Royal Mail Review

Overall Rating

Lots of post boxes, daily deliveries except Saturdays

Even so- called "guaranteed" Special Delivery post is not protected, except financially. Thefts from the mail are extremely common and unavoidable. You may be able to claim back compensation for losses but this may take a long time.
Postal workers may not attempt to deliver parcels, bringing them straight to the sorting office and leaving a "while you were out" note, even when you are in.
Services are expensive and unreliable.

I have recently had a birthday and had a parcel sent containing some Christmas presents (already opened), some old shoes, an old handbag and a couple of birthday presents and cards. I was very keen to receive this before my birthday (Saturday) so my mother posted it on Wednesday. We usually use Parcelforce 48 which has never let us down, it usually arrives within a day. However, she was persuaded by the postoffice worker that for extra security and *guaranteed* arrival by Thursday before 1pm, she should use Special Delivery. I was pleased when she told me this, as we both viewed it as a "premium", best you can buy service that would protect my (sentimentally) precious items in transit. Imagine our surprise when by 1pm on Thursday, nothing had arrived. The online tracking just revealed that the item was "progressing through our network for delivery". The individuals answering the phones at Royal Mail insightfully told me that it must be "delayed in transit". I was very upset when it did not arrive on Friday, or Saturday, so it had missed my birthday. I was losing all hope of it arriving, and indeed nothing came on Monday. On Tuesday however the tracking system revealed that the parcel was "out for delivery" that morning! I was eager with anticipation. When the item finally arrived (after 12pm) I was quite horrified. It had been tampered with; the box itself was battered, one side's flaps had been pulled back and ripped, the brown parcel tape had obviously been unpeeled and then restuck with clear tape to try to hide the fact (unsuccessfully), and the items inside were in a different order to that in which they had been packed. I knew straight away that it had been opened and looked through in an attempt to find items of value to steal. Fortunately, there were no such items, the only things which may have gone astray may have been receipts for bank card transactions, which might have been in my handbag. I will keep an eye on my bank account for the meantime to ensure I am not a victim of fraud. I feel very lucky that there were no valuable or private items in the box, as if there had been I believe they, and possibly the rest of the box, would have not been returned to me. Please do not waste your money on this service, which is not service at all. The "Special delivery" stamp only reveals that the items inside might have some value.
I have two more examples to demonstrate Royal Mail's lack of service. My brother had a birthday before Christmas, two birthday cards that were posted to him never arrived. One had a cheque in it, which had to be stopped.
More recently I ordered a mail order item that was coming "Recorded signed for", I was in the entire morning when it was supposed to arrive, but the postman did not ring the doorbell. Instead, he left a note and I had to walk 2 miles to collect it in freezing cold weather.
I am now so wary of ordering or sending anything using Royal Mail, I feel violated because my items were tampered with and upset that common decency seems to have disappeared altogether from this once great British institution. Shame on you, Royal Mail. I will never trust you again.