What is going on with Royal Mail Letter services at the minute?
Summary: padanpcparts is experiencing significant delays with Royal Mail's Large Letter services, impacting their eBay business with cases of 'Item Not Received' increasing. Other participants mentioned similar issues, noting reductions in delivery days for 2nd class mail and observed delays with 1st class deliveries as well. c_of_e84 shared a list of affected postcodes from a news source, and craftychickfrances noted a flyer about reduced delivery days. Some participants are considering alternative couriers like Yodel and Evri due to these issues. Participants discussed tactics like using eBay postage to avoid claims and shared experiences of delayed deliveries impacting customer trust.
So, as per the title what is going on? I'm finding almost every single Large Letter 1st and 2nd class is hugely late. Last week of July I sent 10, and only 3 have arrived in time! What is going on? Getting piles of cases opened, every day is a 'Where is it? What's going on?' message from customer.
I've been selling on the platform for 15 years and this is by far the worst year I've ever known for Royal Mail. They already lost my International and Parcel post. If there was a valid service offered by any other company for a reasonable cost I would tear their arm off.
To add to this, they don't pay any claims. I am double disappointed that the orders made using the E-bay system are NOT processed through Packlink, but direct you straight to Royal Mail for assistance. (That means you aren't getting any basically). To add insult to injury? I'm looking at going in to VERY HIGH on the service metrics for Item Not Received...which has never happened before!
Rant over. Anyone have sensible solutions? How is everyone else doing with post currently? Apparently my 'Peers', are doing amazingly which is even more concerning that there may be a local issue.
maarsy
·Aug 12, 2026 at 3:36 PMone of the items i refunded last week just showed up , 2 nd class letter that took about 17 days
padanpcparts
OPAug 13, 2026 at 6:57 PMYikes that's bad.
tims-attic
·1 month agoI have actually given up selling stuff on eBay that goes by letter. For something that sells for £3.50 with free delivery the hassle I was getting from customer just wasnt worth it. Curiously ,its just standard letters I have difficulty with. The large letters seem to go through OK and havent had a delay on those but I cant see me going back to it on this platform if RM dont improve. 48 tracked works fine. but thats no good for these products! Regards Chris
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoI sell some products between £5-10 that I send in Letters and still have some value as the cost price to me is effectively zero. Your right about the hassle though, I had to split the product off from my main shop as they do cause a few issues.
boundarycoins
·1 month agoGoing off the speed of some feedback, next day in many cases, I’m finding the letters I send with 91p worth of stamps on are moving quicker than tracked 48 or 2nd class large letter purchased with a proper label. It doesn’t make sense but I’m getting through a lot of stamps, I can only think they aren’t counting the values as it takes time so are treating some like they add up to 1st class.
just-got-personal
·1 month agoI was using Royal Mail LL Tracked 48 for a chunk of my mailing but in the last month I have had several packages held in transit and a card put through recipients door demanding £3.50 from them. Stating sender not paid sufficient postage.
Total rubbish, I have sent literally thousands of T-Shirts out this way over the years and every one is weighed and passed through their measuring slot at my local Post Office when I send them out. RM are price gauging just because they can!
I have reluctantly switched to Yodel and Evri who, as we all know are rubbish in their own way.
boundarycoins
·1 month agoI used to do that with t-shirts, even using the large letter size boxes to keep the rigid shape but was finding t-shirts were still bunching up at one end and taking it over the 2.5cm thickness. I still used to think it was quite petty when they got pulled, all they had to do was shake the box and it would be fine.
Like you I changed courier on some clothing. Their loss, their competitors are often cheaper if you shop around for the best rate and have more forgiving parcel dimensions.
padanpcparts
OP1 month ago · EditedOne of the many reasons I switched all my parcels away from them. I actually have one of the plastic templates that the Post Office use with Letter/LL/Parcel sizes all marked out that the owner gave me some 10 years ago. Very useful...well it would be if it meant anything. Sick of getting extra 'charges' for Items too large or too heavy when I measure and weigh all of them.
just-got-personal
·1 month agoI don't like using Yodel/Evri as customers perception of them is poor when their parcel is flung over the gate etc... However, I can't win if RM is going to try and scam the recipient out of £3.50 every now and again. I got a neg last month for just such an occurrence. :(
boundarycoins
·1 month agoIt took me a while to get comfortable with those couriers, I just package differently. One of the benefits of them being more flexible on parcel sizes is I can pack out more and waterproof the parcels. If sending large letter box with RM there is no scope to put it in a mailing bag or shrink wrap it etc. I really think RM need to increase that postable thickness limit to 3cm like Evri have.
sml192
·1 month ago · EditedThey could increase the thickness limit for their commercial services as they have done in regards to the weight. The complication, however, is that for items sent under the Universal Service Obligation the sizing is defined by Ofcom so, unless they get that changed, they would need separate machines to process commercial vs. non commercial items which probably wouldn't be cost effective.
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoThat doesn't make any sense to be fair. EVRI are charging you for a small parcel even on their 'postable', product size, aren't they?
boundarycoins
·1 month ago · EditedIt seems to change all the time. Currently on Parcel2Go it’s £2.76 inc VAT postable or £3.12 inc VAT small parcel if booked with up to £20 insurance.
I haven’t got any items to send so can’t see their Smart Send prices but they have been lower than that.
I’ve got a code for InPost at the moment which is 50% off, I keep forgetting to try it. A small locker to home delivery to would have cost me as low as £1.45 up to a 15kg weight parcel.
I take the point about the machines and USO, at some point they are going to have to adapt though. I begrudgingly use Tracked 48 sometimes, it’s not a go to anymore.
chasegreetings
·1 month agoThe post has been bad since the start of the school holidays. Too many posties off on holidays I think so they're short staffed and parcels take priority. I'm lucky if I see one delivery of mail every two weeks as it is where I live, still waiting for an eBay order I placed myself on the 26th July sent via second class mail. I have several customers each week who have to wait 10-14 days for orders to arrive, it's annoying having to keep making excuses for Royal Mail. To top it off I had a customer finally receive a first class item yesterday that was dispatched on the 30th July! I was so annoyed that I put in a claim for what good it will do, I'll either get my £1.80 back or a book of stamps, either way it's something.
It's also worth keeping an eye on the Royal Mail's Service Updates page as this is updated daily with a list of postcode areas that are heavily affected by delays. I always check customer complaints against this and pass on the details if their postcode is affected, somewhat softens the blow.
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoYes, it's that last week of July that has really hit hard. 1st class on 30th July.
qualitycardsandgifts
·1 month agoJust noticed this on my account. Even more reason to use Ebay postage
the_brick_lodge
·1 month ago · EditedKeyword is eligible, I'm sure somewhere it references Tracked postage, staff on the weekly chat said 2nd class isn't tracked (although whether you can trust that to align with eBay's policy is anyone's guess), last time I looked I don't think the meaning of tracked was clarified, nor was there a list of services it applies to. Of course Tracked mail rarely seems to go missing, it's 2nd Class that is the issue.
It also says "we’ll handle refund requests for delayed deliveries" delayed is not lost so what does that mean and the page learn more links to only mentions them covering you for delayed orders with no reference to refunds so all clear as mud.
Just had a buyer message to say no order so they was asked to open a case if no parcel by Monday, I'm not sure if the pain is worth the fiver but I might call customer services once the buyer opens a case and ask.
@kat@ebay Any info please?
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoIt is best to just assume Royal Mail pay ZERO for claims. NOTHING. They make it incredibly difficult. Another part of their racket.
qualitycardsandgifts
·1 month agoqualitycardsandgifts
·1 month agoI have stopped using my Royal Mail Click and Drop account and now purchase postage through Ebay. I hand in all my mail at the sorting office and it is scanned (Click and Drop bags aren't scanned there). This seems to be working as I haven't had any INRs lately.
Ebay 48 parcel tracked postage is almost £1 cheaper than standard Second Class using my Royal Mail account, and letter post is the same price. As Royal Mail have now stopped giving free printer labels, there is no advantage in having an account.
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoYour not wrong there. Special Delivery on Click and Drop always seems to be more expensive than normal prices too. It seems crazy to me for a company to treat their 'biggest', customers so badly.
sheba-knows-best
·1 month agoMy postie told me that all signed-for parcels, be they first or second class, were taking priority over letters. (Which is good for me, less so for you, certainly my parcels are getting there fine)
I guess RM is overwhelmed with parcels. Vinted, I know, has a Royal Mail option buyers can select (my daughter sells on the platform and hates it when the buyers select RM as RM hasnt got its locker system working well either).
I've seen my worst ever year on ebay and I think it is a fair bit to do with a) people needing cash quickly and b) the rise of Vinted. Things sell there (very very cheaply) in minutes. Meaning the delivery system we have in place cant cope ie letters.
That's my explanation - I know you were looking for solutions - I agree its r@bbish RM doesnt compensate - I used to have an issue with that, now they havent lost a parcel in 2-3 years. Again, showing the focus is on parcels.
Presumably the shift in costs to a signed-for, second class small parcel is impossible due to profitability?
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoI'm considering switching everything to EVRI parcel, even my large letters...but due to the low value of those items, I would have to charge for it and there would be a significant drop in purchases. (It's effectively double the cost). Appreciate the feedback.
jlovie
·1 month agoThey say every other day delivery, but in reality I usually get one delivery a week, a bundle of all the late stuff.
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoYou see, I get RM deliveries daily regardless. My incoming mail is spot on.
goods_delivered
·1 month agoRM reduced the delivery rate on Letter 2nd Class from 6 days/week to 2-3 days per week. The new private owners of RM lobbied MP's & OffalCOM for this and were given approval last year, rolling out this year. On the ground it's clear Customer's are seeing this. I've not checked eBay predicted delivery dates to accommodate this. They did flag this change last year requesting sellers be specific in Listing postage details to allow them to adjust Letter 2nd class to the new reduced delivery rate (or longer shipping durations) automatically.
c_of_e84
·1 month agoFrom National News Media.
Over 100 postcodes across England and Wales are facing Royal Mail delivery delays.
If you have ordered something that is being sent through Royal Mail, it might be arriving a little later than usual.
The full list of postcodes affected:
Barry DO (CF63)
Bedford MK40 DO (MK40-MK45)
Blyth DO (NE24)
Brierley Hill DO (DY5)
Burslem DO (ST6)
Calderway DO (WF12-WF14)
Carmarthen DO (SA17, SA31, SA32, SA33)
Chester DO (CH1-CH4, CH88, CH99)
Chorlton DO (M21)
Deal DO (CT14)
Dudley DO (DY1-DY3)
Ebbw Vale DO (NP23)
Failsworth SUDO (M35)
Gosforth DO (NE3, NE13)
Great Glen SPDO (LE8)
Heswall DO (CH31, CH60, CH61)
Huntingdon DO (PE26-PE29)
Ilfracombe DO (EX34)
Inverclyde DO (PA14-PA19)
Llangefni DO (LL62-LL78)
Lutterworth DO (LE9, LE17)
Margate DO (CT7-CT9)
Milton Keynes Kiln Farm DO (MK8, MK11-MK14, MK19)
Mold DO (CH7)
Mumbles DO (SA3)
New Ferry DO (CH32, CH62, CH63)
Newton Le Willows DO (WA3, WA12)
Pontefract DO (WF7-WF9, WF11)
Rugby DO (CV21-CV23)
Rugeley DO (WS15)
Shrewsbury DO (SY1-SY5)
Sidmouth DO (EX10)
Southam DO (CV47)
Wallingford DO (OX10, OX49)
Wednesbury DO (WS10)
West Park DO (PL5)
Wolverhampton NE DO (WV11, WV12)
Woolton DO (L25-L27)
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoWas there a website this is from? Something I can link to a customer? Thats super helpful thanks.
c_of_e84
·1 month agoHere is the link (if ebay let me post it) when the page page load click "Deliveries Today" and you get the list.
https://www.royalmail.com/service-update
c_of_e84
·1 month agoThere also a tracking problem, see this:
maarsy
·1 month agoi have sent out 6 last month of which 1 was considered lost ... was marked as delivered 15 days later but did not actually arrive , 1 was asking me where it was and eventually took 12 days to deliver and another i refunded yesterday as 11 days had passed
padanpcparts
OP1 month agoSeems to be first class as well. 5-10 working day deliveries!
craftychickfrances
·1 month agoRoyal mail 2nd class have reduced there amount of delivery days i had a flyer last week through the door
sml192
·1 month ago · EditedOther than the removal of Saturdays as a delivery day for 2nd class letters the delivery aim/target set by Ofcom hasn't changed though, still 2-3 days/D+3, so the reduced number of delivery days can't really be used as an excuse.