Postman keeps posting wrong mail through our door or giving ours to other people. What can I do?
Posted by UKGUYneedshelp@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Our postman is posting letters for houses that are streets away. The only thing similar is just the door number.
Our own post is being posted to a house 5 doors away and they open it 50% of the time as they never read the name (can’t blame them as they just open it straight away assuming it’s for them) but it leaves me paranoid especially if they’re keeping some mail or reading through it.
I’ve had bank cards and ID opened by them.
In addition to this the houses I keep receiving is a good 5+ minutes away which I have to go to every time it comes.
Royal Mail support isn’t helping
Creepy-Brick-@reddit
Stop having mail delivered to your home address. Have your mail delivered to either a sorting office or a P.O. Box. I know it’s in convenient but I would that while I am waiting for their response. Also it stops others opening your mail. Do your neighbours have the same issues? Have you thought about taking your story to the local newspaper? -sometimes these companies need a light shined on the shoddy service.
devnull10@reddit
I have some similar. My address is (for example) "1 spring road" and there is a "1 spring garden" about half a mile down the road. Different postcodes. We're always getting mail for spring garden, so I assume they always get it for us. I used to drop it off, but after getting pissed off with it and realising if I just drop it off then it masks the issue, I write "delivered incorrectly" on them now and stick back in the letterbox. Funnily enough, I never seem to get any with similar done from the other address, so I can only assume they either keep my mail or chuck it in the bin.
MisterWednesday6@reddit
Make a formal complaint, and escalate it to the Postal Review Panel if Royal Mail fob you off. Worked for me at my previous address, where the local halfwit postie persisted in shoving any envelope with a 33 on it through my letterbox whether it was for me or someone who happened to live at no. 33 in the next village...
Useless_or_inept@reddit
You could go to r/royalmail and within 24 hours a dozen people will tell you that it's your fault and/or it's an acceptable level of service.
Or you could contact Royal Mail's complaints line, and wait a month to hear the same thing.
pgnlzbth@reddit
Go into the local delivery office, check opening times for the customer service point - this is attached to the delivery office, and speak to the staff in there. They can put a card on the frame for your round / the one that’s getting mixed up, which the postie will see every time they sort the letters.
DizzyMine4964@reddit
I had this once many years ago. I would get post for streets away from me and my bank book (as I said, it was a long time ago) went missing. In the end it turns out the postman or woman was a scammer of some sort. So please try all the suggestions people have made.
NecroVelcro@reddit
I used to have a similar problem with my post going to a woman with the same surname as mine at that time, the same house number and a very similar street name. There's no excuse when postcodes exist, though, and what was most ridiculous about the carelessness was that I then lived on the very same street as the local sorting office.
Jebus_UK@reddit
We get miss deliveries all the time - you'd think it would be easy to match the number and street name on a letter to that of the house but nope....it happens enough that the streets Whats App group is usually used to trace mail
seklas1@reddit
Instead of support, try official complaints instead and urge other neighbours to do the same. I can understand an occasional mix up, but if it happens often, just complain. Support can’t really help you.
UKGUYneedshelp@reddit (OP)
Royal Mail says they can’t open a complaint without a tracking number which is silly as my complaint is against the posty not a single parcel but they wouldn’t have it and just refuse to help
IAmDyspeptic@reddit
You're not going through the right channels. Try here: https://help.royalmail.com/s/contactsupport/complaintsclaims select complaints about a RM employee.
DullHovercraft3748@reddit
You need to complain directly to the local delivery office to get anything done.
seklas1@reddit
Send them a letter in post (keep track of it all). Make it official with dates and details you have. Use your name, address etc, and mention that this is your formal complaint against an employee. Leave your contact details and address for them to get back to you. Date your document for the day you’re writing it send it to them quickly.
If they do respond, hopefully they’re doing something about it. If they refuse to escalate it, then tell them you will be escalating this to Postal Review Panel. And if they don’t cooperate within 90 days of your first letter, contact Postal Review Panel, who will be able to help you either talking to Royal Mail or escalate it further to a Postal Redress Service.
There’s some more information about this on Citizens Advice, so I’d recommend reading up about this. In essence, they should take your complaint, especially as it’s ongoing. If you can find tracking numbers for items you’ve received, use those. If those have pictures, even better.
Cloisonetted@reddit
Could you send yourself a few tracked envelopes to get proof of the issue? Ridiculous that it's necessary but might work
Mental_Body_5496@reddit
r/royalmail is the sub you need!
RodJaneandFreddy5@reddit
Complain. The daft twat has one job to do. Missing mail is a serious issue.
jaxsound@reddit
Pop down to your local delivery office and speak to the manager face to face. Sounds like someone needs to have a word with your postie!
chubbylawn@reddit
Phone your deliver office and ask for IB,this is the investigation branch, as you've had cards and I'd misdelivered they'll be interested.
Blackintosh@reddit
Contact your council and "name" your house, then use that name on the postage, instead of the number.
You could even call it something funny if you want.
SpicyParsnip@reddit
If it is happening often, then pop into your local DO and ask to speak to the manager.
LifeMasterpiece6475@reddit
I get the same issue, the problem I have is an adjacent road where he houses back onto my road and a lot of people use the back doors as their main entrance and some have put numbers up at back of their houses. So that confuses everybody.
Polz34@reddit
I have this issue not just with Royal mail but all sorts of delivery drivers as my flat is a 'XXb' but there is an XX, XXa and XXc so they just don't read. I put a door number on the front of my property and front door, but it still happens, sometimes XXa get my stuff also. Made worse as XXc has a back entrance whereas the rest of us are front entrance, so if you get XXc you have to walk around the building to the back entrance. My neighbour at XXa stuck up massive XXa sign in her front door in neon orange but it's still happens. Short of complaining there is little to do!
With some delivers (like Amazon) I will say 'that isn't my door' and sometimes I've had refunds even though the neighbour has eventually bought it round!
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