Royal Mail.......lost items!!!!!

[dancestationdirect]

Hi, has anyone noticed an increase in UK Royal Mail packages going "missing" recently. In the last 2 days I have had 3 different buyers claiming item has not arrived. One looks genuine as it is Recorded Delivery which has not arrived. The other 2 are fairly low value First Class items and of course I have no way of knowing if  this is genuine or not.

Prior to this (I have "lost" a few international parcels) but only 1 UK parcel last year went astray and never turned up.

Anyone else having problems with this?

[vhairib123]

I am seeing this from the other side.

Last week I had an eBay purchase not turn up. I have been buying from eBay for a long time and have never had an INR before. Trying to contact the seller initially was a disaster. I wanted to sent a friendly message to ask what was happening, instead I inadvertently opened an INR case against them. I feel like eBay very much wanted me to go straight to a case. The way in which buyers contact sellers now is very controlled and you have to state what your problem is first before you can even type a message. If you tick INR in messaging, you have automatically opened a case.

What followed was a very uncomfortable experience - in that I understand that buyers often falsely claim INR. The seller was polite, but used words to the effect of 'you're probably at it, I will contact RM who will maybe be in touch with you'. I almost felt like giving up completely and closing the case becasue I knew this buyer thought I was wasting their time.

It was a £3 item. I got a replacement very quickly (tracked) and was delighted with the service. I left positive feedback for the seller also as it was not their fault that I didn't recieve my item.

Not all buyers are trying to pull a fast one.

[profet21]

I posted 10 items recorded delivery recently, and 3 have been "lost" by the post office. Even though it clearly shows on the tracking data that they are in the Royal Mail network, but haven't been delivered, it is still taking an age to claim the cost back. I've had to send various proof of postage (despite the tracking data clearly saying where and when it was posted), email repeatedly, and now two months on I'm still waiting for the results of the "investigation". It seems like they are making it almost imposible to get the money back.

Moral of the story, pay the extra for a fully tracked service like Collect Plus. That accountability stops the crooked delivery people nicking stuff.

[barticox]

I have been stung by criminal fraud by buyers and sellers on Ebay, and it is good to see that the activity of criminal sellers has been reduced over the years, however, deliveries remain a problem. I would say that Royal Mail are far worse than the alternatives. I believe that this may be because lost item claims against couriers services have to be paid for by the member of staff in possession of the item at the time of the loss. The Royal Mail made the claim that only 1/1600 items receive a complaint, however, complaints aside, my current rate of lost items sent to me by the above is running at around 2%, including one item that made it all the way from China, was then returned to the local depot due to no-one being available to sign for it, and promptly disappeared without trace. I fear that Big business and government are having it away with each other in an incestuous relationship and care nothing for the people that they purport to serve, using doublespeak to placate the masses.

[besthairqueen]

I purchase many items online.. due to ill health in the past two years I am only just getting back on my feet.. i speak with many Sellers who are in same position as myself-i am solely a Buyer at the current time.

In the past month 3 of my items were late in arriving.  One from USA, when it did arrive it was not fit for purpose intended.  One item still has not turned up and another the Seller is referring the matter to the Royal Mail.. I have asked for a tracking number to enable me to also make enqiries at our local, friendly post depot.  I was refunded for the USA item and the company did not want me to return the item(too costly for such an inexpensive item which was not working properly). Item was binned by me.  One company has resent their item and i have now received it, but not the original item-i even offered to forward the original item onto another UK buyer if it did turn up and they supplied me with the address.  Previous to this I requested a return/refund as a Seller had rolled up a 12"x12"plastic stencil into a tube shape and wrapped it in thick paper.  The damage incurred to the item made it impossible to flatten out enough to use to trace a clean image.  The Seller advised they had sent out many of these items in same way with no problems?? I really dont think this could be right.  A refund was given-Seller declined return of the item. The item which the Seller is making enquiries about with Royal Mail cost £1.99 incl p & p, my feedback is 100% positive, i make immediate payment via paypal and I have made 1000s of purchases over the time I have been a member.  I do not leave bad feedback for anyone.  I decline to leave feedback in very few instances as i believe anyone can make a mistake.  The only bad feedback i would leave would be if i thought someone was trying to defraud others but I would be much swifter to contact Ebay in this regard than just to leave negative feedback. 

In my experience Ebay works fine.. postal charges have increased and made it more costly... but, for some of us, the cost of travel to the shops through ill health issues is much more 'expensive'.  AND yes I have called the postalworker back to my door on more than one occasion to hand them an envelope which is addressed to someone else. Likewise other neighbours have knocked on my door with an envelope of mine wrongly delivered to them.

Im of the opinion there are quite a few hurdles a parcel has to complete before it arrives safely.  It is at risk from being mislaid/stolen/destroyed/wrongly delivered/wrongly addressed.

How could anyone not expect for a certain portion of mail to 'disappear' in these circumstances? Even if one could take the time to oversee each of these problems .. there would still be the human element of opinion involved... not always dishonesty .. but opinion as to whether an item is fit for purpose/as described/delivered on time.  I dont 'start an ebay refund request until 1. I have spoken with the Seller or 2. if there is no option to do otherwise because the Seller is not responding/contactable via the messaging system.   nb.... One of my current Sellers is more than a week overdue in posting an item to me because they have been bedridden.  The Seller kept me updated when they could.  I dONT see a problem with having to wait.

I just thort i'd write this as there is a lack of comment from Buyers relating to this topic and feedback is certainly a good thing to have.  I think the major common fault in many of the lost item cases is the lack of communication.

[vblstitchcrafts]

To be fair there will be a lack of ''buyers comments'' on this post. It is a legal duty for the seller to provide the goods so buyer will get a no hassle replacement if lost or damaged from genuine good sellers so why would they be concerned enough to find a post like this. There are a few rouge buyers that will claim  goods not arrived when they have when not using a signed for service.  The problem is and one that I have is that even with Signed For tracking (not special delivery) Royal Mail have accepted the package to deliver it and cannot provide proof of completion of the service with a signature. The claim is procedure is diabolical, its long winded and does not compensate the full cost of the item. In my opinion  the claims procedure is designed  to be  too much hassle and cost the claimant too much time to make the claim.

See my earlier posts... after contacting R/Mails CEO, I agreed to make a claim on a missing relatively low cost 'signed for' item that did not get the customer signature. I would normally take it on the chin.

Well still waiting for the conclusion from 22 February and I have logged my time spent on the procedure & hoop jumping and it has already cost me more in my time than the item was worth. Time is money in business.

[into-healthsupplements]

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@profet21 wrote:

I posted 10 items recorded delivery recently, and 3 have been "lost" by the post office. Even though it clearly shows on the tracking data that they are in the Royal Mail network, but haven't been delivered, it is still taking an age to claim the cost back. I've had to send various proof of postage (despite the tracking data clearly saying where and when it was posted), email repeatedly, and now two months on I'm still waiting for the results of the "investigation". It seems like they are making it almost imposible to get the money back.

Moral of the story, pay the extra for a fully tracked service like Collect Plus. That accountability stops the crooked delivery people nicking stuff.

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In all likelyhood, the 3 "lost" items have probably been delivered but not signed for. Did any of the buyers claim not received?

[samslocker]

The Claims process with Royal Mail never used to be an issue, in the last year it has been nothing short of shocking. There business claims team are there to just hinder the claim. Long term this is stupid. The only place I am left using RMG now is on eBay.....my business has really grown in last two years but my RMG expenditure has stayed much the same. Do not get me wrong I do not get a lot of claims, but I want them reported without all the drama.

Amazon Logistics is what I use for all my bulk and parcels, never hassles with issues they just deal with them there and then, the only service  I use RMG for is large letter. 

They are "penny pinching more and more every day at RMG".

Hindering claims is totally irresponsible. RMG  have a responsibility to run a secure network not the buyers and sellers.

I think there is so much potential for RMG but do not think they are being run correctly.

[thepampercafe]

I have had more INR this year than I have had the previous 8 years or so. The other problem I have had with Royal Mail this year is that they keep saying that I have not paid sufficient postage and try and get the buyer to pay more, extra postage and fees on top so many that I am putting on my listings to refuse the parcel if this happens. Low value items which I sent lots of, extra postage and fees all different amounts too

[patriciabclothes]

I have a Pitney Bowes meter, but when I have a large letter size I am not sure about I always take it to the Post Office. My reckoning is that if their own clerks stamp it they are liable to deliver it, and I have a receipt of when and where it was accepted. The receipt is especially useful if they just use regular stamps. I did have a letter from RM complaining that I was under estimating on parcel size so now if in doubt at all I get Them to evaulate the parcel.

[emm.delah]

I've had two go missing in two months as a buyer, both arrived the thirty pound value mark. I feel really bad for sellers but the refunds also take ages and for someone who has genuinely not received an item it's frustrating and the money is then tied up for ages. I'm going to be asking sellers if I can pay more and get things signed for in future. It really shouldn't happen so often, I'm shocked.

[santlache_sales]

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@custom_cars_uk wrote:

ISecondly, we emailed every seller on his feedback for the last 2 months and three other sellers replied to us stating the same thing happened to them. Now this buyer has got excellent feedback so do not take anyones feedback as if its a cast iron garuantee that they are honest. Hes goinf to make a claim for a refund anytime now, we contacted CS and lets see what happens. Just another point, i have been buying items off of ebay for over 8 years and have never had any items go missing when sent to me - sorry i am being cynical again!

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You're not cynical at all, when it's eBay's system which actually encourages fraud.

I had a simmilar case recenly of a claim being made, and whenever this happens I contact quite a few dealers I know who also trade on ebay,  and circulate the buyer's ID to see if they have also had a claim against them from this buyer.

It turns out we tracked down over a dozen other sellers who they have made a claim against, and would eBay act ?

Not a chance, despite this person also having 6 negatives for selling fake items.

Gives you so much confidence doesn't it, with zero protection for sellers and a system wide open to fraud.

Cheers

[emm.delah]

I had, up to this point, never had anything go missing. Then two in two months. I wondered if its something going on in my area but can't seem to find anyone else with issue that's discussing it. Maybe an area by area reporting system would be helpful to royal mail in finding out what happens to all this lost stuff, but like everyone is saying unfortunately there are buyers just out for a freebie. Anyhow.. I'm personally gutted as really wanted both the items and they are from private not business sellers so not simply a case of replacing. I'd spend days finding, watching and bidding and was very excited to have won.

[thepampercafe]

That's how it happens - never for years then several in a few weeks and then none for ages, defnitely RM I think

[patriciabclothes]

I am so sorry you have had these bad experiences as a buyer. Any decent seller should refund in a timely manner. I used to think I had to wait over 4 weeks to refund until Royal Mail processed a claim, but I have since discovered this isn't really necessary. Sellers will only get the cost proce anyway - not the sale price - so in many instances it is not worth the trouble and time it takes to claim. 

If you are unfortunate enough to have any more missing purchases insist that you are refunded after a couple of weeks tops.

You could also complain to your local post office if it is happening too regularly.

Good Luck,

Patricia.

[kazikool65]

Recently I have send 2 items both weight less than 20g and I have paid £1.74 EACH FOR 1ST CLASS SIGN  BOTH HAVE GONE MISSING ON TRACKING ITS SAID ITS ON ITS WAY BUT LOCATION STILL SHOW WHERE I HAVE POST THE ITEMS

[bluebell1949]

I received a message from a buyer saying she hasn t received her parcel which i duly sent an have a receipt, what now????

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@yadancer2009 wrote:

Hi, has anyone noticed an increase in UK Royal Mail packages going "missing" recently. In the last 2 days I have had 3 different buyers claiming item has not arrived. One looks genuine as it is Recorded Delivery which has not arrived. The other 2 are fairly low value First Class items and of course I have no way of knowing if  this is genuine or not.

Prior to this (I have "lost" a few international parcels) but only 1 UK parcel last year went astray and never turned up.

Anyone else having problems with this?

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[zimbert69]

Yes there seems to be a large amount of items sent via Royal Mail that are never deliverd.

As a buyer, in the last two weeks i have bought a few things and when sent via currier it is here within 2 days 

but everything i bought and was sent via Royal Mail was never deliverd, Sellers have asured me items were sent via Royal Mail 

but no items are ever deliverd.

Ebay must be feeling the effect of this as it seems anything sent via Royal Mail just dissapears into thin air 

Royal Mail service has gone down hill fast since it was privatised 

Anyone have any idea why so many Royal Mail packages are lost in the post ?

[transit6502]

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@zimbert69 wrote:

Yes there seems to be a large amount of items sent via Royal Mail that are never deliverd.

As a buyer, in the last two weeks i have bought a few things and when sent via currier it is here within 2 days 

but everything i bought and was sent via Royal Mail was never deliverd, Sellers have asured me items were sent via Royal Mail 

but no items are ever deliverd.

Ebay must be feeling the effect of this as it seems anything sent via Royal Mail just dissapears into thin air 

Royal Mail service has gone down hill fast since it was privatised 

Anyone have any idea why so many Royal Mail packages are lost in the post ?

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Just because the seller says they've sent it I wouldn't be so sure personally.

With my business account (not this one) I send over 200 parcels and large letters Monday to Friday with Royal Mail. None of them are tracked yet the number of non-deliveries reported is less than one a month on average.

There are more than reported to me as non-deliveries but when I check with the customers local sorting office the parcels are there 99.99% of the time because the customer was out when delivery was attempted and missed the card or couldn't be bothered to check.

I used to use MyHermes and Collect + for larger parcels but I stopped using them entirely (I now use UKMail) because the service was abysmal. Between 10 and 20% of the parcels never arrived and most of those that did were late and/or damaged. I've never had a damanged item in six years of using Royal Mail.

[zimbert69]

"99.99% of the time because the customer was out when delivery was attempted and missed the card or couldn't be bothered to check."

Well the fact that i am disabled and do not leave the house I am always at home 

I see the postman every day No card has ever been left 

And i can most definatley be botherd to find out where stuff i have bought has gone 

The problem is with Royal mail, that is loosing many items, some things can be tracked but most just vanishes into thin air 

as a Buyer and a Seller i can no longer trust the Royal mail to deliver items from ebay 

for larger items this is not a problem as i can use a currier but for small packages and envalopes it is a nightmare