Are Royal Mail Allowed To Do This?

[Ronnie10]

A few days ago i was expecting a parcel and tried to track it hundreds of time with the tracking showing "
Item ********* was posted at * *** **** **** ** on 05/02/13 and is being progressed through our network for delivery."

I came home late at night after 3 days and was horrified to find my parcel dumped on my steps which surprises me as there has been a lot of crime around here and how no one saw and stole it still surprises me.
This was a very valuable item to me ( Sentimental ) and was irreplaceable.

The sender or myself did not state at any time to leave to leave this on the stairs or anywhere else and i knowing that i would be away fully expected my parcel to have gone to the nearby sorting office where it was safe and a card left in my postbox as per normal.

Even though i now have the parcel the tracking still states "Item ********* was posted at * *** **** **** ** on 05/02/13 and is being progressed through our network for delivery." Instead of delivered which clearly shows that the postman didn't do his or her job correctly.

What action can i take? I don't want this postman or postwoman sacked but i want Rm to know that this occurred so that they take steps to make sure this doesn't happen ever again.

( I've previously made a complaint last year regarding another missing parcel which to this day i haven't received a reply ) So i don't have much faith in the automated complaint system.

Did Rm do wrong and if so what can i do?

[Old_Geezer]

On the steps is rough. I know many couriers try to hide the parcel though. I suspect it's against the rules so your only recourse is to complain and hope the postie just gets a verbal ticking off.

[roopower]

I recently sent for an item, delivery notes said courier would NOT leave the item anywhere but specified neighbours, not behind bin, in garage etc. Came home and discovered the parcel in the bin, so the couriers don't take much notice of official policy. This wasn't Royal Mail.

[Canary42]

The default action used to be returning the undeliverable item to the depot, but a few months ago I received a letter from the Royal Mail saying this would change to leaving it with a neighbour unless I displayed a note to the contrary. I applied for such a note and they provided me with one (a poor specimen hardly likely to last a year) which I now display.

I don't remember the letter saying anything about leaving it on the doorstep - are you sure the postie left it there and not a neighbour ?

[vulcan]

Royal Mail is not alone in doing this, another company told me via their website that delivery would be Monday or Tuesday and they needed a signature. I stayed in both days and nothing arrived.Came home on the Wednesday to find parcel leaning against front door. You can only inform them but I doubt they will even acknowledge, my carrier didn't.

[Peter Pedant]

welll I think you're lucky

one (I) cant post a CD to my brother as they never arrive, having been opened by the post man and if lousy or not what he wanted, thrown away.

(others have found the thrown away item(s))

No complaints on the grounds that at least they get their letters.....