Further Info On Royal Mail Confirmed Delivery
Hi all,
I’ve sent an item to a customer using Royal Mail 48. The customer has contacted me saying the RM tracking number confirms that the item was delivered (she’s right, it does) but she has not received it. She could be trying it on however, I appreciate that without a signature a delivery confirmation only means sweet FA as it could have easily been put through the wrong door, left in what was thought to be a safe place etc etc. I’m also aware I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on in terms of a potential A-Z.
I’ve not encountered this before and it’s highly likely that I’m going to refund the customer but as a last throw of the dice, does anyone know if Royal Mail hold further information that could assist me? For example, when a postman scans a barcode do they record info on their scanner such as what neighbour it was left with, where the parcel was left etc? There was no calling card left with the customer. I have contacted RM customer services but the gentleman I spoke with sounded like he had had enough today and he wasn’t very helpful and didn’t seem to understand my query.
Thanks in advance.
52 replies
Seller_rZax50qrWcaoG
Had this a couple of weeks ago, confirmed to the customer tracking shows as delivered and a denial came back. Next thing was a 1 star feedback followed by and A2Z. Defended the A2Z using Kika’s response and claim denied.
We should really make a list of postcodes for signed for non delivery, that way we can track where false claims are coming from and report them.
Had one a few months ago who got a refund, while searching eBay some time after for my products I found her selling it! Gave up chasing her as a waste of time.
Just out of interest what was the post code?
Seller_gnubxPFEnuoPY
Get the GPS of where it was actually delivered. Could have been put through wrong door.
Seller_Xf7c3fKx6v4bp
Hi MuddleBox,
Thank you for putting your concerns forward, I can 100% relate to your issue.
On this occasion, I would suggest refunding the customer and also replacing the customer lost item. Once you’ve done that, head over to your OBA account and put in a claim for your losses with Royal Mail for the undelivered product as well as for one lot of postage. Having done these 2 steps, it’s time to contact your Royal Mail account manager and provide specific information on this issue - at this point, I would then ask those questions such as information on where it’s left, pictures, etc.
Please update us on here with any information you may have! 
We have a meeting with our account manager on Friday so if you haven’t heard by then, I’ll bring the issue up.
Hope this helps!
Kind Regards,
Zootalicious
Seller_GGByEa9ThBuw8
So, after checking with the customer if the item was left with a neighbour or left in a safe place, she confirmed no to both questions. Realising that I’m not able to prove at the moment if it was misdelivered, I informed her that I would issue a refund. I also informed her that I would not send a replacement as there was clearly some issue here and that I would have to report this case to Royal Mail so that her address gets flagged on their system as a possible problem address (I’m not sure if that’s a thing).
The outcome: the customer has now found her parcel behind a tree in the garden. I had already issued a refund but there was an option to cancel the refund on the order screen. Annoyingly I guess I’ll never find out if this customer was genuine.
Seller_DTufFoxJuMU0M
I had one where the tracking wasn’t updating on a well known alternative site - about a month later the customer emails me to say it hadn’t arrived.
I went onto the Royal Mail site and copy pasted the tracking in, low and behold the tracking was showing the exact date and time the item was delivered.
Sent a message back to the seller with the details and the only reply I got back was “oh so it was”
Sometimes I think the tracking makes it easier by putting the idea in their head.
Seller_Rds42gzScDQFa
I purchased an item on a well known auction site the tracking showed as delivered but I didn’t revive it. When I opened a case with their customer support I was told the the tracking did show as delivered but there was no mention of what sorting office the item was delivered from which it should. Because of this I was refunded. Seems there is some Royal Mail dodgyness going on.
Seller_wt6Tc47OyALfl
Put it down as one of those things. Don’t bother chasing your tail going to Royal Mail as you can spend your time more productively. If the item is high value I would not recommend using Royal Mail 48 as Amazon do not class it as being received. eBay do but Amazon don’t.
Royal Mail 48 is good for averting those people who occasionally try it on and you can say it was delivered at x time and sometimes they will miraculously find the packet.
Seller_hMBZxXLE8ZIqI
Sounds a lot like the time I had a buyer on eBay that claimed he didn’t get a large envelope (tracked) as he has no letterbox on his door so no one could put it through his door…
Done a quick street view search, found his house and luckily a 2 week old photo of his door which showed a letter box.
Sent him the photo and he made up a story about how his landlord broke into his house, replaced the door with a plate of wood and made his dog get lost in the process…
Checked the records of house sales… house is owned in his name… sent him a screenshot again and that was the end of it! LOL
Seller_5YnUBBEgHZOv5
I’ve had this happen a couple of times. On both occasions, the customer was being entirely truthful - it was showing as delivered, but it hadn’t been delivered to them.
On both occasions, I called Royal Mail business customer services, gave them the reference number and they checked the GPS records. One of them showed that the package had been delivered at the correct GPS location (but we found out to the wrong flat), and the other showed a GPS scan 3 streets away.
So, the customer can be telling the truth, and Royal Mail can provide further info if you ask them.
Seller_xUKHc5xSYJmI4
Follow the Royal Mails claims process. How I understand their process, the postal worker will scan the order outside the customer door with the handheld terminal. The terminal will record the day, date and time and location of where the parcel was scanned. Now if the parcel was too large to push through the letterbox the postal worker should ask the customer to confirm his or her name before handing the parcel to the customer.
On rare occasions Royal Mail has delivered letters belonging to my neighbour. I just walk over and push it through their letterbox and inform the delivery office. It is a busy time of the year so mistakes do happen.
