Royal Mail Signed For - warning!!!!

[Guest]

Conventional wisdom says that Royal Mail signed for service can be used for items with a value of less than 50 pounds.

 

 

I sold a Brittania Silver coin that was a collectors item graded by NGC and posted it first class signed for. The package never arrived and I was asked to give a 100% refund by eBay and PayPal. I thought no worries, the package has 50 pounds compensation..

 

Wrong

 

Royal mail defined this item as money or coins and excluded it from the conditions of compensation. They sent a book of six first class stamps for my trouble.

 

They recommend special delivery should be used for all such items if compensation is required.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Spoke to customer service just now who informed me anything made of Silver is excluded from compensation.

[ilovesilverireallydo]

that sucks. I have an open ticket with them for a trade with @Alun. They mangled the item and lost it due to a sorting issue. 

[JohnA]

How does Special Delivery work? Is it more expensive? When you sent via RM Signed, was there insurance included like with USPS? 

I hope the package turns up for you.

[Sovsaver]

5 minutes ago, JohnAnsink said:

How does Special Delivery work? Is it more expensive? When you sent via RM Signed, was there insurance included like with USPS? 

I hope the package turns up for you.

Special delivery is specifically geared up for sending cash and precious metals; it is handled differently. There are various insurance tiers, the minimum defaults to £500.

[sovereignsteve]

Good warning. This is a well known problem but it does no harm to remind people.

[Scuzzle]

I often wondered how things would go if you ever had to query RM signed for as any attempt I have made to write on that little screen with the electronic pen looks nothing like my signiature, it always comes out looking like chicken scratchings.

Edited March 22, 2018 by Scuzzle

[JohnA]

2 minutes ago, Sovsaver said:

Special delivery is specifically geared up for sending cash and precious metals; it is handled differently. There are various insurance tiers, the minimum defaults to £500.

Ok...I am actually getting a delivery from Numistacker and also from The Royal Mint. They have an RS tracking code and Numi's is RN. So I guess that means The RM uses Special.

[Sovsaver]

26 minutes ago, Numistacker said:

 

Conventional wisdom says that Royal Mail signed for service can be used for items with a value of less than 50 pounds.

 

 

I sold a Brittania Silver coin that was a collectors item graded by NGC and posted it first class signed for. The package never arrived and I was asked to give a 100% refund by eBay and PayPal. I thought no worries, the package has 50 pounds compensation..

 

Wrong

 

Royal mail defined this item as money or coins and excluded it from the conditions of compensation. They sent a book of six first class stamps for my trouble.

 

They recommend special delivery should be used for all such items if compensation is required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sorry to hear this, it is their policy though, I only know it because I was advised to go rmsd when sending a silver coin worth less than £25, I took a gamble and declined.

The only remaining benefit of signed for is you know the addressee received the item, and won’t get away with saying they did not.

[Shinus73]

1 minute ago, sovereignsteve said:

Good warning. This is a well known problem but it does no harm to remind people.

Yes, I’d always assumed that this would be the case, but fortunately have never had to test the theory, as I’ve ever had a signed for package go missing.

My only reason for using signed for services, is that the parcels are taken slightly better care of than standard, and it’s much more risky for Royal Mail staff to steal them (my mum used to be the post mistress at a sorting office).

[ShinyDiscs]

I received a few items (10p coins) from the royal mint this week in a signed for envelope but no one was at home when it arrived. Magically it had been delivered and was waiting for me when I arrived home as it fitted through the letter box. So, who signed for the delivery?!?! Makes me think the postmen are taking short cuts and not obtaining signatures.

Oh and another item was placed in my grey rubbish bin with a note through the door. Luckily it wasn't collection day!

[Guest]

Ok...I am actually getting a delivery from Numistacker and also from The Royal Mint. They have an RS tracking code and Numi's is RN. So I guess that means The RM uses Special.

Yours is tracked and signed.
In the USA it is handled as a locked registered packet however there is still no international compensation at all payable by Royal Mail.

[Guest]

What this means is that it is a bad idea to offer tracked postage as an option on eBay sales unless you are happy with a 100% total loss.

[Ansel]

9 minutes ago, Numistacker said:

What this means is that it is a bad idea to offer tracked postage as an option on eBay sales unless you are happy with a 100% total loss.

Does it not cut down on issues of people saying they didn't receive it though?

[ilovesilverireallydo]

11 minutes ago, Ansel said:

Does it not cut down on issues of people saying they didn't receive it though?

Yes correct. If you show that the package was delivered it does help. 

[Alun]

that sucks. I have an open ticket with them for a trade with [mention=4561]Alun[/mention]. They mangled the item and lost it due to a sorting issue. 

Maybe the way forward is.. to claim for the genuine box and COA at full cost ?? Who knows ??

It's terrible how they wriggle out of the fact they have failed miserably to deliver an item.

[Alun]

Spoke to customer service just now who informed me anything made of Silver is excluded from compensation.

Customer service told me that "only paper should be sent in jiffy bags " they are not designed for anything else [emoji38]

[matrawr]

Does special delivery require a signature?

[Gordon]

Anything made of gold and silver or money has to be posted special delivery no matter how much it is worth to be covered for loss But the real trouble with getting just sighed for delivery is that when the postmen are very busy like Christmas they just post it and leave you open to a claim 

[kimchi]

2 hours ago, Alun said:

Maybe the way forward is.. to claim for the genuine box and COA at full cost ?? Who knows ??

Yes, would claiming as a collectable rather than for the precious metal aspect work? After all that's what it was - it wasn't sold for spot price (the metal content)?

10 minutes ago, matrawr said:

Does special delivery require a signature?

Yes it does.

[whitesands1]

Sorry to hear any bad news.

I sometimes do work which involves sending paperwork in the post.  The instructions from the employing firm are; "For safety do not send by ordinary mail use only second class recorded."

The nature of the work is no paperwork no payment so I always use Royal Mail Special Delivery, guaranteed to be delivered by 13:00 next day.

It is more expensive, but well worth it.

"Low" value ebay sales are very tricky - the Special Delivery cost really eats into the £'s but give the best peace of mind possible.

I had a case recently where the parcel was delivered 24 hours late.  The process for claiming a refund and the communication from the Post Office were absolutely fantastic.

So RM Special Delivery carries my very highest recommendation.

[ilovesilverireallydo]

49 minutes ago, kimchi said:

Yes, would claiming as a collectable rather than for the precious metal aspect work? After all that's what it was - it wasn't sold for spot price (the metal content)?

That’s what I have set my claim as. I have also called it a medal rather than a coin

[Guest]

That’s what I have set my claim as. I have also called it a medal rather than a coin

They require the link to the eBay listing so they can see for themselves how the product is advertised and if it is made of precious metal.

[airmac]

2 hours ago, Gordon said:

Anything made of gold and silver or money has to be posted special delivery no matter how much it is worth to be covered for loss But the real trouble with getting just sighed for delivery is that when the postmen are very busy like Christmas they just post it and leave you open to a claim 

Does that then also include electronic parts that have gold or silver incorporated in its construction?

[ilovesilverireallydo]

1 hour ago, Numistacker said:

 

They require the link to the eBay listing so they can see for themselves how the product is advertised and if it is made of precious metal.

 

CYep - if the sale was made on eBay. If not, you can send them any other proof...