topic Re: Royal Mail Collection issues in Postage

Royal Mail Collection issues

asfroma — Sat, 16 May 2026 08:00:33 GMT

Hi there

I arranged a collection via Royal Mail and left the parcel in my safe place as I was out walking the dog.

The parcel was collected but Royal Mail marked it as 'not there'. I've had to issue the buyer a full refund now, I am wondering if there's any recourse with Royal Mail or do I just have to wear this?

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

technthread — Sat, 16 May 2026 08:08:53 GMT

If I had a ring cam or something showing the postie taking it then I’d send them a complaint letter.

With no proof you’re unlikely to get anywhere. I’d probably write it off and never do a collection again.

If the collection was in the last day or so I’d wait and see, it is possible that the wrong button has been pressed and it is in the system.

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

tressygirl — Sat, 16 May 2026 08:10:15 GMT

I've just had a Royal Mail delivery, and there was an email message to follow, to say if a safe place is designated and used, and the item is then found missing, RM are not responsible for any refund.

Having said that, it's always worth a shot at contacting Royal Mail, you might get a helpful understanding agent ! 🤔

@asfroma

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

c_of_e84 — Sat, 16 May 2026 16:56:59 GMT

In a word no, you have lost your 30p collection charge because the postal operative hit the wrong button on the PDA, if they knew what they were doing with the software and could be bothere they could of gone bqck through the screens and corrected it but as the item has been scanned at a sorting office they cant.

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

asfroma — Sat, 16 May 2026 18:38:25 GMT

Also cost me £20 in a refund too cry 😭 no more leaving it in the 'safe' place!

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

stecomedia — Sat, 16 May 2026 18:40:11 GMT

That’s gutting. I hope you left it a few days to make sure it’s definitely vanished.

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

c_of_e84 — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:35:11 GMT

There are not many posties that have been taught or bothered to learn the deep down workings of the pda system, there are a few around here who I have to ask them to scan the parcels before they take them away which can cause another localised problem in that the mobile phone system in this area is almost a not spot.

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

technthread — Sun, 17 May 2026 10:42:47 GMT

The last time I did a home collection it was a postie I hadn’t seen before, maybe a temp as I haven’t seen him since. He took my parcel and said he couldn’t scan it there and then but would do it in the van once his colleague showed him how. It got a scan much later but it was stressful tbh as it had some value, I would never leave something in a safe place for similar reasons.

Re: Royal Mail Collection issues

c_of_e84 — Mon, 18 May 2026 08:57:44 GMT

I know what you mean, its happened here on some occasions, we get temp that dont last very long, maybe just a coupe of days, we also have a big problem with royal mail vans, theres never enough of them at the local office so the posties have to use there own cars and sometimes theres not enough pda's for each postie to have one so the items get scanned when they get back to the office, it does cause some anziety and not knowng whether to load the tracking number into ebay without a collection scan and wait for the old, he sent me a fale tracking number agro............