75ZT Community

Royal Mail managed to deliver a Special Delivery package wrecked beyond economical repair. Nothing unusual there of course.

However, after having gone through the arduous process of claiming, I was out of pocket. They reduced the amount paid because of "wear and tear", mentioning the term "betterment", by 20%. I suspect the spotty faced oik who wrote the letter had recently had an insurance claim and thought he was being clever trying to bamboozle and discombobulate me with long words.

I have only two things to say about that... Antidisestablishmentarianism and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

A phone call to his manager sorted that out. Unfortunately though, his manager wasn't 100% on the ball... or perhaps she was as they refused to repay the cost of the Special Delivery service, stating that they had been "within the terms" of their contract, ie. they had delivered it, albeit in many more pieces than it was when I sent it.

Oddly enough I can't find a single thing in their terms and conditions which states that goods damaged by themselves, once delivered, fulfil the contract.

Those of you who know me will be aware that this is not over

Forgive me for jumping in about Royal Mail. They appear to be ‘in flux’ at the moment, maybe trying to streamline, ha, prior to being sold.

They are changing their system concerning the delivery of packets that will not pass through one’s box, as it were. I have just had a leaflet pushed through to tell me that my mail may now be delivered to another address if I am out, that other people’s mail may be delivered to me if they are out, and that if I don’t want to participate in this cockamamie plan I must put a special sticker in a prominent place. I may be under some Utopian misapprehension but don’t they have a statutory requirement to deliver only to the addressee, at the address given? What is my position if mail addressed to another is delivered to me and it accidentally gets destroyed?

We are now in dispute and I look forward to some wonderful statements of the ******** obvious couched in the usual managementese.

QUOTE:

Forgive me for jumping in about Royal Mail. They appear to be ‘in flux’ at the moment, maybe trying to streamline, ha, prior to being sold.

They are changing their system concerning the delivery of packets that will not pass through one’s box, as it were. I have just had a leaflet pushed through to tell me that my mail may now be delivered to another address if I am out, that other people’s mail may be delivered to me if they are out, and that if I don’t want to participate in this cockamamie plan I must put a special sticker in a prominent place. I may be under some Utopian misapprehension but don’t they have a statutory requirement to deliver only to the addressee, at the address given? What is my position if mail addressed to another is delivered to me and it accidentally gets destroyed?

We are now in dispute and I look forward to some wonderful statements of the ******** obvious couched in the usual managementese.

If you read ALL of the card it does say something along the lines of 'subject to a change in statute'.

I have nothing but praise for the posties around here who will go out of their way to deliver larger items when they suspect you will be at home. This new system (which isn't actually new . . . ) will be a great help to people who are out at work all week. And as you say, if you don't want to take part you have the opportunity to 'opt out', so what is there to complain about?

Perhaps you are just one of those people who have to find fault with everything because you have nothing better to do?

(sits back and waits for the forthcoming tirade . . .)

Tourerfogey wrote:
Perhaps you are just one of those people who have to find fault with everything because you have nothing better to do?

(sits back and waits for the forthcoming tirade . . .)

Come on Trevor, is this really necessary?
I can recommend a good laxative, it might help.

Tourerfogey wrote:QUOTE:

Forgive me for jumping in about Royal Mail. They appear to be ‘in flux’ at the moment, maybe trying to streamline, ha, prior to being sold.

They are changing their system concerning the delivery of packets that will not pass through one’s box, as it were. I have just had a leaflet pushed through to tell me that my mail may now be delivered to another address if I am out, that other people’s mail may be delivered to me if they are out, and that if I don’t want to participate in this cockamamie plan I must put a special sticker in a prominent place. I may be under some Utopian misapprehension but don’t they have a statutory requirement to deliver only to the addressee, at the address given? What is my position if mail addressed to another is delivered to me and it accidentally gets destroyed?

We are now in dispute and I look forward to some wonderful statements of the ******** obvious couched in the usual managementese.

If you read ALL of the card it does say something along the lines of 'subject to a change in statute'.

I have nothing but praise for the posties around here who will go out of their way to deliver larger items when they suspect you will be at home. This new system (which isn't actually new . . . ) will be a great help to people who are out at work all week. And as you say, if you don't want to take part you have the opportunity to 'opt out', so what is there to complain about?

Perhaps you are just one of those people who have to find fault with everything because you have nothing better to do?

(sits back and waits for the forthcoming tirade . . .)

PM sent.

PM read

Fight the good fight Raistlin. In my book you are also standing up for Joe Public...respect!

This "new" system is only for parcels etc that don't fit through the letter box, so normal "post" should get through as usual.
It is easier here having a neighbour take parcels, and us his, as its miles to go to the nearest sorting office to collect!!

raistlin wrote:Royal Mail managed to deliver a Special Delivery package wrecked beyond economical repair. Nothing unusual there of course.

However, after having gone through the arduous process of claiming, I was out of pocket. They reduced the amount paid because of "wear and tear", mentioning the term "betterment", by 20%. I suspect the spotty faced oik who wrote the letter had recently had an insurance claim and thought he was being clever trying to bamboozle and discombobulate me with long words.

I have only two things to say about that... Antidisestablishmentarianism and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Or Floccinaucinihilipilification, which in this instance it probably is!

Easy for you to say Martin

However, an e-mail received today from RM tells me that "In the interests of customer relations", they will be refunding my loss in full, including the delivery charges.

See? It almost always pays dividends if you take the time to explain your point of view

The sad thing is that these days, it is assumed that the customer will put up with shoddy service until it is made clear that such is very far from being the case.

Well done.
No doubt the e-mail also said as a "Gesture of Goodwill" and the other favorite "this is not an admission of liability".

They're at it again.

I had an express delivery sent from the USA using USPS.

Sacramento to San Francisco and over the pond... 28 hours. Arrived in the UK last Thursday.

It has been in the UK six (working) days now and has still not been delivered.

I'm really beginning to wonder whether this has now become personal

Well I sent two letters first class recorded delivery on Wednesday. Track and trace have both items posted (stating the obvious) and are being processed through the Royal Mail system.....

raistlin wrote:Sacramento to San Francisco and over the pond... 28 hours. Arrived in the UK last Thursday.

Maybe they expected a sailing vessel in some weeks time, so they have been caught by surprise and now their carefully arranged schedule has been messed up.

I am really beginning to feel persecuted now...

I received a hard drive from an on-line seller and it proved to be dead on arrival so I put it back in its original package and, having gained an RMA, returned it.

I had a call this morning stating that the drive had been received, duly tested and found to be dead.


"However, we cannot accept responsibility for the item as it was returned to us inadequately packed and therefore could have sustained damage in transit."

I explained that I'd returned it in precisely the same packaging that they had used to send it but the voice on the other end merely repeated that I'd used inadequate packaging and they were not liable.

To cap it all, in my usual, sarcastic manner, I said

"So the packing you used was adequate for you to send it to me?" "Yes, we are very experienced in these things"

"But it isn't sufficient for me to return the drive though?"

To which I got the reply, "now you're beginning to see sense". Clearly ex diplomatic corps

I don't need to go into the verbal blood-letting which took place subsequent to that but suffice to say, a new drive is now en route at no cost to me.

Is there a special breeding regime for the customer service staff designed to produce the terminally vacuous?

I'm now at the stage where I fear the postman's footstep or the courier's noisy diesel van.

I think it's part of the Sue Grabbit & Run mentality of the younger management set today. The 'customer's always right' tenet is nonexistent, as everyone's out to screw everyone else. There are of course exceptions, as I'm sure I'm going to hear about, it's just that I rarely seem to have the good fortune to deal with many of them.

I'm suggesting that 'Pareto's Law' - (the 80/20 rule) applies to most things in the UK today, involving customer relations and aftermarket care.

That is 80% substandard, carefully concealed behind a smorgasboard of management speak 'Mission Statements' and cliche's lies a darkly cynical view of the consumer. Most structures are layered with uncaring, unresponsive automatons, deeply unhappy with not only their 'careers', but their lives in general. The combination of corporate attitude and staff ineptitude manifests as a coterie of apathy, only supported because everyone else sings the same song.

But do the 'young customers' care - probably not, as many of them work in the call centres handing out this sophistry anyway?

Our postman who does the parcel deliveries in our area no longer obtains signatures, for anything! Recorded, Special Delivery, or any other service. Dropped on the door and then it's knock and run!! I think I'll have to start making some non-delivery claims.

Interestingly I ordered some electrical components from the US on late Friday afternoon, and they were delivered on Monday lunchtime by UPS! Not bad for free delivery either!