Royal Mail "missing/lost " Post

[porkchop]

It is understandable if a post item goes missing if it is not addressed properly. But can anyone explain how a postal item goes missing if it is addressed properly and especially if the sender has his own return address on the item.
Where on earth do all these missing/lost items end up? Have any of Answer Bank members had a bad "missing" experience with Royal Mail?

[joko]

labels peel off, posties steal stuff, its been damaged etc

[jno]

no idea who it was, mick - they never rang the bell! But it's happened many times. Sometimes I've found the card only minutes after he's left it (or at least after the time he's put on it) and I know perfectly well I was inside within hearing of the bell.

No complaints about the regular postman we have now - as long as you don't need delivery before 4pm; but these days anyone sending anything urgent or important has it couriered..

[magicmick]

What I could never understand about that jno, was taking a pkt, registered, or recorded dly to a house writing out a form and delivering that when it was just as easy to knock/ring on the door. As for the 4pm I agree gone are the days when we would empty a box on dly get back to the office and if there was a local letter in the box it would be delivered on the 2nd fly between 11/12.30 same day.

[jno]

well, my suspicion was always that the postman couldn't be bothered carrying the package so left it at the sorting office and only took the card, so I'd have to deliver my own mail.

Still, it hasn't happened for a couple of years so maybe they've, er, sorted the problem.

[Gromit]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11369426/Thieving-postman-caught-by-iPad-tracking-device.html

[SpikeyBush]

I always used to give out about Royal Snail until I moved to Ireland and experienced the delights of An Post

[Nibble]

You're very unlucky then, clarion, it's not the experience of most of us. I wouldn't use anyone else for my eBay sales - and don't get me started on Yodel....

[boxtops]

As Nibble says, that's your experience, not mine - I've had no problem, I use mail order a lot and RM parcels and letters don't let me down. I've been selling on eBay for years, I wouldn't use another carrier.

[boxtops]

Of course, we can't say until it happens. Thankfully, not yet. Do you send valuable stuff by next day signed for services? you can track your item then. Should help.

[DSJ]

A number of years ago, my daughter sent £100 in Next gift vouchers and a cheque to settle her Next account. I actually put them in a sturdy envelope & typed the address to that it was quite clear. I posted them Recorded Delivery, obtained a receipt and also made a note of the serial numbers of the vouchers.

The envelope did not reach its destination. Through the serial numbers on the vouchers, we were able to ascertain that they had been exchanged for goods at a Next store in Manchester.

We were, of course, not able to prove what our envelope contained. I believe my daughter was awarded a book of stamps by the PO.

I rest my case.

[boxtops]

Royal Mail reimburse the sender for items up to £20 if sent by ordinary post, with a proof of posting... More valuable items should be sent by next day signed for - if you post something worth more than £20 by ordinary mail, they won't reimburse anything at all, on the grounds that you didn't use the correct postage method.