discussion Royal Mail

[Miko]

Been having a few problems with these guys recently, I've been on a stash building exercise last week and treat myself to a few nice kits, all to be delivered by the Royal Mail 'tracked' delivery service. first kit, from eBay, an F-104 starfighter in 1/72 from those nice people at Hasegawa, the seller accepted my 'offer' and the kit was duly posted, four days later I get a notification saying I had 'missed' a delivery. I wondered why her didn't just leave it like all the other couriers do? Amazon, Evri/Hermes, UPS DHL Yodel etc, but no! the little card the postie left informed me a redelivery attempt would be made the following day, but, knowing I wouldn't be home all day I redirected it the my local sub post office. On Thursday evening I visited this post office to collect my package only to be informed I couldn't collect it because there was no one there who was 'trained' to hand it over to me! Perhaps I should mention here this post office is inside a Coop store. the nice lady behind the counter suggested I return on Saturday before noon, and collect it then, she then told me, 'I can check if it's here if you like' to which I agreed, 'yep, thanks!', she then touched her microphone equipped headset and proceeded to have a conversation with someone out the back of the store who did indeed confirm my package was there ready to be collected! so, there is a member of staff literally yards away holding my package but is unable to give it to me! Unbelievable!
This morning I turned up as instructed to collect my package only to be informed by a not so nice lady I can't collect my package as there is no one 'trained' in handing over packages!! After five minutes of using reason common sense and logic to persuade her to give me what is mine, I left empty handed!

Package number two, this, after a miscommunication with the previous eBay seller was another F-104 Starfighter in 1/72 from those lovely people at Hasegawa, this one from 'King kit' I had misread a message from the seller leading me to believe I wasn't getting package number one described above, my fault for not reading notifications properly! Still, two F-104's isn't a bad thing right? So, being mindful of my delivery issues I had this one directed to a family members address, however, a couple of days later, I had a little red card saying had missed a delivery! Maybe I had adjusted the delivery location too late but, it still hasn't been delivered to my alternate address, so either I have no idea where it is? I called the Royal Mail phone line and got into a labyrinth of of confusing options non of which were relevant to me! After half an hour of being unable to speak to a human I gave up! One thing I did learn was there is a smart phone app for the Royal Mail where I can register a 'safe place' for my packages to be left! So, behind the wheelie bin at the back door it is! I wonder if I'll ever get to see my Starfighters? Honestly? I only bought them for the decal sheet for a 'what if?' I'm working on! I suppose if they ever turn up I'll 'what if?' them into something interesting!

Package Three, a Mitsubishi F2B from those equally nice people at FineMolds, bought from this fine establishment right here (thanks John) also through Royal Mail and delivered to my ol' moms address without a problem!

Miko (need to lay down for a while and take a few deep breaths! Ha!)

 

[Geoffers]

What a nightmare Miko

Poor of Royal Mail to let you divert the parcel to somewhere where no one is able to process it for you.

Royal Mail used to be very good but they have gotten a lot worse over the past few years.

Having said that some of the other courier services leave a lot to be desired

Hope you manage to get your parcel soon

Geoff.

 

[PaulTRose]

I remember once sat there with cup of tea in hand idly staring out of window

Royal mail pulls up...about 11am..postie dosnt even look in van.....walks down the path and posts card through letter box ....disnt even knock on door....and legs it back to the van

Card is usual 'we tried to deliver but you wernt in...you can collect from the sorting office'

Now this was a saturday morning and i know they work get the job done and knock off routine so he obviously had all his cards written out and had no intention of trying to deliver parcels...just get round as quick as possible and go home

So on the monday i go into the sorting office (my petrol and my time) and ask why i had got this card........'well you wernt in when we tried to deliver'

'B*******ks.....he saw me through the window.....get me a manager'

wasnt impressed

And they wonder why people buy from amazon and etsy etc

 

[Jim R]

We must be lucky here in wet and windy Shropshire. Our post ladies and post men are really helpful and friendly. The service itself seems good as well.

 

[Miko]

Royal Mail used to be very good but they have gotten a lot worse over the past few years.

Yep, that's my experience too, the delivery thing said ' no need to sign for your package' so I assumed it would be left,

Having said that some of the other courier services leave a lot to be desired

I've been lucky with other couriers, except *&£^*ing Hermes/Evri, but that's another story!

Hope you manage to get your parcel soon

Geoff.

Me too, but I'm not a 100% confident, my only hope is when it's returned to sender I'll get refunded???

I remember once sat there with cup of tea in hand idly staring out of window

Royal mail pulls up...about 11am..postie dosnt even look in van.....walks down the path and posts card through letter box ....disnt even knock on door....and legs it back to the van

Card is usual 'we tried to deliver but you wernt in...you can collect from the sorting office'

Now this was a saturday morning and i know they work get the job done and knock off routine so he obviously had all his cards written out and had no intention of trying to deliver parcels...just get round as quick as possible and go home

So on the monday i go into the sorting office (my petrol and my time) and ask why i had got this card........'well you wernt in when we tried to deliver'

'B*******ks.....he saw me through the window.....get me a manager'

wasnt impressed

And they wonder why people buy from amazon and etsy etc

I've suspected them of doing this before, where I've been in all day waiting and get a notification saying 'Your item has been delivered' but there's nothing to be had??

Amazon are the most reliable for me

We must be lucky here in wet and windy Shropshire. Our post ladies and post men are really helpful and friendly. The service itself seems good as well.

A few years ago I lived in a rural location, a village with a tiny post office, my experience with Sylvia my regular postie was excellent! She would give *Trevor, our big black tomcat tasty kitty treats!

Miko (I miss cheery happy smiley Sylvia)

*For the sake of clarity, Trevor was created by Mother Nature and not Grumman Aerospace Corporation as an F-14! Ha!

 

[LeytonO]

No issues with Royal Mail, our posties are really helpful.
Two women, one does the parcels and the other letters plus small packages.
Also empty the pillar box opposite and are very good with any prepaid collections.

Nevri, now that's a different matter, shower of faeces, this log from the past week.
Didn't arrive and now shows returning to sender for the past three days

 

[pjgtech]

I've had two RM parcels recently, both came from areas down South, I'm also down South, on both occasions got text/email update saying there was a problem, the parcels had been misrouted, (on both occasions somewhere up North), so then had to be re-routed which inevitably led to delays.
A mate of mine has just retired from RM, after working for them for 30+ years and he has nothing good to say about them.

 

[Miko]

I've had two RM parcels recently, both came from areas down South, I'm also down South, on both occasions got text/email update saying there was a problem, the parcels had been misrouted, (on both occasions somewhere up North), so then had to be re-routed which inevitably led to delays.
A mate of mine has just retired from RM, after working for them for 30+ years and he has nothing good to say about them.

It's a real shame, the Royal Mail has been with us for over a century and these young upstarts like Amazon come along and out perform them in price and delivery time and reliability . . . and, they'' deliver rattle can paints too!

I'm of an age where nostalgia is becoming more and more important, (part of my brand loyalty to Airfix) I really miss the chirpy whistling postman along with the milkman in his electric milkfloat, the man from the Pru, the Littlewoods pools man . . . the door to door salesman with his suitcase full of brushes and dusters, and the man with the funny bike with a weird contraption for sharpening knives!

Stop me if I'm getting you all misty eyed over those halcyon days when the summers were brighter and christmas's were always white ! Ha!

Miko (aren't policemen young these days!)

 

[Tim Marlow]

It's a real shame, the Royal Mail has been with us for over a century and these young upstarts like Amazon come along and out perform them in price and delivery time and reliability . . . and, they'' deliver rattle can paints too!

I'm of an age where nostalgia is becoming more and more important, (part of my brand loyalty to Airfix) I really miss the chirpy whistling postman along with the milkman in his electric milkfloat, the man from the Pru, the Littlewoods pools man . . . the door to door salesman with his suitcase full of brushes and dusters, and the man with the funny bike with a weird contraption for sharpening knives!

Stop me if I'm getting you all misty eyed over those halcyon days when the summers were brighter and christmas's were always white ! Ha!

Miko (aren't policemen young these days!)

I’ve had issues with Amazon as well as the post office, and also with other services like FedEx and Evri. I’ve sent two things back as non functional to Amazon in the last fortnight, and had a several non deliveries back in the summer. I even got sent a photo of one saying the delivery had been made when I complained. Great clear picture of a parcel in front of a door. Trouble was, it wasn’t my door…….to be fair to them they do reimburse very quickly….in essence, all of these companies rely on humans, and humans make mistakes…..as long as the complaints procedure works I just don’t worry about it…

 

[Miko]

I’ve had issues with Amazon as well as the post office, and also with other services like FedEx and Evri.

Me too, but RM are by far the worst in my experience

I’ve sent two things back as non functional to Amazon in the last fortnight, and had a several non deliveries back in the summer.

you can't really blame amazon for the items they deliver, if RM had delivered them, they still would have needed to go back, only with amazon it's easier and quicker

I even got sent a photo of one saying the delivery had been made when I complained. Great clear picture of a parcel in front of a door. Trouble was, it wasn’t my door…….to be fair to them they do reimburse very quickly

Me too! I had a photo of my package outside a neighbours door, I went and collected it, when Royal Mail don't leave the item and it goes into the post office matrix, there's no way to recover it that day! I have one package stuck in a post office back room and another I know not where?? With Amazon this would never happen

….in essence, all of these companies rely on humans, and humans make mistakes…..as long as the complaints procedure works I just don’t worry about it…

Yep, that's very true, the Post office connect you to a robot that gives you irrelevant options that do nothing but wrack up your phone bill, Amazon deal with it in minutes

Miko (Royal Mail, no longer fit for purpose)

 

[Tim Marlow]

Me too, but RM are by far the worst in my experience



you can't really blame amazon for the items they deliver, if RM had delivered them, they still would have needed to go back, only with amazon it's easier and quicker



Me too! I had a photo of my package outside a neighbours door, I went and collected it, when Royal Mail don't leave the item and it goes into the post office matrix, there's no way to recover it that day! I have one package stuck in a post office back room and another I know not where?? With Amazon this would never happen



Yep, that's very true, the Post office connect you to a robot that gives you irrelevant options that do nothing but wrack up your phone bill, Amazon deal with it in minutes

Miko (Royal Mail, no longer fit for purpose)

Amazon did it again today….luckily this time I recognised the door it was left at……agree their return service is excellent, but I expect they get a fair bit of practice.
Royal mail around here are excellent, and they were in Salisbury. However, in North London, where my daughter lives they are execrable…..last year it took two months to deliver her Xmas card. Worst I’ve ever dealt with are FedEx though. They simply don’t live in the real world. I once had an operator on their complaint line swear at me for complaining…..

 

[Miko]

One down one to go! Managed to turn up at the Post Office at a time when there was a member of staff 'trained' in handing over packages to customers!

The complicated procedure in training a member of staff involves taking the little red card from the customer, reading the name on the card, shuffling through the pile of unclaimed packages, taking a hand held barcode scanner and squeezing the trigger while pointing at the package label until the scanner goes 'beep', then asking the customer for some ID, scrutinizing the customer submitted ID, once satisfied hand over the package to the customer, a smile and saying 'have a nice day' is apparently optional. For this I was informed involves a days training!?!?!?



Miko (still not sure where the second package is?)

 

[Geoffers]

Glad you finally managed to get your parcel Miko

Must take a lot of training to finally be able to provide that kind of service

Geoff.

 

[PaulTRose]

)

Ooooooo......raspberry ripple!!

Go on....you know you want to really

 

[Miko]

Ooooooo......raspberry ripple!!

Go on....you know you want to really

I do, I really do!

Miko (MoD (pe) high conspicuity scheme, enthusiast!)

 

[Miko]

. . . and that makes two! Yaayy!!



Got a notification this morning from Royal Mail saying my package has been delivered!

Miko (. . . and the modelling universe falls back into alignment once more!)