Royal Mail refuse compensation for lost item

[sploits]

Hi,

 

I recently ordered some online contact lenses from a company based in Swansea. I ordered 2 boxes but they only had 1 box in stock so they sent me them out and the others would be with me in a few days.

 

I tried the lenses and it was pouring sand in my eyes. I contacted the company and they asked me to return them in the post and gave me their returns address. They refunded me half of my money for the box I hadn't recieved and the other half of the refund would be with me when they recieved the returned lenses.

 

I popped down to the Post Office in Whitehaven and asked for 1st class recorded signed for. The girl on the till printed out the label and charged me about £1.85 (or there abouts). I had a tracking number and tracked it a few days after the postage. The Post Office website told me it was still at Whitehaven and it stayed with this statement for around 3 weeks. I then decided it must be lost so I filled in the compensation forms from the Royal Mail website and sent them off.

 

A few days later I got a letter saying that they were sorry and that they would look into it and get back soon.

 

A few days a go I got a letter from them saying that they would not be paying me any compensation as the address I gave them at the time of posting did not exist!

 

The compensation isn't megabucks (£17 odd and the postage on top) but how can they just refuse me compensation after they checked the address at the time of posting and took my payment?

 

Any help would greatly be appreciated

 

Kind Regards,

 

 

Sploits

Edited July 4, 2012 by citizenB
spacing for easier reading

[citizenB]

Yes, I would question this as well. When they print out the tracking receipt - they check the address with their database. Something should have been said at that time.

 

However, as to what you can do, next, I simply dont know. Hopefully others will be able to advise.

[sploits]

Hi Citizen B,

 

Thanks for your response. I might just send a letter back to them asking why they accepted the parcel if the address wasn't valid in their database.

 

Thanks again

[marmaris30]

It is true that they verify the address against the postcode database when you hand it over, but that doesn't necessarily make it undeliverable.

 

If it really couldn't be delivered, either because the address was genuinely invalid or because the recipient wasn't available and didn't pick it up within a certain time (I think you get 21 days so your package might yet reappear), the package should have been returned to sender, i.e. you!

[sploits]

It is true that they verify the address against the postcode database when you hand it over, but that doesn't necessarily make it undeliverable.

 

If it really couldn't be delivered, either because the address was genuinely invalid or because the recipient wasn't available and didn't pick it up within a certain time (I think you get 21 days so your package might yet reappear), the package should have been returned to sender, i.e. you!

 

Hi marmaris30,

 

The letter I got off the post office says that it was undeliverable due to the address not existing. Plus it says that it then goes to a secret underground top secret lair where they carefully open the parcel and try to find the senders details so that they can send it back. They have informed me that my details were not inside (they were as I wrote a cover note with my full name and address on). Due to them not being able to find my details they have basically disposed of the parcel. They do have my details as there was a letter in the parcel and they also have my details as they have sent me the letters to say they don't have my details!!!!

 

Never had much faith in Royal Mail but now this has just taken the last peice of faith I ever had of them!

Edited July 4, 2012 by sploits
Capitals added where needed

[postggj]

may i ask how long was it from you posting the item,

to you getting that letter stating they could not find the senders details inside the package

[sploits]

Hi Squaddie,

 

The parcel was posted on the 25th May 2012. The letter was then recieved last week (Friday I think so thats 29th June 2012).

 

This is what I get when I punch the tracking number into the Post Office website:

 

Edited July 4, 2012 by sploits

[postggj]

you are being fobbed off by royal mail as this is 2 quick

the delievery office would try and deliver the item, seems to me the item never reached the delivery office as it would have been scanned on the postmans PDA AS RETURNED

 

the secret bunker you are talking about is in Belfast where items are opened and is called the RLB (RETURNED LETTER BRANCH)(bureau)

 

FOR THE ITEM TO BE SENT TO BELFAST, IT WOULD BE SCANNED AND RECORDED AT THE DELIVERY OFFICE AS RETURNED TO THE RLB

 

ask the delivery office where the item was destined for to check their rlb folder, they can check if it was sent to the RLB on the computer as well

 

royal mail public callers office have a different track and trace, give them the number and they can tell you exactly where it is.

 

it looks to me it has been lost in the system prior to reaching the delivery office

[sploits]

Thanks for that squaddie. Most of it has went right over my head (sorry).

 

So are you saying I should be going to Whitehaven Post Office and doing firing the questions at them? Or do I need to ask a delivery office in Swansea? Sorry about me being so thick about this

[postggj]

you returned the item by recorded delivery to swansea, then contact royal mail delivery office in swansea, give them the address and bar code number,

 

they will tell you in a few minutes where and what happened to your item if the item was received at swansea and where it is now

 

not customer service, a human being at swansea delivery office

[sploits]

Brilliant, thanks for that Squaddie, I will hunt a contact number out for the Swansea branch and give them a call.

I will post my results as I get them.

 

Thanks again

[postggj]

the delivery office will tell you also if their is a problem with the delivery address given

[sploits]

I have spoken to a guy in the Mumbles Delivery Office of Swansea. He has told me he can't check from the barcode as it is recorded signed for and until it is delivered there would be nothing he could check against.

I gave him the address which is:

The Ash Tree House

Woodburn Drive

West Cross

Swansea

Wales

SA3 5TZ

and he told me the house wasn't on any of his lists. The rest of the address was correct from Woodburn Drive downwards but that was it. I gave him the company name (Optyk Rozmus Eye Care) and he said it was strange to have a business there as Woodburn Drive is a residential area!

 

I'm a little lost as to what to do now. Do I contact Optyk Rozmus and ask them why they have a supposedly fake returns address?

[postggj]

but they would be able to confirm if the packet was received and then returned to belfast RLB

 

THEY WOULD PEAL OFF THE BARCODE AND PUT THAT BARCODE INTO THE RETURN TO SENDER FOLDER which is kept in the public callers office

 

they would have scanned the item as either

 

return to sender or undelivered, no such address

 

it is all pointing to the fact swansea never received the item to deliever

 

if the supplier has given an address that is not recognised, then they have to bare all out of pocket expenses as the contract is between you and the supplier

[sploits]

When I started rhyming off the barcode and said AU he stopped me and said that he couldn't track itas it was recorded. IF the Mumbles office never recieved the item then he would have nothing to check against anyway would he?

 

Thank you for all help so far Squaddie, it really is appreciated