Royal Mail General Chat

[Legion]

Does anyone know how to get the Royal Mail to stop dumping parcels on my front doorstep?

I don't want them in a SafePlace(TM) and this isn't a safe place anyway.

Of course, when I complain, they apologise and say they'll make sure it doesn't happen again. Then it does.

I'm sure it's not great delivering post these days, and I can imagine the workers are under huge pressure just to get parcels dealt with, but that doesn't help me if I order something expensive and it goes missing. I hope that a proof of delivery photo showing a closed door doesn't somehow make me liable for it since it's been "delivered".

 

[Ally]

We often have issues on our road with not just Royal Mail but any couriers - the proof of delivery photos are regularly being posted on the neighbourhood WhatsApp group with the request "Whose front door is this?" because they've left it at the wrong house and are claiming the photo is proof of delivery...

The only option is to continue complaining in every instance.

You can request they hold parcels at the local delivery office for you to collect in person, but that may, of course, not be very convenient for you - especially if it's one of those where they have reduced the public counter hours to a practically useless minimum.

As I understand it, under Royal Mail's rules, the posties aren't supposed to be leaving parcels on doorsteps anyway unless you have specifically told them it is OK to - so yes, do continue to make a stink about it.

 

[Tom]

You can create a free account on Royal Mail's mobile app/website, where you can instruct Royal Mail and ParcelForce to take parcels to a Post Office chosen by you, for you to collect at your convenience. This is what we do.

 

[David76]

I hope that a proof of delivery photo showing a closed door doesn't somehow make me liable for it since it's been "delivered".

They might try, but a parcel not delivered into someone's hands/through a letterbox absent explicit written (electronic written included) instructions to do otherwise has not in law been delivered, and so if it was nicked the carrier is liable (via the seller).

 

[Gemma]

At least it got to your door, around here DHL just throw them over the wall, even when the gates are open. They are by far and away the worst I get.

 

[hannah]

I ordered an item, then had an email from Evri with delivery options, which included having it delivered to an Evri locker, so I selected that. The day of delivery came, I was home, no one knocked or rang the bell, the phone went off with an Evri text, " Package delivered". Opened my front door and found it left on my doorstep.

I also had an instance with an item from Amazon, finished my work shift, checked my phone and found a message, a package out for delivery. Halfway home, the phone pinged with a package delivered. Got home and found it on the doorstep, delivery confirmation said "package was handed to resident", which it clearly wasn't, as no one was at home.

 

[Legion]

You can create a free account on Royal Mail's mobile app/website, where you can instruct Royal Mail and ParcelForce to take parcels to a Post Office chosen by you, for you to collect at your convenience. This is what we do.

The thing is, I'd like to get them when I do happen to be in when they arrive.

There used to be a system where if I was in, they got delivered, and if I wasn't, they got taken back, and I could arrange a new delivery or collect them.

That worked for me.

Now it seems to be just dump them on the doorstep if I'm not in - or even sometimes, like today, even if I am.

As I understand it, under Royal Mail's rules, the posties aren't supposed to be leaving parcels on doorsteps anyway unless you have specifically told them it is OK to - so yes, do continue to make a stink about it.

So far as I can see, they aren't supposed to accept a request to dump on the doorstep. A SafePlace should be "a secure, weatherproof area of the property that is out of sight and easily accessible for us"

And yes, I'm sure they aren't supposed to be doing it. But it happens often enough that it's one of the pre-defined options for making a complaint...

I also reported this to the seller (strictly, I don't think I should be dealing directly with the Royal Mail as their contract is with the seller, not me) and, out of curiosity, asked what their policy would have been if it had disappeared before I got to it.

It will at least let me know whether to use them again or not (though I didn't have much choice on this occasion, as it was something exclusive to that seller).

 

[Gemma]

Not Royal Mail, but courier/delivery driver related.

I was out walking the dog tonight, maybe around 7:30pm, and there was an Amazon driver doing deliveries. He stopped at 4 houses, each one, he didn't knock on the door or ring the bell, he just placed the items on the doorstep, took a picture, and walked away.

I was back out with the dog about 20 minutes ago, so at 10:30pm, I walked by 2 of the houses and the items were still lying on the doorsteps.

Absolutely shocking that couriers or these companies think that is an acceptable way to handle goods that customers have paid for.

 

[Dylan]

Amazon are the worst. They usually ring our door bell but are away before we answer, they don't wait around to see if anyone is home.

Honestly, I can't say I've had Royal Mail just dump any parcels at our door. There used to be a time they would leave parcels with neighbours if we weren't home but now they take them back to their offices and leave us a card telling us to collect it or arrange a new delivery day.

 

[Bingo]

Parcel delivery is priced at its lowest possible level and won't change. You can express your expectations and raise concerns, but this business is firmly in the gutter and won't be leaving.

If you know you will be in, continue to get deliveries and use a video monitoring device so you can tell when someone is there, use parcel lockers or one of the collection services that use networks of local businesses as parcel points.