Hi there I got sent 3 birthday cards in Sept from 3 local areas in Renfrewshire - none of them arrived or have since. I got a parking ticket in June, went on holiday for 3 weeks in July. Mum kept eye on the post and noticed the reminder for the ticket - still £30. So she duly popped the cheque in the post. In September, as my local council is one of those councils who call a parking ticket a 'criminal offence' as compared to a 'civil offence' like most other councils, I was sent a court letter to pay £45 for this same ticket. Phoned the paying office to see if they had received the cheque - they never got it. I was furious. I got on the blower to Royal Mail complaints - I said also I was going to sue them, but the man actually was alright. He sympathised. Anyway, I contacted the District Court; their response was that this happens 'all the time' and I said so what do I do now? They said 'pay up'. I said 'No'. They said, you will have to go to court. I said but it's Royal Mail's fault. I was livid. So, I wrote an email to my local MP Douglas Alexander and I protested my sheer annoyance at such an injustice. My poor mammy bye the way, when I told her about the court letter, she was ill the entire weekend. She felt it was her fault. Douglas wrote to the court and Royal Mail. 1.5 weeks later, the court wrote to me and said a Justice of the Peace had agreed with me and so I need only pay the £30 and forget the 50% late payment fee bunged on top. I recieved a grovelling apology from HQ at Royal Mail and 12 fisrt class stamps. Douglas then wrote to me again saying I can contact him again if I need more help. Oh, my mail and most of my friends, family and neighbours mail does not come before 1-2pm; sometimes it is 4 in the afternoon. Recorded delivery - you can claim compensation on this but you cant claim a bean on standard 1st or 2nd clas posted mail. Contact your MP, they will appeal to common sense on your behalf. I detest and resent Royal Mail. I once got £400 stolen in the post - my fault but I was young then; I just padded the cash up and stuffed it into a padded envelope. For those of you who don't know this, there are lots of other delivery companies, postal that is, who provide a service identical to Royal Mail. Go online and look them up. Not only are they cheaper but reliable.