UK households say 'cloak and dagger' as Royal Mail issues post warning

[hugothecockapoo]

Another INR opened this morning!

ebay are still telling my buyers 2-3 days and even delivery on a Saturday

Its a disgrace treating their buyers like this...

The Royal Mail has warned UK households that they may not receive post for several days 

Royal Mail has warned UK households they might go several days without receiving any post. The postal giant cited changing trends in mail volumes as the reason behind potential delivery gaps.

A Royal Mail spokesperson explained: "We understand how frustrating it can be when letters are delayed. We want to reassure customers that the vast majority of First Class mail arrives the next working day."

The organisation stated that when First Class items face delays, 92 per cent arrive within two days, whilst 99 per cent reach their destination within five days. Nevertheless, the postal service also warned that customers might experience multiple days without any deliveries whatsoever, reports 

The spokesperson added: "As the volume of letters has fallen dramatically over the past decade, it is now increasingly common to go several days without receiving any post if nothing is expected. However, if you have concerns about missing mail, please get in touch and we will investigate."

However, online critics weren't buying the explanation, with one household raging: "Proper cloak and dagger language there from RM. Absolute shysters. Despicable lies."

"They are sitting in the walk sequence machines until they are released on 5th day, just like last Thursday," another person posted.

A third person raged: "Yep royal mail still lying to the customers. It's being held like it has done for years. Then it is often sitting in a tray or frame until it finally gets delivered. Then the customer gets 9 letters all at once.

"This isn't a volume dropping thing. It's a cost cutting, service f***ing, royal mail thing." one individual expressed their frustration.

Another remarked: "There isn't very much 1C mech atm so the 2C just builds up and builds up until a load hits the 5 day limit, like last night.

"Thought everything was gonna change with the new owners it's exactly the same," another person shared their disappointment on an online forum.

"Then stuck in a frame at least every other day," someone else commented, highlighting ongoing issues.

[style_wise]

Yes as raised in Chat last week, time to update Royal Mail 2nd Class delivery estimates. The main issue is that eBay should should be transparent about their delivery partner's services. As for Royal Mail, you still get a lot for your money in my opinion.

[papso22]

As far as I am aware this just affects letters.

[typo_lee]

99% of our orders are letterpost and we know for a fact they are taking at least a week to arrive to our customers using 2nd class post!

[theplaceforlace]

Including large letters as per Royal Mail website announcement.  Not just 2nd class standard letters.

Apparently does not affect 48 hour tracked, because that has to be delivered within 48 hours, as per the description of the service!!

If Ebayare going to continue to show unrealistic estimated delivery dates, up on which a buyer can shout out 'I haven't got my item' within 3 days, then they should at least adjust the late delivery defects and allow 10 days before an INR can be opened by the buyer.  That would help A LOT.

[typo_lee]

Correct and if ebay dont implement something like youve said sellers will lose their account standard and get ever increasing INRs. This can then trigger payouts being held for up to 30 days if sent untracked as this has happened to us.

[w79805]

They don't guarantee that it will be delivered in 2 days

3.3.2 Non Account Tracked 48 and Non Account Tracked 48 with Signature, we will aim
but do not guarantee to deliver your Item within 2 - 3 Working Days of the day on
which you Handover your Item provided such Handover occurs prior to the Latest
Acceptance Time applicable to the Drop Off Point where you provide your Item to
us (and if you provide your Item to us after the relevant Latest Acceptance Time,
then we aim but do not guarantee to deliver your Item within 3 - 4 Working Days of
that day).

[thesmokingrunner]

What has not been mentioned so far is that deliveries of Royal Mail 2nd Class letters changed on 28th July and as from that date 2nd Class post is only delivered on alternate days, Monday to Friday, on a two-week rota; Monday/Wednesday/Friday during the first week and Tuesday/Thursday during the second. Post something late on a  2nd-week Thursday and discounting the weekend as 'non-business' days it's highly unlikely to be delivered until six days later, on the following Wednesday.

There is absolutely no incentive for eBay to change their Estimated Delivery Date calculations for the (very) simple reason that it does not affect the company in the slightest. Far from it: having RM deliver outside the EDD window is actually beneficial to eBay as 'late' deliveries can lead to the lowering of an account's status and increased fees. eBay would only consider changing the EDD calculation if revenues dropped, and the introduction of limited delivery days by RM certainly isn't resulting in a reduction in revenue. Anything but, in fact.

The only possible workaround for sellers to reduce the increased number of INRs caused by the incompatibility of RM delivery dates and eBay's EDDs would be to extend dispatch times, though whether the EDD calculation picks up any such amended date is open to question.

[theplaceforlace]

Extending dispatch times puts buyers off and does not affect estimates delivery times, which are mainiy based on seller performance. I tried extending to four days dispatch and EDDs showed to customer were BEFORE dispatch date. I live next door to a post office and go three times a day. I have a two day dispatch but post next day to same day. Hence my EDDs showed as date of dispatch plus 1 day. Efficiency in this case is penalised.
Sent from my iPhone

[sml192]

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@theplaceforlace wrote:

Including large letters as per Royal Mail website announcement.  

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Do you have a link to where it states that on the Royal Mail website?  I believe that the changes do apply to 2nd class Large Letters aswell, as referenced in the Ofcom consultation document, but haven't seen it officially stated by Royal Mail anywhere.

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@theplaceforlace wrote:

Apparently does not affect 48 hour tracked, because that has to be delivered within 48 hours, as per the description of the service!

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Royal Mail Tracked 48 and RM48 are classed as parcel services which is why they are not affected.  They are also not part of the USO.

Besides which the delivery aim for 2nd class letters is still 2/3 working days aswell.  All that has actually changed is the removal of Saturday as a working day for 2nd class letters. 

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@theplaceforlace wrote:

If Ebayare going to continue to show unrealistic estimated delivery dates, up on which a buyer can shout out 'I haven't got my item' within 3 days, then they should at least adjust the late delivery defects and allow 10 days before an INR can be opened by the buyer.  That would help A LOT.

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Whilst I agree that eBay should allow longer before an INR can be opened, I'm not sure many buyers would be prepared to wait 10 days following estimated delivery date and it could potentially result in them going straight to their payment provider instead. 

[hugothecockapoo]

  All of my post is letter and large letter  had another inr opened yesterday {sunday night}...its 5 days late ..  no support whatsoever from the team!...