Signed for mail

[mike_vee]

Got an e-mail this morning that a badge I had bought had been delivered . As it was supposed to be "signed for" I was confused.

Checked Royal Mail 'tracking' and there was a signature .... but not mine , simply IDX (item delivered ??) ! Turns out they have changed things due to Coronavirus.

"In order to protect both our people and customers as much as possible, we will not be handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures. Postmen and women will instead log the name of the person accepting the item. This will apply to all deliveries that require a signature. "

https://www.royalmail.com/coronavirus

Turns out the item was simply left in the 'communal' mail box for the block I live in.

[magpie]

Signed for mail just goes in the normal post I was told by the post office, its only signed for if the postman asks for it to be signed by someone, they also won't start looking for it until its been deemed not delivered after something 5 weeks after the normal 28days allowed for delivery, again from the post office.

[jeep]

I received a similar email from Hermes (courier) last night.

. . . Asking customers to choose a safe place for deliveries. Anybody due to receive a parcel should visit the tracking section and choose 'divert' to select a safe place. This can also be done through our app, within the My Places section.
- If a safe place hasn't been chosen but there is somewhere safe to deliver the parcel, then couriers will leave it there, even when there is someone in the property. A photo will be taken and this will be included in the delivery notification email.
- For parcels requiring a signature, our couriers can temporarily do this on behalf of the customer to avoid unnecessary contact via hand-held devices. This will only happen when the customer opens the door and gives their name for security reasons. The courier will stay at least two steps away.
- If there is no safe place available, please be assured that we will always attempt delivery 3 times.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by magpie

Signed for mail just goes in the normal post I was told by the post office, its only signed for if the postman asks for it to be signed by someone, they also won't start looking for it until its been deemed not delivered after something 5 weeks after the normal 28days allowed for delivery, again from the post office.

You are correct that signed for mail goes in the normal post , either first or second class but the postman was required to get a signature . On numerous occasions I have had to go to my local sorting office as I wasn't in and a signature was required.
You have to pay extra for the service and get a online delivery confirmation.

My point was more about if there was a dispute between buyer/seller (missing items) , this service could at least show that an item had been delivered and signed for by the recipient.

[manchesters]

My postman now leaves signed for packages on my doorstep, ring the bell, takes about 6 steps backwards and waits until I answer the door and he then scribbles on the electronic hand held device to show it delivered.

Not sure whats going to happen when I am not in though??

regards

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by manchesters

Not sure whats going to happen when I am not in though??

"If you are unable to come to the door at all we will issue a ‘Something for You’ card, advising of other ways you can arrange to get your item. For example, by getting a friend or family member to collect the parcel from our local Customer Service Point on your behalf. In this situation, and to keep your mail as secure as possible, they will need to bring along the card we left you and a form of ID in the name of the person the item is addressed to. "

[Luke H]

Originally Posted by mike_vee

Got an e-mail this morning that a badge I had bought had been delivered . As it was supposed to be "signed for" I was confused.

Checked Royal Mail 'tracking' and there was a signature .... but not mine , simply IDX (item delivered ??) ! Turns out they have changed things due to Coronavirus.

"In order to protect both our people and customers as much as possible, we will not be handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures. Postmen and women will instead log the name of the person accepting the item. This will apply to all deliveries that require a signature. "

https://www.royalmail.com/coronavirus

Turns out the item was simply left in the 'communal' mail box for the block I live in.

With signed-for packages my regular postman always signs for it himself and puts it through my door when I’m out to save me a trips to the depot. When I spoke to him about it he said posties can because it’s ‘signing for the delivery’ i.e. to confirm it’s been delivered to the address which he can do. Apparently the only one that actually requires the recipients signature is Special Delivery items.

[magpie]

My local post office has used the very same signed for labels for return postage, also I've sent parcels back that have never been signed for on delivery, I sent about 100 badges back to someone which cost me about £15 signed for, the person who I returned them to didn't reply to my email and texts and at about 12 days after posting them which when I found out it was just ordinary mail with the above info from my previous post here, when about another 5 days had past I finally got in touch with the person who informed me he had received them 3 days after I posted them back to him and just said he never has to sign for his mail, and in a lot of cases neither do I unless it's sent special delivery.

[altcar73]

Originally Posted by Luke H

With signed-for packages my regular postman always signs for it himself and puts it through my door when I’m out to save me a trips to the depot. When I spoke to him about it he said posties can because it’s ‘signing for the delivery’ i.e. to confirm it’s been delivered to the address which he can do. Apparently the only one that actually requires the recipients signature is Special Delivery items.

Your postman is wrong to do this. That said, the practice does go on. If he can't get a signature for the item from someone at the address, he should put a card through the door asking the addressee to collect the item (against signature) from the delivery office. Postmen who do not do this can be disciplined if it comes to the attention of their manager. He is doing you a favour and saving himself a little inconvenience in avoiding having to take the item back to the delivery office.

Dave.

[mike_vee]

Originally Posted by altcar73

If he can't get a signature for the item from someone at the address, he should put a card through the door asking the addressee to collect the item (against signature) from the delivery office.

That is exactly what happens for me , which is important as the 'route' I am on is near the delivery office and appears to be an "overtime" route (can have 5 different postmen in 1 week).

I even had one postman ask for a 'spare key' for the block security door (he didn't get one) so that he could leave larger items in the lobby !