Last week I was on a high - my first sale on Folksy! Excitedly sent the parcel off on Tuesday by Royal Mail First Class Signed For. Each day I checked to see if the parcel was delivered using the tracking number. It hadn’t been - just said it was “being progressed through our network”.
Today the seller contacted me as it hadn’t turned up today either. Royal Mail are pretty useless when you want to speak to someone - it’s all automated. Looks like if it doesn’t arrive today I’ll have to refund the buyer and I’m soooo disappointed that my first sale could end like that.
Seriously considering now what to do postage wise in the future…
Since it was signed for someone would have had to be home to receive it when it was delivered. If no one was home RM should have left a card to let them know where to collect the parcel. It might be that they didn’t see the card and it just got binned or the delivery person forgot to leave it.
In my experience with tracked parcels they always show as progressing right up until they’re actually delivered. So if your customer missed the card their parcel might be in their local RM sorting office or post office waiting for them. Ask them to check maybe? It’s a pain but it might be quicker than you trying to get hold of RM and find it that way.
Thanks Melanie. It’s gone to a works address so there should’ve ben someone there to receive it. I’ve asked the buyer to give it today to see if it turns up and if not to contact me again direct so I can take further action. I’ll ask them to double check it’s not at their local depot awaiting delivery before I do the refund though just in case as you say.
Just feel really deflated for my first Folksy sale as it took 2.5 months to get it in the first place.
I sent a package signed for, it was a gift so the recipient didn’t now it was coming, and she wasn’t in when it was delivered. The card was left but never found. The buyer thought it odd that her friend hadn’t thanked her, so we assumed it hadn’t arrived. I phoned the local sorting office (found the number on google), spoke to a very helpful gent who confirmed it was still waiting for collection. Anyway, it was eventually collected, so all was well, but it’s easy for cards to be missed, so try to get a number for the sorting office and give them the tracking code - they should be able to let you know whether it’s actually reached them or not.
When checking for tracked parcels, try this Royal Mail site as I have found the information given on your parcel’s progress is more accurate than the link on the Royal Mail website:
I agree with the title 'Sooo disappointed in Royal Mail’
I took my ‘you were out’ card to RM depot yesterday to collect my package. I produced my Bus Pass as ID (I’m a wrinkly)
Despite having my signature and photograph on it, Royal Mail refused to accept this as proof of identity. They did however accept a bank card - I said to the lady ‘I could have stolen this !’ to be met with a shrug of the shoulders.
So be warned, best to take a Driving Licence or Passport when picking up from Royal Mail Depot.
As the items I make in my Folksy shop are usually over 2kg in weight I tend to use My Hermes as a courier as they are much cheaper than Royal Mail. I find that Hermes delivery times are getting much better of late.
I drop my parcels off in my local corner shop, and they normally arrive 2-3 days later at the outside.
I sent a parcel from Grimsby to Bristol last week. Dropped it off before the 12 noon deadline on Friday and it was delivered to my customer at 9.30am on Saturday!
So well done My Hermes ! You can’t get better than that. (I have no connections with My Hermes btw)
Thanks Carol @PopUpZoo, I’ve used that and it just says what I already know, that I posted it on the 27th May.
I’m going to give the depot local to the buyer a call today to see if it’s there and has been overlooked. I can’t see why it wouldn’t have been delivered seeing as it’s a works place and that’s why the buyer had it purposely sent there because there would be someone there to take delivery of it.
@JFTCarpentry I’ve looked into myhermes and feel they may well be getting my business in future. As a first time experience of Royal Mail as a small business I’m not impressed!
I use Collect Plus and haven’t been let down. I send heavy breakables and so far all has been well. I like them because I can be really generous and use plenty of packaging to protect my work and watch the parcel being tracked. X
Quick update - I contacted the Local Delivery Office to the buyer and they have checked and haven’t received it. It’s a well known business so they do a big delivery every day. Last thing is for me to check my local post office and then after that I’ll have to refund. Feel sorry for my buyer as she doesn’t get the item she paid for but a refund instead, not to mention what I’ve now got to sort out claim wise with the PO.
Just phoned my local PO, they advised I phone the number on my receipt, which I did. Automated response saying it could take up to 15days for my item to be delivered! Not happy!
Really sorry you’ve had such bad luck with your first sale Liz. If it’s any consolation - and it probably isn’t - it doesn’t happen that often, so you have been exceptionally unlucky. It may still turn up, or it may come back to you for some reason, but all you can do for now is keep your buyer happy and apologise - I’m sure they understand it’s out of your control. Better luck with the next sale, which I hope will be very soon
My local depot has a sign saying they "insist on seeing photographic ID. No parcel will be handed over without proof of identity"
Never have I been asked…
I have very very few sales on Folksy, so when I do sell I feel it’s so important to give a good impression.
Recently a seller contacted me, having received a card through the door from Royal Mail and on collecting her parcel was told she had to pay £2.70 postage…which I had already paid!!!
I went back to my post office with my proof of postage and was told it would be “some jobsworth in the delivery office” who was responsible. Of course I have no way of addressing this further and I feel annoyed that when I finally do sell, the buyer has been given a really bad impression of me.
Bojanglies, my depot has the same sign insisting on photo ID. (I’m often in the long queue on a Sat morning observing it all) and have seen bank cards accepted as ID which is ridiculous.
Not for a minute suggesting that this is the case here but just a warning to keep all those tracking slips even after Royal Mail says it has delivered. I sold an item once, ( not on here but on a well known auction site!), sent it tracked, saw it had been delivered and forgot about it. A couple of weeks later the buyer said they hadn’t received it and could I please send tracking details. Fortunately I still had the tracking slip in a “need to sort out” pile on my desk and was able to send a copy of the signature to them. Funnily enough I never heard another thing…think they may have been trying it on, hoping I had thrown the slip away and would therefore have no proof of delivery and would have to give a refund. I now make sure I keep all my tracking slips!
Another update and GOOD NEWS, Edward the Owl and the bracelet turned up!! After advice from here and ringing the depots/offices involved, it was delivered yesterday. The buyer has left some lovely feedback too, so I can now relax and concentrate on my hare I’m entering for an art exhibition this weekend!
Hmmm, strange that it should be delivered on the very day you phoned them…but it’s there and that’s great news, so best not dwell on what may/may not have happened to it. Onwards and upwards!
Yay! It was very, very unfortunate that your first order was delayed, but as others have said it’s quite rare for things to go astray so hopefully that means that all your other orders with be delivered with no issues(or delays!).
I agree. It is really disappointing when a buyer says something hasn’t been delivered & we do take it personally. I’ve had 2 occasions in the last 12 months (on different sites) where the buyers have said ‘not received’, so I sent out a 2nd item as both times they were needed by ‘that weekend’. A few days later I emailed them to see if either items had been received & … no reply.
Royal Mail no longer guarantee next day delivery for 1st class posting, but I guess we all expect to receive something the next day. They are usually very good though. Hope everything goes well with your next sales & your confidence will be given a well earned boost.
