Royal Mail Share Discussion Threads

[lefrene] 11/12/2020 15:47

At this time of year there's no end of third party carriers working for the mail/parcel carriers, and lots of congestion in hubs and distribution centres, so more opportunities for things to get delayed. I have sent a few things abroad to reach the recipients for Xmas, but I sent them early in November. I have received items from the USA and NZ, both taking about three times longer than at other times of the year. ie things from the USA taking 12 days instead of 4, things from NZ taking three weeks instead of one week. I do know that the incoming traffic is dealt with very swiftly by the Heathrow depot, so I'm guessing the hold ups are in the USA and NZ, NZ are always a bit slow.

[encarter] 11/12/2020 15:37

Try special delivery next time.

[tubbs64] 11/12/2020 14:51

I think all parcel delivery firms will be being overwhelmed given the dramatic increase in online purchases due to the pandemic. Your example of the unmarked van shows one of the strains in the system. So Hermes are using hire vans to try and cope with the increased workload because their fleet is fully utilised.RM have hired a record number, 33,000, Christmas workers to try and handle the increase in demand and they are having difficulty coping.The vast majority of parcels will be arriving on time with all the carriers but the ones you hear about is were something has gone wrong. This doesn't help the people were their parcel has gone missing or been delayed. Nevertheless, it's still a fact.

[arbus5000] 11/12/2020 13:56

not at all - I already gave you my earlier explanations but that upset other forum members. My offer was genuine !

on a different note, I had ordered two pickups for BF returns two days ago, one from RM and another for Hermes. RM picked up on schedule, Hermes have missed two days in a row:

"Your friendly local courier couldn’t collect your parcel today, we're sorry about that. We'll try again on the next working day"


that's worse than abysmal - not only is the huge parcel blocking my landing and a fire hazard, I only ended up with it because the initial delivery driver did not identify himself (unmarked van) - so I could not reject it either, as advised by the seller.

[geckotheglorious] 11/12/2020 13:39

Arbus

"I think i know what happened:-
This year, black Friday lasted two weeks, as did the government advice to get your xmas shopping in earlier. This is around the time you ordered I think"

Nope. I ordered from a company that doesn't do Black Friday deals, I ordered early to ensure my friend could take their Christmas present with them when they flew.

In fact I have never bought a black friday deal as it's mostly tat, and if it isn't such, there are only so many flat screen 4d/HDTV/smart tellies one can buy.

Clearly you think abysmal service is acceptable given your facetious reply.

[arbus5000] 11/12/2020 13:32

well quite clearly you are dissatisfied with the level of service and we are here to help. Unfortunatley, my earlier attempts at trying to explain what happened where met with accusations of slander/defemation etc.

I think i know what happened:-

This year, black Friday lasted two weeks, as did the government advice to get your xmas shopping in earlier. This is around the time you ordered I think.

Probably:- the level of demand was overwhelming. In the intervening period between then and now, there was cyber Monday (lasting another week) following by attempted returns (such as my experience earlier) and more christmas shopping.

The strain on the postal service, no matter how well planned moved from overwhelmed to ferocious. Your parcel probably got dragged along to another sorting station (maybe because it got attached to a lose bit of sticky tape of a much larger parcel). When it got to that station, the posties there were confused, and put it to one side and forgotten about. A week later, the friendly cleaning lady found it and personally drove it back to the correct sorting center - unaware of the protocol to update the tracking info on the system.


Although this is an explanation, I know it won't make up for your agonizing wait, or your friend who left without their present. I'm only a small shareholder (<100 shares), but I offer you an apology, and if you tell me your mailing address, I will send you a pre-paid postage label, so that you can mail the present (up to 500g) back to your friend, where-ever (s)he is, within continental Europe. They will certainly appreciate the level of thought and trouble you have gone through.

[geckotheglorious] 11/12/2020 09:50

Arbus
Victim support?

Call me old fashioned but when I pay for an extra service(ie expedited delivery in 2-3days) I expect to get it. Not have my parcel take longer than 9 days!!!!

Why should I pay the extra and get the same bog standard delivery service?

[tubbs64] 10/12/2020 21:38

Looks like the distribution centres have been swamped given the lead article on the BBC business Web page.

[arbus5000] 10/12/2020 17:57

i don't know what to say then - is there not a victim support group for those on the receiving end of a wayward RM parcel?

[geckotheglorious] 10/12/2020 17:54

Arbus
I was ordering a Christmas present for someone who was travelling on 1st December.

Clearly they didn't get it!!!

I certainly never buy in the Boxing Day sales as there is nothing I need to buy!
Nor would I wait for the sales either!

[arbus5000] 10/12/2020 17:17

well next time put your order in when boxing day sales start on Dec-27 - it will be cheaper and arrive on the 28th :D

[geckotheglorious] 10/12/2020 16:59

Arbus,

I put my order in on 22nd November!!!! All these "delays don't start till December!

[arbus5000] 10/12/2020 16:55

perhaps any one who is expectant on a parcel should bookmark this page:

hxxps://personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/12556

[lefrene] 10/12/2020 12:56

That sounds like computer world meets the real world. I'm guessing that the tracker system initiates a text message, and probably repeats the message after a time lapse as it rediscovers the signal still in the local depot? Then for whatever reason the package gets into a hub bound trolley, and goes around the system again.

[lefrene] 10/12/2020 12:09

arbus5000, this is the busiest time of year for RMG with lots of temporary workers brought in. Things can get delayed by accidentally being mis-sorted, ie being put into the wrong trolley and thus going onto the wrong truck. Then when it gets spotted it ends up in another trolley of mis-sorts waiting to go back to the hub. Everybody is busy, there's short term staff often not very interested in what they are doing, and things that would get noticed in normal times, can end up parked against a wall in an unmarked trolley.

It's no excuse for RMG, but it gives you an idea of how once something goes awry, a package can remain an orphan for longer than one might think.

[arbus5000] 10/12/2020 11:31

these missortings have a curious effect of creating extra work for their comrades.

its good old pragmatism that made Britain great, industrial strife is what lead to its decline in the 60-70s.

[encarter] 10/12/2020 11:06

It was missorted by someone and then sat somewhere for a few days before going back into the network.

[geckotheglorious] 10/12/2020 10:43

encarter
Post 12060
"I explained the problems they are having earlier"

Doesn't explain a parcel not being trackable(despite paying for such) nor that the journey took 10 days, not the 2-3 paid for.

[arbus5000] 10/12/2020 10:39

the RSI is looking overbought on a short term basis....

[encarter] 10/12/2020 10:35

I explained the problems they are having earlier.