Special Delivery - What a Rip-Off!!

[alanfromderby]

Another missed deadline for me - it is becoming a regular occurrence these days. Royal Mail are really taking the wotsit with Special Delivery. I have to say that it is a total rip-off when you actually look at what this "service" provides.

 

Before the days of Special Delivery we had a postal service which, when you put a first class stamp on an item, would do its utmost to ensure it would arrive before 9am the next day.

 

Royal Mail then introduces a service where you pay extra money to guarantee that your item will arrive before a certain time, and if it does not then you will get your money back.

 

To me that is not a guarantee - it is the same as going in to Ladbrokes and placing a bet on a horse, but if the horse loses then Ladbrokes keeps your money, but if it wins then you only get your stake money back!!!

 

For many years nobody really had to bother with Special Delivery though, as First Class Recorded was so reliable - but of course Royal Mail had a cunning plan and reduced the number of postmen and the quality of service to a level that meant you could no longer be sure that a letter would arrive before 9am the next day - indeed for many you are lucky if your post arrives before lunchtime, if at all.

 

Okay, I have a £12.65 refund due to me for the missed delivery from last week - a package for delivery before 9am which arrived an hour late causing real hassle for the recipient.

 

The person on the phone could not really care less - in fact I believe she thought she was playing her part in some great public service by quickly dealing with my refund request, rather than actually having to admit that Royal Mail had reneged on yet another commitment!!

 

"Guaranteed Service" - I don't think so!!!!!

[citizenB]

There is an element of "insurance" in the cost of the Special Delivery fee. I wonder if that is the reason they promote it.

[alanfromderby]

But all you get back is the premium - if you got consequential loss, or compensation for all the phone calls and hassle that the delay caused then I could see some value in it.

 

Here's another analogy.

 

I will "guarantee" to send you the name of the winner for the 2.30pm at Haydock for a mere £20 - and what's more, if it does not win then I will give you the £20 back.

 

A few hundred punters taking that offer would leave me with a very nice sum - and all I need to do is send a different named horse in rotation. Regardless of how many of the £20's I have to give back I am going to be in profit. Forget the fact that the poor punters that were not lucky enough to be sent the name of the actual winner had probably lost loads of cash on the duff tip.

[Jan4a]

I think Special Delivery is a rip off as well - for the same reasons as AlanfromDerby. We used to use it a lot at work but the only comeback if your item isn't delivered on time is you get the charge refunded. There are no real penalties for Royal Mail.

 

Its very expensive and wherever possible I use recorded delivery which is a lot cheaper or, if insurance is needed for a valuable item, registered delivery. Although both recorded and registered can be sent 1st class, next day delivery isn't guaranteed. I know recorded delivery is more than £4 cheaper though (and that's compared to the £6 ish Special Delivery that's guaranteed before 12 noon. If you want it guaranteed before 8/9 am then its over £12.

 

Sometimes overnight Couriers can be cheaper.

[pompeyfaith]

Never Get My Post Before 14:30

 

Pf

[Jan4a]

It's also very annoying that Post Offices always push Special Delivery and don't mention recorded. A friend was sending stuff to her son in Cornwall regularly and had been paying Special Delivery charges as that's what the woman in the Post Office told her to use. She hadn't mentioned Recorded to her at all and that would have been fine in most cases and a lot cheaper.

 

My post comes about noon nowadays. I got a letter today actually but assumed it had gone to the wrong address yesterday and someone had pushed it through. Postman isn't working Sunday's as far as I know.

[alanfromderby]

She hadn't mentioned Recorded to her at all and that would have been fine in most cases and a lot cheaper.

 

That's a very good point - I have noticed that very often when a customer asks if an item will arrive the next day, the reply really pushes that first class is not a guaranteed service and the only way to be sure that it will arrive the next day is by paying for special delivery.

 

Coincidence - I think not. Seems that DCA's and banks are not the only places that provide their staff with scripts?

[WelshMam2009]

Never Get My Post Before 14:30

 

Pf

 

Same here now...since our local office came up with their new ingenious delivery service!!

 

I find it really stressful as, when you're in debt, you dread the post arriving and sometimes find it really difficult to relax and get on with my day until I know what is in the post. (Actually, really much better now since I discovered CAG!! )

 

If you read their delivery "promise" up until 2pm and 3pm is now perfectly acceptable!!

 

Oh for the days when the post arrived before I left for work!!

[Jan4a]

Alanfromderby - Yes, definately sounds scripted. Makes me wonder if they get commission for Special.

[buzby]

They're allowed to say 'guaranteed' providing they meet certain benchmarks. I recall last year's figures where a 93% success rate for delivery by the stated time, which in anyone's book is a pretty good average. Of course there will be placed and locations where through no fault of RM, it can be impossible to meet this target, but the ASA did investigate their claims and agreed that they were meeting their obligations.

[alanfromderby]

Hmm - my most recent letter was to an address in North London.

[Jan4a]

mmm - I know of failed deliveries sent by work - weren't too out of the way places. Usually city centre offices.

 

I wonder where they get the 93% from? What do they count as a failed delivery? Is it only the ones where people have claimed their money back? If so they won't be including the ones where people have just rang and haven't bothered claiming back - and they can't include the ones where people don't bother to even ring.

 

And I wonder if the 93% covers Special Deliveries as a whole, or is that just the pre-noon or pre 9am special delivery?

 

 

Jan

[buzby]

It was a response to an FoI request, with failed meaning not delivered within the relevant timeframe (and, I'd assume) not at all, too!

[Bosund]

Just to add a bit to this thread, will not be using Royal Mail any more.

 

Please see the email just received: -

 

Dear Mr Bosund

 

Thank you for contacting Royal Mail regarding the confirmation of delivery

of 8 Recorded Signed ForT item.

 

I'm pleased to confirm that items BR********GB, BR********GB,

BR********GB & BR********GB were delivered and signed for and these

signatures are now available to view online at

www.royalmail.com/trackandtrace. (No they are NOT)

 

I can also confirm that items BR********GB & BR********GB have also been

delivered and I apologies that the signatures received are not available to

view online. Therefore I have forwarded to you today, by separate emails, a

scanned copy of the signatures received at the time of delivery for each

item.

 

I am sorry but we have no recorded to confirm that items BR********GB &

BR********GB have been delivered.

 

If these items have still not been delivered after 15 working days from its

delivery due date, you may wish to consider submitting a 'Lost, damaged or

delayed inland mail claim form' (also known as a P58) to progress a claim

for the loss of the item. These forms are available from all Post Office®

branches or alternatively, you may wish to print one out from our website

by clicking on the following link: (My Post Office does not hold P58s)

 

www.royalmail.com/p58

 

Please ensure you complete the form in full, providing as much detail as

possible to help with our investigations, including any evidence to support

the posting of the item.

 

Once again, please accept my sincere apologies on behalf of Royal Mail for

the problem you've had, and our thanks for taking the time to make us aware

of this. Please be assured that we take letting our customers down

seriously and will use this information to make further improvements.

 

I hope the information above concludes this matter for you: if you do need

to get back in touch, please remember to quote reference number

RM********.

 

Regards

********

Customer Service Advisor

 

 

Please contact at [email protected] for future reference.

 

Royal Mail is a trading name of Royal Mail Group plc. Registered in

England and Wales. Registered number 4138203. Registered office at 148 Old

Street, LONDON EC1V 9HQ.

 

Mae'r Post Brenhinol yn un o enwau masnachu Grwp y Post Brenhinol ccc.

Cofrestrwyd yng Nghymru a Lloegr. Rhif cofrestredig 4138203. Swyddfa

gofrestredig 148 Old Street LLUNDAIN EC1V 9HQ.

 

 

 

***********************************************************************

Royal Mail Group Limited registered in England and Wales registered number

4138203 registered office 3rd Floor, 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y

0HQ

 

This email and any attachments are confidential and intended for the

addressee only. If you are not the named recipient, you must not use,

disclose, reproduce, copy or distribute the contents of this communication.

If you have received this in error, please contact the sender and then

delete this email from your system.

**********************************************************************

 

So, anyone know of an alternative?

[Jan4a]

Bosun - what a nightmare, can't say I'm surprised though.

 

Courier firms seem to be the only alternative. Have you got any with offices in your town so you could just take the letters to them instead of Post office? Maybe have a look on Yell.com.

 

I know they collect mail from business addresses but don't know if they do from personal addresses.

 

My old office used to use RM for all "lightweight" items but used courier firm for anything heavier and sent it on "overnight" delivery which was cheaper than RM.

 

We should probably all be looking for alternatives in view of the postal strikes.

[Bosund]

Hi Jan4a,

 

Am looking at DHL & TNT, both have depots close by.

 

Charges are about £6.00, bit pricey but just want to be sure of a tracked delivery.

 

Will try them and possibly a company called DX which I've been told about.

 

Will post any info on here.

 

Regards...

[Bosund]

Just came across this link, contains a list of alternatives to Royal Mail.

 

Seems to be geared up for sellers on Ebay, but you never know...

 

eBay.co.uk Guides - Fed up with Royal Mail

[postggj]

just thought i would say on these 9 am specials which cost a fortune

 

most dont get delievered till 11 am

postel staff dont even get out till 10 now

 

try explaning that royal mail

[Jan4a]

Charges are about £6.00, bit pricey but just want to be sure of a tracked delivery

 

That's about same as RM Special Delivery isn't it?

 

I know RM recorded is cheaper but that's probably because it doesn't guarantee next day delivery.

 

DX - i thought DX mail was only used by legal firms who sign up to it? You get a DX number and write to each other via DX number. I don't know cost.

[Jan4a]

just thought i would say on these 9 am specials which cost a fortune

 

most dont get delievered till 11 am

postel staff dont even get out till 10 now

 

try explaning that royal mail

 

They do cost a fortune - am I right in thinking pre noon specials cost about £6 and pre-9 am specials cost about £12?

 

I agree, after working in office that used to send these regularly I know its true. That's why I queried the 93% success rate RM are claiming on Specials. I would love to know where they got statistics from - we all know statistics can be manipulated.

[Bosund]

Cost is about the same but when someone screws up and you have to wait 4 or 5 days to get an email answer because you cannot talk person to person then I'm going else where.

 

Had a similar problem a couple of months back but then was able to get copies of signatures, so they've had their chance.

 

Don't know about DX, friend just mentioned them but will give them a call on Monday.

 

Bosun.

[Jan4a]

I've only come across DX at work and then the only people with DX addresses were other legal firms. But they could very well have extended the service.

 

Good luck

 

Jan

[citizenB]

Amazon have started to use Citlink. I think if these larger mailing companies go elsewhere, Royal Mail wont get them back without offering huge discounts.

[barracad]

That's why I queried the 93% success rate RM are claiming on Specials. I would love to know where they got statistics from - we all know statistics can be manipulated.

 

I think you've got some incorrect information there - 93% relates to ordinary First Class mail, not Special Delivery - and 93% is actually the target, not the performance. According to the information I have, the latest reported performance is 92.9%, slightly down against the target.

 

For Special Delivery, the target is 99% and latest reported performance is 98.9% - again slightly below target.

 

In terms of where they get their statistics from, these are provided by an independent company called Research International, who send items to 'panellists' all over the country, and these panellists then report back to Research International details of when the item was actually received.

 

I believe anybody can become a panellist who provides this information by getting in touch with Research International.

[Bosund]

Intersting link, especially the 'Recorded (Signed For)' section...

 

Royal Mail Quality Of Service - Compensation