Post Office Paranoia

[cortex]

Ok so the title must have grabbed your attention for one reason or another...I just wanted to know what others have to say about items being lost in the post.

This week and last week Ive had about 7-10 items go missing in the post. Some were recorded delivery and on the online tracking details it says its been posted out from the post office but then it doesnt say its been delivered, say a week later when it should have arrived.

Also some other cheap items which i sent by 2nd class mail in an envelope have arrived but the customers have said theres nothing inside, 3 have said this all on the same day so I think theyre telling the truth. Ive found most ebay buyers to be genuine.

Ive had my suspicions on my post office because they do ask what i sell on ebay and often ask for freebies off me, sometimes, not always. ive given them a few freebies some months ago and they give me free posting bags..so i think im keeping them sweet..not that i should have to.

In a previous post office i used to go to, i never had a single item go missing in 4 months of trading. At the new post office i go to, my local one, ive had 20+ items lost in 4 months. So as you can imagine, my paranoia is on firing on all 12 cylinders.

When i have time to put time into ebay, I sell about 400 items a month, so not a lot, and usually about 10-15 go missing.

I just wanted to ask if this is normal for sellers to experience this? Personally, I think its a lot, but could be wrong.How many items go missing for you? Thoughts please

[unkown5454]

I would change post offices immediately. Their extortion is complete bull**** and illegal.

Now, I am in the US, and I can tell you that we also have problems here. Not with people stealing our mail really, but losing it or not showing up for months...most definitely.

I use USPS here and media mail parcel quite often. Every month I have stuff go missing and not show up until months later. It's not a huge amount, so I just ignore it for now, but I am just letting you know that it happens often, even in my country.

[ShadyOne]

I have had SO MUCH ITEMS GO MISSING with a certain UK delivery courier recently as well.

^^^At an abnormal rate as well

[cortex]

I'm just using her majesty's service...i cant afford to use companies like DHL/FEDEX etc

Im sooo pee'd off though that things keep going missing, get a tonne of emails from customers wanting refunds or the hassle of having to send things out again to them.

Im not sure theyre really extorting me, although im not sure why they give me mailing bags for free...she said the post office gets them for free anyway...but maybe its a sly tactic shes using? I'm puzzled...maybe on the next visit I should refuse her free mailing bags? The first time it happened, she gave me some free bags and then the next day i gave her some of my items [worth about £40/$90] and then they kept giving me bags after that and after i feel obliged to give them freebies or i feel guilty for taking their free bags.

[ShadyOne]

^^^Same here, her majesty's service!

It has been terrible recently, worst I have ever experienced, so many items going missing.

@cortex, don't forget that your mail doesn't stay at that one post office it goes through a network of sorting offices.

[ets]

I had a few gone missing as well. It could be from the sorting offices as well. People are stealing to get free gifts for their families as Easter pressies.. Hate doing Royal Mail claims

[ShadyOne]

^^^ With my lawyers hat on, we don't know this

Yeah them claim forms!

[cortex]

Do you guys fill out them claim forms? I got given a bunch of those after xmas but never bothered with them. Did you get compensated? its only for recorded delivery im guessing..

[ShadyOne]

^^^ You get compensated up to the price of what the item cost you, not the price you sold it for. You need to provide basic evidence of your item and stuff. You can claim on all postage services, though they have different comp terms.

You have 3 months to claim, I usually do them all in one go :D

You can claim for delays, damages or losses.

You should do one, then the rest are easier.

Royal Mail Customer Service

[cortex]

I remember on those forms they have a tick box for ebay sellers, they ask for paypal invoices or something but thats not proof that was the item that got posted so what kind of proof will they ask for?
doubt i could give receipts for 20 of the same item

[cortex]

okay ive just read the link you kindly provided.. cheers!

[ShadyOne]

^^^ Yeah I have always used receipts.

Though I am sure the RM claim process can be beaten just like eb ay and pp

Yeah, read the link, it has a vast amount of info on the whole process.

[ryanba]

This year I have had no items go missing but one item was delayed, I sent a book from Stoke-On-Trent to Hove by 1st class recorded delivery it took 8 days to be delivered.

I complained to the Royal Mail and I got a book of 6 1st class stamps today.

[ShadyOne]

^^ lol I only ever claim for items of high value.

You have just made me see the light

I was reading that they do this. I will make sure I do it from now on, I got noting to 'lose' :D

[Imakemoney]

Recently I'm experiencing a very high number of parcels going missing....most recorded delivery also it just says their constantly going through their delivery network...hmmmm....bad royal mail.

[stickmade]

I had a crap load go missing over christmas but since then i can't say more than 5-6 went missing and i do high volume.

@ cortex. My local post office are quite nosey and they always ask what im selling. I've given them countless freebies and all the want is more. Now i feel obligated to give them freebies as some days i arrive with 3 bag loads but i guess the freebies keep them sweet.

[cortex]

Yeh I know what you mean, i too turn up some weekends with sacs.

But at the end of the day I say to myself "this is my business i setup -why should i have to give freebies to people? They're doing their job and I'm doing mine and we are both getting paid for it"..i don't really feel guilty for that, I just get paranoid that they're thinking "ohh he's got about 50 parcels here, it wont hurt his wallet if i help myself to one or two"....well it hurts my head when customers open disputes on ebay

[Imakemoney]

Yeah I ask my self the same question with regards the staff in some post offices.

I try to use several different ones in my area though whenever possible.

At this one post office when ever I arrive I can see their faces drop when I walk in with sack loads of items haha needless to say they dont like it when I rock up but who cares, this is my business model.

[stealthmaster]

I would file a complaint with your post currier because it's uncommon to lose items all the time in the post, I mean sometimes but not every month must be some serious issues at the post office. I would file a complaint of theft/missing I don't know the ins and outs of your issue but I would just do that, plus if your losing lots of money then I'd investigate in further a field. Did you say your packages are tracked? if there tracked how can they get lost?, I thought the main reason from tracking was for them not to get lost and track there movements every step of the way to the buyer.

Stealth Master

[ets]

Originally Posted by Imakemoney

Yeah I ask my self the same question with regards the staff in some post offices.

I try to use several different ones in my area though whenever possible.

At this one post office when ever I arrive I can see their faces drop when I walk in with sack loads of items haha needless to say they dont like it when I rock up but who cares, this is my business model.

I've had that problem with some post offices who were very unhelpful and whom I've reported to Royal Mail execs. I've changed post offices and have two which I have established a good relationship with. What I normally do is drop the post off, give them some cash and return later to collect receipts and pay any outstanding balances. That way they can do the post in their own time without feeling pressurised because its alot of post and good business for them as well. Try to establish a good relationship and contact there. It will help!

[cortex]

STEALTHMASTER: I actually spoke to my post lady and said to her..

"Thanks for giving me the forms for lost post. I also phoned up the head office in plymouth and spoke with the woman. After I told her the tracking numbers she said she wasnt suprised things went missing because she has had quite a few complaints from this branch of items going missing. She also told me to use the post office up the road from me as they have far fewer complaints, if none at all."

Of course I didnt really call up the head office in plymouth...i just wanted to sh|t them up...

[Alps_a somewhatlegend]

My post office are sweet.

I done one of my major 'flip outs' there a few times coz they over charged and always make mistakes and think they are at home.

Since then, I get good service, I got a big appology letter from head office and they let me in with my doberman doggie.

I post stuff at 5pm and it gets there next day. I had nothing go missing for a few years.

Sometimes, violence works.