorded delivery, one of them had a fake signature and the last was 'damaged' in the post. It was eventually delivered to my parents house. My son's birthday present came in tatters with most of the contents missing including the cheque! I have spoken to the postman several times who is lovely and does everything he can to help, in his defence the problem is not lying with him. He is really good at leaving parcels with our neighbour (we have an agreement with us all) or, if my neighbour is out, he is good at leaving a card and getting things back to the depot on time. When I have had bigger items delivered by a van (different postman) I have had problems where we are not left cards or we are told we can collect in 24/48 hours and they are never there when we go. It's not as if you really have any other option but to use Royal Mail!!!!!
-1
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Yes, the Royal Mail certainly seems to be declining in the quality of service it provides. At one time, I used to be fully confident in using them to post letters and parcels, and confident that I would receive letters and parcels that were expected. No longer! They have lost their excellent reputation and are providing fertile ground for other competitors to provide a much better service. Having said that, DHL seem little better in my experience - generally a shoddy service which usually results in me driving around some industrial estate trying to find their depot to collect a parcel. Twice recently I've arrived as instructed to find the parcel was not there; in one case, it had travelled up to Carlisle - nearly 2 hundred miles away! In the meantime, no doubt, the chairman of Royal Mail and DHL will get their fat, greasy palms on a massive bonus!
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miserablemoaninggit - 14-Mar-11 20:36
Last Thursday I waited in all day for the postman, He eventually arrived on my street at 3pm. I watched him from my second floor window and he came up to the my front door. But alas my parcel had not arrived, only a letter for the flat above me. At 7pm I went out as I was shutting the front door I noticed my parcel had been left on the step outside the property and in full view of the street. He had not rung any bells to attempt to post it just left my £60 Chanel perfume on the doorstep. How lucky was I that it was not stolen. The royal mail are an absolute DISGRACE.
I attempted to call the delivery office manager as I had the number after a previous parcel a 1st edition book had been left on the step. Bearing in mind that there are 4managers at this office I rang on and off for 3hours But they picked up the phone put it back down or it just went on to engaged The managers cant be bothered to answer the phone, the postmen cant be bothered to deliver the mail. No one is accountable they couldnt give a damn.
I attempted to call the delivery office manager as I had the number after a previous parcel a 1st edition book had been left on the step. Bearing in mind that there are 4managers at this office I rang on and off for 3hours But they picked up the phone put it back down or it just went on to engaged The managers cant be bothered to answer the phone, the postmen cant be bothered to deliver the mail. No one is accountable they couldnt give a damn.
+6
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I agree we need to do more than just wineing about this parcel problem, they don't ring bell's they fold post and they turn up at different times. what happened to there dedication to there work?
why do they no longer care about there job and taking it out on use...?
why do they no longer care about there job and taking it out on use...?
+1
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I hate postmen I waited 1 week for my parcel and it was in stock!!! guess what he bloody skipsme :@
-4
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I had a similar issue with lots of sorry you where out cards. I complained to customer services who told me that the postman did not have to ring the bell and was only supposed to knock the door. I asked why he cannot ring if the bell is next to the door they said it was beyond his duty but they kindly ask him to go out of his way and ring the bell in future. What a joke I am taking it further…
+1
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I had a note put through my door saying the had tried to deliver a packet lies waited in all day when I went to pick it up the excuse was health and safety the packet was too heavy so picked it up with one hand and walked out.On another occasion had to go and pick up a letter because it had no stamp on it went to post office and the posty was just going to the other end of the building 500 yds to pick another customers letter up so I asked him to get mine as well "cant do that it is against rules"SO IS WORKING HARD MATE lazy idle untidy dirty unclean shirkers
+2
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DHL parcel delivery. That's right, another drive by. I heard beeping behind me, turned round and out the window saw a DHL van. "oh good" I though, the parcel is being delivered....
Or not....
Ten seconds later the van started up and vanished before I could catch it. I live in a flat, and had to go out to the main door (not the flat door) to find the "sorry we missed you" card. Not a buzz, not a knock, nothing.
What's worse is that even though I phoned up the phone number immediately, they could not redeliver till the next day as "they are not in contact with their drivers". Because the mobile phone hasn't been invented yet...
Another day wasted.
Or not....
Ten seconds later the van started up and vanished before I could catch it. I live in a flat, and had to go out to the main door (not the flat door) to find the "sorry we missed you" card. Not a buzz, not a knock, nothing.
What's worse is that even though I phoned up the phone number immediately, they could not redeliver till the next day as "they are not in contact with their drivers". Because the mobile phone hasn't been invented yet...
Another day wasted.
-1
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I work from home and have an a4 sized sign on the front door asking for parcels to be brought to the back as I work right by the back door . Last week I ordered items from 5 companies all placed Thursday . 2 of the 5 firms sent via Royal Mail 1st class parcels . Its now Wednesday the following week . The three firms that sent via couriers got the items to me Monday at the latest . I'm still sat here waiting for the ones sent by Royal Mail . I ordered more items yesterday and they were delivered this morning by courier . What in blue blazes is RM upto? Are my parcels being used as pillows in the delivery office or what? . Its now 3:30pm and if they dont turn up then tomorrow morning I will be down to the delivery office to find out whats going on . I tried ringing the office this morning for 2 hours and not once did they pick up the phone . Absolutely pathetic service .
+4
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