Missing recorded delivery items - not delivered

[andygo]

I went into the local post office last weds to post 2 items to the DVLA. One letter contained my car log book, the other 2 driving licences, all 3 items for an address change.

I had a bit of a discussion with the grumpy woman behind the counter about how I should pay £7 (or whatever) to have it sent special delivery.

I told her quite politely that I saw no reason to pay extra to insure myself against the post office losing the items - its the same bloke delivering them in any case.

Anyway, she became quite stroppy so I just smiled and paid for recorded.

Fast forward a week, and both items are still being 'progressed' through the post office system according to their website.

One item going missing would be pretty unusual, never mind both. Being cynical, I reckon grumpy pants has binned the letters.

I called customer services at Royal Mail to be told they are not officially missing for 15 days.

Even if and when they do arrive DVLA want 4 weeks at least to sort them out.

Anyone had a problem like this before?

(Ooohhh, I sooo wish I had taken the nice lady at the Post Offices advice and paid extra to have them lose the letters.. )

[daveenty]

The last one I sent recorded to DVLA showed as being progressed.

I think it's just that they get so many of them that they don't update the system regularly. Mine eventually found it's way home.

[JustinP1]

andygo said:

its the same bloke delivering them in any case.

The sorting and tracking processes are quite different.

I've used couriers for many years, thousands of parcels through TNT, Citylink, Parcelforce, Yodel, Hermes, you name it.

Every one of those couriers I've had incidences of lost, damaged or significantly delayed parcels.

I've sent literally hundreds of items by Special Delivery, and they have not once failed in any way.

[andygo]

I have sent numerous items to the dvla vis recorded over the years, and every one of them has been trouble free. Just seems a little odd that 2 items should go astray at the same time don't you think?

[mph1977]

JustinP1 said:

andygo said:

its the same bloke delivering them in any case.

The sorting and tracking processes are quite different.

I've used couriers for many years, thousands of parcels through TNT, Citylink, Parcelforce, Yodel, Hermes, you name it.

Every one of those couriers I've had incidences of lost, damaged or significantly delayed parcels.

I've sent literally hundreds of items by Special Delivery, and they have not once failed in any way.

As I understand it ( from research done regarding the most appropriate if any RM service to send original medical records by - SD was chosen becasue of the order of magnitude better handling )

SD is seperate service where there is end to end tracability and segregated handling right down to the poin where the local delivery postie is loading his /her sack ...

Recorded just goes in with the 1st class mail and is handled exactly the same the difference being the local delivery postie has to get the signature .

[GC8]

People need to know that 'Recorded Delivery' (or whatever they call it now) is normal mail that is signed for on delivery. You get proof that a person received it, if they did, but no security whatsoever.

Registered Post (Special Delivery) is secure, with every employee who takes charge of the packet signing for it.

Recorded Delivery has very little use. Proof of posting shows that you have posted it and people can refuse to accept Recorded Delivery items if they choose, so it doesn't to serve documents or similar.

[JustinP1]

andygo said:

I have sent numerous items to the dvla vis recorded over the years, and every one of them has been trouble free. Just seems a little odd that 2 items should go astray at the same time don't you think?

Possibly.

Maybe a whole bag of mail from that Post Office, and/or the sorting office is stuck somewhere?

The difference with SD is that your letter/package never sees the same bag. Often, when I've had SD delivered to me it's come on a van totally separately to the rest of the mail.

What you are paying for is that if RM lost your SD contents, you'd have the cash to replace your lost documents by now.

[Red Devil]

I always use SD for any documents I have to send to DVLA. I haven't had one go missing in transit yet. It won't stop the items going AWOL in their building though. They tried that 'we never received it' bs with me once. When I confronted them with the SD tracking info the item mysteriously surfaced 3 weeks later. They had had it all the time but it took them that long to find it after I complained.

DVLA losing stuff can cause untold hassle and additional expense. Far more than the additional postage cost.

[Shilvers]

I had 'progressed' showing on the Tracking.

Popped into the P.O. and was told I needed to wait a couple more days. Low and behold, on my return home that day, my new V5 was waiting for me. Checked the Tracking and it was still showing as progressed!!

Needless to say, next time I posted something I politely declined paying extra for a service that doesn't actually help in anyway.

I'm sure yours is there safe and sound. It's the Tracking part that's useless!!!

[lbc]

I recently posted a valuable document by normal post, as had decided that if the letter goes missing there is no way of getting it back, so recorded or Special Delivery is just a waste of time and money for documents.

[wazztie16]

My gf recently used the Post Office to send off for a passport, after the timeline that they suggest it should be sorted in had elapsed, she enquired as to why she'd not had the passport. Passport office said they'd not received the application. Post Office said they'd sent it. Eventually, Post Office admitted it was still at the branch she'd used, and had never been sent. She missed a holiday with friends (but partly her fault, as they say don't book till the application is complete etc). Complete shambles, she lost about £130 ( not a massive amount, but to her it was, and the principle). Ridiculous

[R1gtr]

GC8 said:

People need to know that 'Recorded Delivery' (or whatever they call it now) is normal mail that is signed for on delivery. You get proof that a person received it, if they did, but no security whatsoever.

Registered Post (Special Delivery) is secure, with every employee who takes charge of the packet signing for it.

Recorded Delivery has very little use. Proof of posting shows that you have posted it and people can refuse to accept Recorded Delivery items if they choose, so it doesn't to serve documents or similar.

^^^^^ This man has it spot on, if you are sending something and want to make sure it 100% gets there, whether expensive or not, use Special delivery, it gets scanned at every point along the route, RM treat SD's like they were transporting the Royal baby, Recordeds are treated like any old letter, tossed in a bag and forgotten about.