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Royal Mail revenue protection - any luck?
I'm posting here as I've noticed that this forum is quite resourceful for Royal Mail queries.
We have been using the Pro Shipping system since DMO was deprecated in 2018 and it's been working well. We were told last year that Pro Shipping was being 'upgraded' and the UI would be removed completely at the end of 2023 and we would have to move to Click and Drop.
We managed to extend this a few months and we kept using the product without any issues.
We were told last week that we must stop using it by the end of April. The technical solutions team told us that for our 01/05 send, we should end of day and manifest before 11.59PM on 30/04. So I did that, printed the manifest and thought nothing of it. The system was still working on 01/05 and we had some additional orders, so I promptly fulfilled them and the technical solutions team confirmed Pro Shipping hadn't been turned off just yet.
I then received an email from Royal Mail revenue protection stating that they had sampled some of our mail and it had not been declared. They then adjusted the sales manifest, charging us £2.60 per item but then added items that we had already paid for. I told them that we had provided two manifests that day, one dated 30/04 and one dated 01/05 and that they may have missed the other manifest. I also provided CCTV evidence showing the delivery driver collecting the mail; both manifests and scanning both with his PDA.
Revenue protection have replied and stated that it is against the T&Cs to hand over a manifest that doesn't have today's date on and doing so again will result in a permanent account closure. I was not aware of this, nor am I convinced that this is the case. If it is, then why does Royal Mail have a clean sweep system which automatically runs the end of day process at midnight every night (including days when they cannot collect mail like a Sunday)?
I have now been double charged for over 100 international parcels. Revenue Protection have stated that their decision is final and won't answer any further emails or calls.
Should I take this up with my account manager or contact the finance team? Since 2020 I don't seem to have an account manager directly allocated to me. It is quite frustrating that I have not only been charged for shipping twice but have been charged surcharges and additional fees just for following the advice from the Pro Shipping team to manifest the sales order before they potentially turn off the platform.
I know we should have moved over to Click and Drop earlier, but that's another issue.
Many thanks
37 replies
Seller_ZQyopdiwkUHOZ
I would be getting professional legal advice.
Seller_MT8rt0A2OpbCx
There is an Ombudsman, Ofcom who should help put pressure on Royal Mail for free.
There is also a good active Facebook group, more related to Click and Drop, but many on there have persisted with claims and got their money back in the end. Search for Royal Mail Click + Drop (Business Customers) Support Group on Facebook.
Seller_JHdYYHAeKWpb1
We've been advised not to print labels on weekends or after collection times. Apparently, this causes discrepancies in their system between collected and received items. The explanation given was unclear.
Why are there issues if items are collected the next working day? Also, why are we overcharged for the same label again? We've been told that updating the system's manifest at the end of the day is not permitted. It appears that Royal Mail or their revenue protection department might not fully understand their own Click-and-Drop system.
We are currently considering filing a complaint with Ofcom regarding charges for services like item scanning at delivery, which are not being properly provided.
Seller_sg54Fq7GfBZzn
Had this before, where when we manifested on a weekend, Royal mail would then whack a load of charges on for items not declared. We investigated it and they confirmed that our other orders we missing items, so the two tallied.
It got sorted but was a nightmare
Seller_vxeanJigTlOr3
Not sure how this works as I am sure we have handed over mails with manifest from different dates (Or maybe we have been lucky on those occasions!).
I always thought that once manifested, the account is charged for any items included in that manifest and even if an item is scanned individually it will show that the postage fee for that particular post has been paid.
Having said that, all our mail has barcodes so not sure how this will work for mail without any barcodes.
Seller_lEMzNKwFnPrwR
Hi,
We have a very long relationship with RP in London they have some targets to hit that's how they can keep their job running.
The best is that you need to contact Royal Mail customer service and copy your Account Manager. They might be able to help if your business is double charged I doubt it as they will not give you any evidence.
In the future, once they call your business for the same issue you must refuse their charge. You have to agree expressly to be charged. or same time offer to visit the sorting center to see the evidence, most of the time they will realize the post without charge.
Seller_HEnjp9KQXT8Q3
I feel for you. I have been through this and cant get any sense from them. They simply have me filling in forms and expect me to proove which items have been manifested and they say havent. Since the manifest doesnt give the details of each item its almost impossible to go through a weeks shipments working out whcih manifest each order was on and where it was declared.
I gave up and now only do FBA.
I will dance and sing when Royal Mail finally get closed down.
Seller_f6rGV2vp6Ckxn
Royal Mail Revenue Protection are bordering on criminal. Take it up with the ceo, ceo.office @ royalmail.com
They have always helped in the past. Good Luck.
Seller_WmtXQ7zBKr61O
Typical Royal Mail, they treat there customers with no respect at all and some of there processes are faulty which causes them to falsely accuse there customers of wrong doing. We have had a lot of problems with Royal Mail last 6 to 12 months, so much to say we have moved the majority of our business to other providers.
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