Hiya,
Hoping to hear some of your experiences re items posted by royal mail not arriving. I used to post everything with proof of postage, but I’m trying to limit my contacts with people/places due to my son’s complex health needs and the likelihood of Covid impacting him more than others. So instead I’ve been buying 50 second class large letter stamps at a time then using these to post at post boxes instead. The weight is fine - usually around 50g, but I’ve had so many disappear into a black hole somewhere that I need to change something, I just don’t know what. I advise customers that second class has a delivery aim of two to three working days, but may well take longer at the moment. I post maybe ten to twelve (of these) a week, and two of those never arrive. When the customer gets in touch I check when I posted it, explain to them that there are delays at the moment, and ask them to wait a few more days (ideally at least seven working days since I posted), and if it still isn’t there after that I send another.
Am I being a mug? Should I go back to doing it all via the post office, get proof of postage of every item then send them this if it doesn’t arrive? Or post everything tracked? Or ask them to wait longer before I send another? This has been the pattern over about the last two months, and as of today not a single one of the ‘it hasn’t arrived’ parcels has ever arrived, or been returned to sender.
Thoughts?
Lucas
Because all my local post offices are in shops (so a high traffic area best avoided) I switched to buying my postage online (which allows me to print out a certificate of posting at the same time) and then taking it to the local royal mail depot to drop off and stamp the certificate of posting (all of which can be done without seeing another soul and there is a bottle of sanitizer next to the stamp so I can give it a quick wipe down before using it). Would that be an option for you?
For second class Royal Mail don’t consider it lost until 10 days after the anticipated delivery window so I’d ask people to wait a little longer before sending a replacement.
You must be very unlucky with your Royal Mail…quite probably depends on the area you are in.
It is so rare for any of my packages to go missing but I do always go to my very local and rural post office with them and hand them over the counter (all very safe, sanitiised, masks, 2 in shop only at a time and Jo the postmistress behind a full glass screen).
I always post first class because that way I know that most will get there the next day (I Know 4 out of 8 posted monday got there Tuesday as the customers messaged to thank me and the other 4 quite possibly did as well) .
I do this way have my proof of postage but I have only used that ONCE in 10 years of having an online shop.
How do you do your labels. ?? Mine are copy / pasted from the order email (much clearer / safer than writing them out especially the post code) and are size 26 font in black bold so they are very clear. I also cover the label with selotape in case they get a bit wet and obscured. And …on the back is a return label and inside I have full return address and customers address… so unless a post-person is ‘diverting’ them they are always more than likely to get to the destination and they do…
PS Only just checked to see what you are posting and see it is glass and you don’t charge postage I charge postage at cost and I only ever post small package (except for jewellery which is slim enough for a large letter Pip box…). as I pack my glass to ensure it will not get broken and 1 inch depth limit of large letter to my mind does not allow for adequate packaging. I also NEVER put Fragile on the package as postie tells me they are the packages used for football practice at the sorting office. I prefer to pack so it doesn’t matter if I or someone else drops it.
In my experience it’s very rare for orders to go missing forever, they’re just delayed. RM don’t class 2nd class items as lost until 13 working days (11 working days for 1st class mail) so I wouldn’t refund or send a replacement until then. Make sure that you check with the customer that the delivery address is correct too
I think you’ve been very unlucky or, do you have dishonest customers and the items have arrived? I’d hope not but it does happen. In 11 years of selling online I’ve never had an item not arrive. I had one to Ireland severely delayed but that was the height of covid and it did eventually arrive. In that case I did refund the customer once royal mail deemed the item lost and I started a claim off royal mail. The following day the customer told me it had arrived and she paid again and I cancelled my claim. I send everything tracked. I initially started out on ebay selling yarn, patterns etc and although I never experienced it, the forums were rife with sellers saying customers claiming items had not arrived so I just though I’d always cover myself so if my customers say the item hasn’t arrived I can track it.
I too have had problems with two of my local mail boxes, so I have to drive to the local post office for my own peace of mind. That has worked so far (I am touching wood as I type). Sacha’s method seems to be the best idea for you during the covid situation, but for me the royal mail depot would be even further away! This all adds cost to the postage.
I had a repeat customer a few weeks back whose first order arrived in 7 days and their second order took just over a month to arrive - both had been sent 1st class. Not sure if postal issues are as bad as they were, but I remember reading items going through London and Bristol may take far longer to reach their destinations.
Waiting longer before sending replacements sounds like really good advice Sasha - I think I’m probably overly scared of negative reviews, so don’t like to keep people waiting! I don’t have a printer at home, so can’t do the online postage thing unfortunately.
Hiya, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I never put fragile on the outside either, or use ‘Abstract Lucas Glass’ for exactly the same reason! The items I’m talking about are small rainbows, loosely wrapped with wire, and the little PIP boxes are fine for them with plenty of room for padding too 
. I think I might start charging postage for everything else though - it just seems sensible.
I don’t have a printer, so my addresses are handwritten, but my writing is reasonably clear - I might try and find a thicker pen though, as it certainly couldn’t do any harm! I also take a photo of the front of every box for my records, so if a parcel doesn’t arrive I can send this to the buyer so they can see if it’s correct! (It’s never not been)
I think you’re right - I need to make it really clear that responsibility less with RM once I’ve posted it - then I won’t feel guilty about saying I can’t do anything until the time has elapsed!
It may just be ridiculous delays - I sent something first class signed for on Thursday last week and the first delivery attempt was yesterday 
Hi Carol,
I think sending everything tracked may be the way to go, at least while there are so many delays still. My concern is that for smaller items this feels like a lot of money, but I suppose if it’s clear this is the postage cost there’s not much more I can do!
Hi Chris,
I am now trying to think whether most of the missing ones went in the same post box, and I think there’s a possibility they may have - I’ll make sure I never use that one again! 
That’s really interesting, as I’m in Bristol! I had a first class tracked item that I posted on Saturday that only arrived yesterday, so I suppose it shouldn’t be such a big surprise to me that second class things are taking so long! It’s just so frustrating, as I really don’t think customers separate out what I have power over and am responsible for, from what I’ve paid RM to do!
You sound to be doing everything you can bar avoiding sticking things into post boxes. I wonder how you manage without a printer… I scan all the patterns I draw, save them in my patterns folder and then print out as needed… Just about to print a couple right now.
Couldn’t do without my printer. Would be hopelessly lost. In fact when it decided it had printed enough copies and was adamant it would print no more (Built in obsolescence 
) I ordered another that same day to be delivered the next.
Good luck with your post. Hope it improves for you xx
PS I envy you your big kiln… mine has an 18cm plate and that is as big as I will be going as my main work is stained glass and my 18cm works off a domestic electric supply and takes up little space … My daughter near Stroud has a pottery kiln with a glass program so one of these days I will fill it with big glass things… when we can travel freely again that is.
I wouldn’t worry too much. The last item I sold earlier this week was £3.50 for the item and £2.40 postage
I bought my printer for £35 (including starter ink cartridges) from Argos and claimed it as a business expense - getting a printer might work out cheaper than having to replace the missing parcels! (Its a Canon and whilst it might not print photos out to any decent quality, it prints out black and white postage labels and packing slips just fine and doubles as a scanner for when I have to fill in and email back application forms for craft markets).
that is very true - unfortunately we are now in a world where some people expect items to appear on their doorsteps or through their letterboxes the next day, come what may! I send all my items 1st class but sometimes wonder if there really is much difference between that and 2nd class when it comes to delivery in certain areas. Another area that takes longer than it should is Norwich. I have a customer in that area that is a regular buyer from me and now knows items will take a week, 1st class, to arrive. Shocking isn’t it?
Just as an interesting point - I have recently moved and went to my local postbox for the first time the other day. It had a big sticker on it saying NHS priority post box. When I got home I googled it and found out it was for people to post their covid tests back and so presume that it is always emptied even if others are not. Might be worth seeing if there is one of these near you - at least you will know it should be collected.
I wondered what the NHS priority box was Roz as the box i use has that sticker on never thought to google it
What a good idea Lucas! It’s a matter of seconds to take a photo on a phone and well worth it for peace of mind.