Theft from mail

[mojo]

Had a package delivered from overseas that has been open and had contents stolen. Pretty sure that the incident happened within the UK as the contents were replaced with 3 pairs of saggy old boxer shorts (washed, thank god) with UK sizing labels in them. Also I'm told that Australian customs check the weight of every package against that recorded as a matter of course to see if anything has been removed from/added to packages, weight is about 4-500g out so would have been picked up at customs.

Has anyone else on here had experience of dealing with such a claim? So far Royal Mail have been predictably unhelpful and said that investigation has to start with sender. Sender has been told that the investigation has to start at my end due to package being tampered with. (The investigation would have started at the sender's end if the package hadn't arrived at all). Sender is 100% trustworthy (my girlfriend actually).

 

[paddy01]

I'd start here, give as much detail as you can..

http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/content2?catId=20000202&mediaId=3100051

Good luck!

Paddy

 

[mojo]

Cheers Paddy.

Will make enquiries and let you know how I get on.

 

[Pickle]

I have had experience of dealing with Royal Mail with regards a lost package.

Filled in the claim form, advised of approx value and within 7 days I received a cheque for the full amount.

No probs at all

 

[mojo]

That gives me hope, fingers crossed

 

[Ziggy]

If at first you don't succeed...

I filled in that form & got a shirty response, effectively telling me to **** off & stop bothering them. So I tried again (presumably someone else answered it), & got my money back with no further questions! This was for an item that never arrived, but I'd still keep trying in your case.

 

[mojo]

The Aussie post office wanted nothing to do with it, said I need to sort it with Royal Mail. Royal Mail senior management (that's how far up the chain it seemed I had to go to speak to someone who actually knew what they were talking about) have said that there's nothing they can do, and that under the Universal Postal something or other agreement the Aussies have to take responsibility seeing as the postage was paid in Australia.

So it basically seems as though the Aussies are trying to wriggle out of their responsibility.

The package wasn't insured so we should only be entitled to AU$50 in compensation (according to the Australia Post terms and conditions) - about half the actual value. Now my other half has got to go back to the post office in Oz and get them to accept a claim form, if they still refuse to have anything to do with it she'll have to complain and get a complaint reference number from Australia Post so we can go to PostWatch (the UK post watchdog) for arbitration.

Meanwhile on Friday I emailed an Investigation Team Manager from a sorting office in Manchester who a relative of mine had dealings with regarding tampered-with mail earlier this year. So far I've heard nothing back, not even an acknowledgement. Considering how serious Royal Mail are meant to take their post security they don't seem too bothered that they seem to have a thieving scumbag(s) working for them.

 

[stew-b]

i had a similar problem from aus,some xtr shifters were sent,royal mail then attempted to deliver them,i was out,took the card down to collect them from sorting office and they had managed to lose them between my house and office.
after many phonecalls and emails the royal mail insisted that the aus sender had to do the claim even though he fullfilled his half of the deal no probelm and it was the royal mail who lost the item after they tried to deliver it!! i gave up in the end.bunch of useless w*nkers.

 

[hamster]

I used to live in Singapore about 6 years ago. All us UK expats had problems with Christmas presents going missing / tampered. Apparently parcels in the UK were handled at Christmas by subcontractors who then took the opportunity for a little Christmas cheer. :shock:

 

[Drapoon]

my brothers out travelling the world & sent a load of clothes back from oz....2 months ago. still not arrived. Hope they arent his boxer shorts you have for your sake!