Confused about Royal Mail

[M0T]

I was expecting 3 packages today and unfortunatly had to go out so missed the delivery, which is obviously my fault.

However I can't help but feel confused about something. Firstly they attempted to deliver the items in 2 sets, 2 items were attempted at 11:40 and 1 at 12:30. Looking at the cards they appear to be written by the same person, so I can assume they like to waste money by sending people to the same place twice a day.

Next, it says 'Please wait 4 hours before attempting collection'. I find that confusing since my local sorting office (along with the 2 others I have lived by at various points) closes at 12:30pm. Therefore why not just write 'Please collect tomorrow'?

Also, why is Royal Mail the only courier company that closes its sorting office at 12:30? I have collected from others at 6:30pm, surely it makes business sense for them to stay open all day? People are more likely to use a company who they can get their packages from same day if delivery fails than one where they have to wait further.

And whatever happened to leaving things with the neighbours?

 

[toy_soldier]

Next, it says 'Please wait 4 hours before attempting collection'. I find that confusing since my local sorting office (along with the 2 others I have lived by at various points) closes at 12:30pm. Therefore why not just write 'Please collect tomorrow'?

Probably incase they attempted to deliver at 8am and therefore if you waited 4 hours you would still have time to collect the parcel that day.

Not sure about the rest though! Ive had my fair share of problems with them.

 

[M0T]

Probably incase they attempted to deliver at 8am and therefore if you waited 4 hours you would still have time to collect the parcel that day.

Not sure about the rest though! Ive had my fair share of problems with them.

The day Royal Mail turn up at 8am is the day I do nude dancing on Waterloo Bridge. The only company that consistantly turns up early is Citylink, unfortunatly not everyone uses them.

 

[Efour]

Or he tried you at the start when he was in the area and then again before he left the area.

why 4 hours? because they start at 7am.

and yes i agree, but i doubt that the tiny percent of items they cant delivery everyday bothers them, or too many customers.

I think for insurance reasons they cant leave them with the neighbours, for obvious reasons.

 

[M0T]

Or he tried you at the start when he was in the area and then again before he left the area.

Ahh but the one from 11:40 says that the delivery was for 1 item and the one from 12:30 says 2. If he had tried twice then they should both say 3.

 

[stoofa]

Count yourself lucky.
According to a few people in these forums Royal Mail will carefully sneak down your path and then post a "Could Not Deliver" card through your door and then run away rather than knocking on the door and actually giving you your package.
It is to the benefit of nobody - but apparently this happens...

The cards are pretty generic, allowing 4hrs means that if they tried to deliver at 9:00am and you pick up the card at 9:05am there is no point at all trying to collect the package as the bloke is still out on his rounds.
4hrs should give the bloke time to finish and to get your package back into the sorting office.

Leaving things with neighbours is a nightmare.
The postman has got obsolutely no way of knowing what your relationship with the neighbours is.
He leaves a £500 product with the next door neighbour who in turn denies ever seeing the package.
Sure there is a signature on the card, but not one from the person the package was sent to.
Somebody is going to end up paying for that £500 package...

Our local sorting office closes at 12:30 on a Saturday.
During the week is closes a lot later, around 4:00pm I believe.

 

[red11]

You can setup a safe place with Royal Mail, or just get them to deliver it to a neighbour but you need to inform them first, they won't do it without your say so unless they know you personally.

 

[Efour]

Ahh but the one from 11:40 says that the delivery was for 1 item and the one from 12:30 says 2. If he had tried twice then they should both say 3.

true true ! i humbly stand corrected!

 

[Werewolf]

Chances are they were loaded onto different vans, or got seperated somehow (one may have arrived at the depot after the first van load was sorted).

As for the 4 hours thing, I think that is just the standard time to allow a missed (early) delivery a chance to make it back to the depot (after the van has completed a round).

 

[todd flanders]

Sounds like one was attemted by the DO (delivery officer - postman) and the other was by the driver. I'm guessing that one item is reasonably big?

The reason for putting a time after closing is probably because he won't be going back before then regardless of what time the office shuts. And as for keeping it open later, if they're like our office then it's not financially viable to man the callers office because all over Royal Mail they are trying to cut man hours and this is often one place that gets hit.

 

[daveyj27]

I think for insurance reasons they cant leave them with the neighbours, for obvious reasons.

My postman leaves packages with anyone it seems, including people halfway up the street who i've never even spoken to before.
Then there's the good old standbys of behind the bin, on my doorstep, in my recycle bin under, tucked behind my 3ft front wall etc etc.
I live in Mile End, and i'm frankly stunned that every parcel left for me hasn't been swiped by a passer-by. And these are items that obviously require a signature of receipt.

 

[toy_soldier]

The day Royal Mail turn up at 8am is the day I do nude dancing on Waterloo Bridge. The only company that consistantly turns up early is Citylink, unfortunatly not everyone uses them.

They usually turn up too early for me!

 

[Serj]

My postman leaves packages with anyone it seems, including people halfway up the street who i've never even spoken to before.
Then there's the good old standbys of behind the bin, on my doorstep, in my recycle bin under, tucked behind my 3ft front wall etc etc.
I live in Mile End, and i'm frankly stunned that every parcel left for me hasn't been swiped by a passer-by. And these are items that obviously require a signature of receipt.

Haha, i get that too! My postman is pretty funny, i had one of those attempted delivery cards put through the letter box and it just said "package stuffed under bush in front garden".