I’m putting this here because it’s not Folksy related, but is there anyone who can tell me exactly what happens if I send a large letter tracked please?
I want a service where I can receive notification or look it up to prove it has been delivered.
The PO told me I should send it signed for, but I have my doubts that this person would answer the door. So I’ve looked on Click and Drop, I see there is a service called Tracked24. It will go through her letterbox, so is a tracked large letter just a case of the postie putting it through the letterbox and then recording that he’s done so? And I’ll be notified?
Any advice appreciated as at the moment I am planning on driving over there and taking a photo of me hand delivering it, but really I could make better use of a morning!
Yes, Tracked 24 (or 48) is what you need. When you buy it online you are given the tracking number.
It is tracked at each stage of the journey that it gets scanned (when you drop it at the Post Office, at the mail depot, when it reaches the customer’s local delivery depot and when it is delived (with delivery photo)). No signature required, so a large letter will just be posted through the letterbox.
All of those stages are captured on Royal Mail’s tracking website so you (or the customer if you provide them with the tracking number) can follow its progress.
When you buy the postage online, it will ask you for the adressee’s email or mobile number to receive updates. It’s up to you, but I put my email address in there, rather than the customer’s, as I don’t want them to receive annoying updates. On Folksy, I give the tracking number to the customer when I email them confirming shipment, so they can track it if they wish.
Thank you so much for your reply! That sounds like it is exactly what I want. I will put my email address so that I get the updates. Many thanks @Eiderglass xxx
That’s very informative. When I enquired at the post office they weren’t very helpful. Do I have to have an account to buy online? Or can it be a one off? Didn’t want to send signed for as that can be inconvenient for recipient.
@qteacup No, no account is needed to buy postage online - you just go to the main Royal Mail website and follow the steps for ‘Sending an item’. Tracked 24 and 48 (with and without signature) are among the 10 or so options available. You can pay via PayPal or debit card.
Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 are only available to buy online, which is probably why your Post Office weren’t very familiar with them. Until recently, you could only drop off Tracked 24/48 packages at a Delivery/Sorting Office, but now normal Post Offices and concessions will accept them.
You need to have a printer to print out the PDF label (I just print it on A4, cut it out and sellotape on).
Or, if you arrange a (currently free) collection from your house, you can ask that the postie brings the label with them, rather than print out at home. (However, I find the collection service to be very unreliable so I would make sure you have a back-up plan for the days they don’t turn up!). The postie will scan your parcel when they collect, and that generates an emailed Proof of Postage. I believe you might be able to get the labels printed out (via QR code) at the Delivery Office, but I’ve not tried that.
Little known fact: If you download the Royal Mail app (which you can also use to buy your online postage if you want) you can generate a Proof of Postage retrospectively for any tracked service you have bought online (from website or app) provided the item has been scanned at least once on its journey (as I mentioned in my first reply, each package is usually scanned a few times as it goes through the system). This means you can post a Large Letter sized package in any Post Box in the country (providing it fits!), and generate a Proof of Postage retrospectively should it go missing/get damaged (so you can make a claim). There is obviously a small risk that the parcel goes missing before it’s even reached its first scan point… I haven’t tried this yet; I usually arrange a collection and if it doesn’t turn up, take it to my Post Office (who prints a Proof of Postage when they take it).
Ahh, that explains why my PO didn’t offer a tracked service. I usually buy my post online, so I knew it existed, but I didn’t realise it was only available online.
That’s really interesting about normal post offices now accepting the Tracked24 and 48 packages - I quite recently tried to get my local PO to take one and they couldn’t, despite coming up on the RM site search as the nearest drop off point for the service.
I then decided to query it with RM and they confirmed that the PO was right and I couldn’t drop off there… Have you by chance seen a bulletin or something announcing this that I could take to my PO? Am very keen to use the Tracked service
Also, I think the pick up service does differ a lot by area - the handful of times I’ve used it, it’s been great, but I certainly didn’t know they could pick up Tracked24 packages.
I can confirm about getting labels printed at RM depots. There is a qr code in the payment confirmation email and my local RM depot has a qr code scanner/ label printer on the desk - walk up, scan the code (need to have the email on your phone) and then stick the label on. The staff then scan the packet in so you’ve got the proof of posting via the app. (proved a life saver when my printer broke)
(My understanding about dropping off tracked 24/48 items at the PO was that it was implemented during the strikes when the depots were regularly closed because of the industrial action. Now that the strikes seem to be over it is possible that it has reverted back to a RM depot only thing. Never actually tried to drop them off at a PO as the depot is closer for me)
Yes, the dropping off of Tracked 24/48 at normal Post Offices started in November during the strikes.
All information published online about the Tracked products (e.g. Royal Mail Tracked 24 | Royal Mail and the instructions given when you buy a Tracked 24/48 product has now been updated (within the last month or so) to say you can drop off at any Post Office. I would try again @thecrimsonrabbit, perhaps taking a print out of that link?
Thank you so much for a very comprehensive reply. It was a larger (for me) order and I was a little concerned. I know not everyone wants to sign for a parcel or have to collect it if not in. Now I will know what to do in the future.
I bought the postage online this morning for this pesky letter (Tracked24) and husband took it up to the PO and they took it and gave him proof of postage with no problem.
I think advice in the PO (like most places) can be a bit ‘hit and miss’ and depends on the person you’re speaking to. I was in our main PO this morning (which is in our local WHS shop and run by their staff) and they told a customer that a Signed For service would be tracked all the way through it’s journey, which is in correct. My local Sub-PO (which I try to use and support as much as possible) have previously told me that Signed For goes in the normal mail bag and through the normal mail system - there is just a signature (by either the recipient or delivery person whatever is operating at the moment) but Tracked Services go separately so they can be tracked throughout their entire journey.
! Thank goodness for Folksy sellers, can always find an answer here.
Thanks so much, will ask them today.