The Royal Mail Does it again.......

[SilverAngel]

What can I say...... two packages sent to the US have both failed to make it to their recipients and not because they were lost... Oh no, it was because they had the contents stolen.

Ok one did make it to the other side of the pond . However, the buyer kindly sent us pictures of the Royal Mail "Our Sincere Apologies" bag which contained hand cream packets instead of the silver brooch. So not damaged in transit, not lost behind a radiator but a premeditated action of switching contents. The second item didn't even make it that far..... After 14 days we got a package back to us in the same, pathetic bag tat hadn't even gone as far as the other. Even though it had security tape around the edges and openings it had a hole smashed in the top with the contents removed (the actual item was in another enclosed gift box that we send our items in) something that wouldn't have just fallen out so again; stolen!

Now I could be kind and say "ah well it could have been a mistake", but no, some thieving swine(s) did a premeditated act of taking the items, as they know that for international packages you have to state value on a customs form, on the package.

Another UK institute with "Royal" in its name that doesn't deliver... HAHA I made a pun, as they sure didn't deliver on both occasions 🙂

 

 

[Shinus73]

12 minutes ago, SilverAngel said:

as they know that for international packages you have to state value on a customs form, on the package.

Sorry for your losses.

Having to declare the value on the outside of the package is a ludicrous system.

They should just slap a ‘please steal me’ sticker on it and have done with it.

I had to this recently with a £5,000 coin and was in a panic for days until it thankfully arrived in the Channel Islands. 

[SilverAngel]

I know its crazy... these weren't small items either 🙂

[BackyardBullion]

Did you send international tracked and signed? This should be covered up to £250 and by the sounds of it a claim should/could be brought!

[SilverAngel]

Yes..sent international tracked and signed...postage was £23.  Its insured, but disappointing to have 2 items in a week go "missing."  

[Mrpound]

I’m sorry to hear that has happened, some thieving bastard is probably creating quite a stack, let’s hope he/she or they get found out and sacked!

[BackyardBullion]

Just now, SilverAngel said:

Yes..sent international tracked and signed...postage was £23.  Its insured, but disappointing to have 2 items in a week go "missing."  

Oh, totally - didn't mean to breeze over the frustration this must cause. 

I have to say, I have been super lucky with all the countless packages going abroad I have only ever had a few go completely missing - one of which was stolen and that was part of an armed robbery at a US post office!

Beyond that I have had very few issues other than sometimes it taking 8+ weeks to arrive at the other side!

Just now, Mrpound said:

I’m sorry to hear that has happened, some thieving bastard is probably creating quite a stack, let’s hope he/she or they get found out and sacked!

On that note, might be worth plastering photos of the stolen items all over this forum so that should they ever come up for sale here or on ebay maybe they can be found?

[Pete]

I had goods stolen from luggage at Gatwick airport several years ago.
I blamed the foreign baggage handlers but it was our local boys as caught on CCTV by our police.
X-Raying baggage can and does show up stuff worth investigating ( and then slipping into the baggage handlers eBay shop ).
Similar with the Royal Mail 25 years ago when every birthday card containing cash ( £5 / £10 notes ) mysteriously were never received.
Local newspaper mentioned some bogus sorters that were caught stealing and a birthday card was always a good bet back then.
Hope your claim is successful and covers your losses.

[SilverAngel]

Yes, we have insured it fully thanks so should be fine.  We have sent many things to the US, usually bars and small items and never had issues...these two were bigger pieces and having to disclose the value is what i think tempted them to steal.  We ensured it was wrapped with the fibre security tape but they just cut and ripped through it and stole the contents.  I will definitely be keeping an eye on ebay as these were one of a kind originals. 

[Relm]

Recently had issues with Royal Fail being unable to correctly deliver post to the address on the post so not surprised by this news

[SilverAngel]

8 minutes ago, Relm said:

Recently had issues with Royal Fail being unable to correctly deliver post to the address on the post so not surprised by this news

The Royal Fail 😅

[FourNinesFine]

Shocker. Insured yes, but that doesn't make up for the hassle to you or the buyer!  😡

[SilverAngel]

Absolutely.  The buyer was understanding and we refunded immediately...but we are out of pocket for 2 big ticket items until the insurance pays us.   Grrrr 😠

The Royal Mail couldn't care less either....when speaking to them we were told the claim is the complaint...there does not seem to be anyone to take responsibility for the failure...let alone compensate for our time and effort. 

Both items were stolen in the UK en route through the system so i am guessing its probably the same people doing this.  

[StackemHigh]

I haven't had anything go missing i've sent but haven't recieved plenty. I particularly hate the feeling when i've had to tell the sender that the item hasn't arrived. I feel bad that some sh!tb@g has got something i paid my hard earned on and they just steal it. 

For me it's not about money insurance takes care of that it's the principle of the matter. It really makes me mad.

[sovereignsteve]

Shouldn't have to do it but it's better to pay the tenner extra for a courier like Fedex, they seem to get far fewer losses. Maybe it's due to putting the custom docs in a separate envelope on the side or under the address label in the plastic window. Not visible to casual inspection.

[SilverAngel]

4 minutes ago, sovereignsteve said:

Shouldn't have to do it but it's better to pay the tenner extra for a courier like Fedex, they seem to get far fewer losses. Maybe it's due to putting the custom docs in a separate envelope on the side or under the address label in the plastic window. Not visible to casual inspection.

I will look into that...thanks.  

[sovereignsteve]

3 minutes ago, SilverAngel said:

I will look into that...thanks.  

also cheaper to go through a parcel "broker" like parcel2go etc

[Relm]

Just don't go for my hermes

[Petra]

2 hours ago, Relm said:

Just don't go for my hermes

I use Hermes for eBay stuff. I always pay extra for a signature to hopefully ensure that it doesn’t end up in a bin or worse if the person is out! Only ever had one problem and that was when a parcel ‘got lost’ in a distribution centre. Trying to sort it was a nightmare, luckily it did eventually get delivered.

[Bimetallic]

On 19/04/2022 at 10:04, SilverAngel said:

What can I say...... two packages sent to the US have both failed to make it to their recipients and not because they were lost... Oh no, it was because they had the contents stolen.

Ok one did make it to the other side of the pond . However, the buyer kindly sent us pictures of the Royal Mail "Our Sincere Apologies" bag which contained hand cream packets instead of the silver brooch. So not damaged in transit, not lost behind a radiator but a premeditated action of switching contents. The second item didn't even make it that far..... After 14 days we got a package back to us in the same, pathetic bag tat hadn't even gone as far as the other. Even though it had security tape around the edges and openings it had a hole smashed in the top with the contents removed (the actual item was in another enclosed gift box that we send our items in) something that wouldn't have just fallen out so again; stolen!

Now I could be kind and say "ah well it could have been a mistake", but no, some thieving swine(s) did a premeditated act of taking the items, as they know that for international packages you have to state value on a customs form, on the package.

Another UK institute with "Royal" in its name that doesn't deliver... HAHA I made a pun, as they sure didn't deliver on both occasions 🙂

 

 

Does the Royal Mail have a monopoly in the UK? I know they were privatized some years ago, but there are many forms of privatization, including ones where there is still a coercive (government-enforced) monopoly. How do they get away with such brazen employee theft? Do their employees still have the artificial level of job security they had before the privatization? I thought you lot had CCTV everywhere these days.

I realize the RM can't have a monopoly on international package shipments, but national monopoly mail carriers often use their monopolies on letter mail to offer lower prices for package shipments than private carriers can offer (the mail monopolies have nearly fixed route costs already, and can throw packages onto the routes for very little marginal cost). Is the RM the cheapest for international too?

[Guest]

I only bought two things from UK so far this year.  Both arrived but they took many weeks to do so.  Also, they were both under £250.  It seems like they get sent to Chicago in 1 week and then spend several more weeks probably in Customs and being delivered the final 350 miles to Michigan.  Fun fact:  Michigan has the same land area as UK but 1/7 th the population.  Can't imagine it being 7 times more populated here.

[sovereignsteve]

17 hours ago, HappyHippo said:

Michigan has the same land area as UK but 1/7 th the population.  Can't imagine it being 7 times more populated here.

yes, it's far too bloody crowded here, and some people just want to keep adding to it, but that's another story.

[Foster88]

20 hours ago, HappyHippo said:

I only bought two things from UK so far this year.  Both arrived but they took many weeks to do so.  Also, they were both under £250.  It seems like they get sent to Chicago in 1 week and then spend several more weeks probably in Customs and being delivered the final 350 miles to Michigan.  Fun fact:  Michigan has the same land area as UK but 1/7 th the population.  Can't imagine it being 7 times more populated here.

You should see London. I find it hard to get my head around that there are more people in London than there are in the whole of the Republic of Ireland.

[AgD]

On 21/04/2022 at 03:14, HappyHippo said:

I only bought two things from UK so far this year.  Both arrived but they took many weeks to do so.  Also, they were both under £250.  It seems like they get sent to Chicago in 1 week and then spend several more weeks probably in Customs and being delivered the final 350 miles to Michigan.  Fun fact:  Michigan has the same land area as UK but 1/7 th the population.  Can't imagine it being 7 times more populated here.

I must send about 5 packages a year from the UK to friends in wisconsin, always seems to stay in Chicago for nearly 2 week's (that's when I bite my nails constantly 🤣) as I've read loads that Chicago is not the best hub for getting packages out.

[GoldDiggerDave]

Guys we might have a change the way we package coins,  If I worked in a sorting office I bet I could pick out coins and PM's by the way they are packaged.   On the more expensive items I use a postal bag to hide the contents.  A jiffy bag thats been taped around all 4 sides would get my attention if I was a crook, or the familiar rattle of a coin in a capsule.