Royal Mail - Registered Mail

[joe1965]

It came to my attention that many members including myself were using the Royal Mail recorded Delivery service but were finding that they could not be traced and there was no confirmation of receipt.
Having phoned Royal Mail I received the information that if a company like a bank has several sheets to sign for Registered mail they only sign the first page, so if your's is on the second or later there is no confirmation. The helpful guy told me to send Special Delivery to ensure I get a signiture!
However, on talking with our local postmistress, she has informed me that they have a legal obligation to get a signiture for each letter delivered as you have paid for the service and in not doing so they are commiting fraud.
She said that any Registered Mail that can't be traced as delivered should be claimed for using form P58 Inland(2006).
This way Royal mail will be able to pin point the sorting offices which are commiting the offence and most probibly the round as it will be invarably be a bank or a DCA.
So start getting your forms and claiming for your lost mail, it will help other members who are following in our footsteps in claiming from being messed about by Royal Mail.

[blazing-badger]

Hmmm.. I'm sorry, but I think you'll find your local postmistress is mistaken. Recorded items are not tracked at all except at the point of delivery. When delivered, it is common practice for the recipient to sign once for a batch of items. The items are listed individually on the receipt, and this happens at the recipient's risk, so if an item is listed on the receipt but isn't actually there, the addressee loses the right to claim that they never received it.

This isn't fraud - it is clearly explained on the Royal Mail website that this may happen. They are obliged to obtain a signature for every item delivered - but one signature can cover more than one item.

I used to have a job where I had to sign for numerous recorded items every day - sometimes more than 100 in each delivery. I'd never have got any work done if I'd had to sign 100 times. So I would give one signature to accept every item, accepting the risk that the odd item would have gone astray. However, having said that I used to send all the outgoing post by Special Delivery.

I think some of the confusion has arisen because now you can see the Electronic Proof of Delivery online, and you might now only be able to see a partial signature or no signature at all.

Having said all that, some postmen are a bit crap at getting signatures, so if there isn't one for your item then you should definately get your money back.

[joe1965]

When you send an item by recorded delivery you are paying for a signature to be taken on delivery for your mail. If they don't get one for you then the money you have paid has been obtained fraudulently.

Hmmm.. I'm sorry, but I think you'll find your local postmistress is mistaken.

Believe me she will support Royal Mail in most things but she has been doing the job for over 30 years and knows the rules back to front. She and many of her peers are getting very worried about how Royal Mail are treating recorded delivery mail and the implications it could have on them.

[blazing-badger]

[quote=joe1965;789419]When you send an item by recorded delivery you are paying for a signature to be taken on delivery for your mail. If they don't get one for you then the money you have paid has been obtained fraudulently.
quote]

You are indeed paying for a signature to be obtained. What you are not paying for is an individual signature for your item. One signature for a batch will suffice.

Please read my post where I believe I have covered this point already.

[linz2011]

Hi

I have just posted 7 forms out of 15 items i sent recorded delivery - i think joe is trying to say that the items are not even being bulk signed for they have simply disappeared off the face of the earth - nearly half is a huge percentage - and it is another hassle form filling for every one!!

[joe1965]

It is exactly what you are paying for, an individual signature for your item. One signature for a batch will not suffice.
From the Royal Mail website;

We make sure we get a signature from whoever receives the item, but bear in mind that this may not be the person named on the address label. If there's nobody available to sign for the item, we will leave a card informing the addressee that we have attempted to deliver a signature item.

Also;

The service provides proof of posting, signature on arrival and online confirmation of delivery.

No where does it state that batch signatures will be used. It is just a
convenient arrangement between businesses and the local sorting office.

[blazing-badger]

It also says:

If the recipient accepted a number of packages at the same time, they may have printed and signed their name across a number of signature areas. If your ePOD only has a portion of a signature and you need to confirm who received the item, please contact the Track & Trace Helpline, on 08457 001 200.

B-B