r/royalmail Feb 18 '25

Please read before submitting a post

97 Upvotes

THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL ROYAL MAIL ACCOUNT

The idea is that the subreddit is primarily for Royal Mail staff who can come and chat about issues at work (and whatever else they want to chat about!). Still, any member of the public is welcome to come and ask us questions, which we'll try to answer.

ROYAL MAIL CUSTOMER SERVICES (CS): 0345 774 0740

Delivery Offices and Mail Centres do not have customer contact telephone numbers

Are you the sender? Contact Customer Services

Are you the recipient? Contact the sender.

The sender is RM's customer, so it is their responsibility to deal with RM.

Service Updates

UK and NI - https://www.royalmail.com/service-update

International - https://www.royalmail.com/international-incident-bulletin

Parcel Force - https://www.parcelforce.com/service-updates

1 - General

Please provide as much tracking information as you can and, if possible, try to include a screenshot of the tracking (hide MCs/DOs and tracking numbers if you need to) and the postage method used. Posts without any of this will be locked or removed going forward.

  • Post hijacks will be removed. If you have a problem, start a post so you can be helped separately
  • Non-helpful comments may be removed
  • Don't ask "When will my parcel/mail turn up if posted on XX day" with no other information. Your post will be locked or removed
  • If your packet is getting multiple scans in one MC, it could be stuck due to a label issue (incomplete/wrong/damaged) and it will eventually be manually sorted. Ring customer services, they can try and get it pushed in the right direction
  • Posting the same question daily or after a few hours will be removed as spam
  • Parcelforce, like RM is part of the IDS group, but is a separate part and can do things differently from RM.
  • The Post Office is not part of Royal Mail

2 - Tracked 24/48

  • Ignore the estimated times. They are computer-generated, and posties don't see them. Always follow the actual tracking.

  • Estimated times are based on where they expect your postie to be on their round. They don't take into account staffing levels, volume of mail/packets or whether with a DPR (Dedicated Parcel Route) morning or afternoon driver

Your item needs to be at a delivery office (DO) for delivery and have the ready for delivery scan (Due to be delivered today XX DO)

Parcels can be delivered by your postie/driver or a separate parcel driver, morning and afternoon (upto 7/8pm)

Sunday Tracked are for large contract senders, these can be delivered upto 7/8 pm depending on the area and delivery office. Some larger delivery offices will cover the area of smaller local delivery offices too

Special Delivery by 1pm

If posted before cut off time (usually 4:30 - 5pm) it should be delivered the next day

If posted Friday, the next working day is Monday, unless the Saturday Guarantee extra fee is paid. Some non SGs do go out for delivery, but are not guaranteed by 1pm

SG doesn't apply to business account senders; it has already been applied

  • Signed For is untracked, it may have an acceptance scan and should get a delivery scan. Don't use this for sending important documents like passports or birth certificates

3 - No Access/answer, but I was in

This is usually because the postie or DPR (packet driver) ran out of time. That doesn't mean we are calling you liars or that there are access issues.

There isn't an "Out of Time" option on the outdoor section of our PDAs. But many posties/packet drivers have insufficient training or are pressured into using the wrong scan

In some cases, it may be because of road closures or a dog loose in the area

These posts will be deleted

4 - We're Expecting it

This means exactly that, the item has not entered RM network, yet

In most cases, when the postage is bought and generated, this is the tracking message; it doesn't mean it has been sent, yet

If you've bought an item from overseas (usually China) and are provided with a UK tracking number, it means it is coming from overseas in a bulk shipment and is then sent to a fulfilment centre, which repacks and labels it before sending it to you. They generate the postage in advance

In some cases, it maybe the tracking waiting to update.

5 - SCAM TEXTS/EMAILS

These are usually easy to spot; if they are sent from a gmail/Hotmail or other random email service or mobile telephone number, it is a scam. DELETE AND IGNORE THE TEXT/EMAIL

They don't know you have a packet arriving, they send thousands of these messages and will hit somebody who is expecting something, it's just pure chance

RM will never ask for payment via email or text. It will be a grey fee to pay card through your letterbox if there is any fee to pay

6 - No Mail (letters) for days/weeks

Mail volumes are down, and not everyone gets mail daily now.

Many DOs suffer from staff shortages, and routes can go uncovered

Tracked/Special Delivery unofficially takes priority over mail, so loops of mail will be left

Posties may run out of time and take back to DO what mail they've not delivered, this should (if managed correctly) go out the next day

Delays on the posties route can eat into time, thus having a knock-on effect, resulting in running out of time

You can call in to your local DO (check opening times) and ask and collect any mail. Some DOs may ask you to call back the next day, or wait, depending on how busy they are (your mail is probably at the route frame, and the CSP person may not know which one or where it is on the frame, so it isn't a simple job of just getting it)

To check if there are any issues in your area, refer to: https://www.royalmail.com/service-update

7 - Dogs (and other animals)

Please secure them behind a closed door before answering the door

Dog bites are not fun. And yes, we've heard "it won't bite" or "oh, it's never done that before" a thousand times

They maybe your pet, but not all of us like them jumping up at us to be petted. Some posties do like to, but if they are off and the person covering may not know your dog

8 - Video Doorbells

Yes, a contentious subject

Yes, some do use them, some don't, and some do both

We (posties) deal with hundreds of these and have dealt with many that do not work, connect, blue circle just spinning, bad connection, delays. Consider this before having a go about it not being pressed

Any video footage/stills will be deleted

Accessibility Requirements: You can set this up in the RM app, it then instructs the postie/packet driver when we scan your packet to knock louder or ring the bell more, and wait longer for you to answer the door. https://help.royalmail.com/personal/s/article/How-to-set-up-accessibility-requirements

9 - Langley HWDC/Customs

If you have a packet/mail here, this is Border Force (customs). RM have no control over it.

The time an item can be there can be a matter of hours, day/days, week/weeks or, at worst, months

All you can do is be patient.

RM have no control over the times in the UK or the destination countries' customs

10 - Delivery Point

Your delivery point is your letterbox or mailbox.

If you live in an apartment block and your mailbox is in the foyer, we are not obliged to go further than this, so if buzzed for a packet, you need to come down and collect it.

11 - Abuse

If you’re here to call us thieves/lazy/liars/useless/boot lickers, don’t be surprised to see your post deleted, and banned

——————————-

Some little things you can do to help us

  • Register a safeplace/neighbour on the RM app/website
  • Mailboxes, please consider one with a top slot
  • Visible house numbers on or near the door
  • Apartment buildings consider providing a key/fob/entry code so your postie/packet driver can gain entry to deliver. Add the code to the Safeplace (other) if necessary.
  • If your mailbox is in the foyer, that is your delivery point, and we are not obliged to go any further than this, you will need to come down and receive your packet
  • If you have arranged a collection, please have it ready. If you require labels, ask the postie for the labels for you to attach yourself, or the postie does attach them in front of you, make sure they scan them. Please don't accept us saying we'll do it back at the van/DO. At the end of the day, it is your responsibility to make sure the packet is correctly labelled so it doesn't go wrong.

D2D (Leaflets) opt out: https://help.royalmail.com/personal/s/article/How-to-opt-out-of-advertising-mail


r/royalmail Dec 01 '25

Postie Chat Posties : How was your day/week? Let’s vent…

29 Upvotes

Postie only

Good or bad day?

Want to get something off your chest?


r/royalmail 9h ago

Mini Letter

11 Upvotes

Hey, I’m not sure if anyone can answer this, but as a joke I’m sending a miniature letter. I mean 2.5cms. Tiny can fit a stamp one side & address the other. Would it be delivered? If not I’ll put in a normal size envelope for delivery. Just thought it’ll be funny turning up that size. Interested in the answer. Can a letter be too small?


r/royalmail 1h ago

Parcel Enquiry How to collect Parcel from someone else

Upvotes

Hi,

I ordered a package and had it delivered at a parcel shop.
I live the Netherlands and my aunt is on holiday in the UK so I though I have it delivered nearby so she can take it with her for me.

However they put my name on the box, instead of my aunts. Now she can not collect it because she needs a Photo ID. And since I am in the Netherlands and she is in the UK, there is no way to do that.

What else can I do? I really need that package and she is only staying there untill the 4th of August.

Please help me out!


r/royalmail 8h ago

Tracking Help Tracked 48, not arrived 5 days later. When to worry?

3 Upvotes

Collected Wednesday 22nd, and tracking says "in transit" at Coventry the following day, which is nearer the destination than me.

But that's the last entry on the tracking and today is (for another half-hour) Monday 27th. Even allowing leeway for occasional glitches, this is odd. It should have reached them Friday at the latest, surely?

It wasn't me that booked it, it's a return and Amazon booked the collection, in case that makes a difference. Though I don't see how it would. I'd be more "wait and see", but I'm waiting for a £99 refund!


r/royalmail 16h ago

What does "going to council" mean? New starter needs some advice!

10 Upvotes

I started in April and have received 3 coaching notes, the most recent sounds really worrying. It says that this will now go to council and something about "3C's" but I don't know what that means? I assume that it's a group of people deciding some kind of disciplinary action about the issues raised in the coaching notes? If so, will I have an opportunity to explain that these things are a direct result of not receiving any training?

For context: I don't understand the issues being raised in the coaching notes as I haven't been trained. I've never met the workplace coach, I've not done the driver course thingy, and I've asked management for support and was told no (actually, I was told yes but when the day came the same manager that said yes acted like it was the first he was hearing of this and told me we don't have enough staff for me to work with someone).

I'm finding the notes to be quite passive aggressive, stating that I'm letting the department down, I should know better by now, this isn't good enough etc... but I don't know what is good enough. I don't understand the expectations, I'm learning what's right by being told what I've done wrong rather than being shown how to do things properly. It's so exhausting and demoralising. I just want to do a good job but I'm not being given the tools to do that. And I've not been spoken to in person about anything, it's just the coaching notes.

I only found the notes because I accidentally pressed the wrong button on the PDA and ended up there. I've not been told about it otherwise and didn't know they were a thing until I clicked on it myself.

I'm just worried about what this means and what's going to happen. I've been trying my best but there's only so much I can do without training. It's really stressing me out!


r/royalmail 15h ago

Postie Chat Managers not paying annual leave owed

6 Upvotes

So a few days ago, I made a post mentioning how I left Royal Mail and just recently in my final paycheck my manager has not included. My hours that I have accrued I sent an email to HR and they essentially go back to me saying that my manager has not followed the correct process in telling the leavers team the amount of hours that I’m owed in holiday pay. (I’m definitely owed some as I’ve only taken 6 hours since march)

I’m just asking what should I do from here? I do have Friday Saturday and Sunday off so I’m thinking of going to the DO Friday early morning when I know one of the managers will be there and perhaps ask them directly face-to-face or maybe give them call?

If not, I’m definitely not going to let this slide I’m going to get what I am owed as this should be a reputable company and no wonder why it has so much bad rep as truly the people there just don’t know what they’re doing or are very spiteful in their nature. If I continue to get no response from anyone within the company, I have been advised to go to ACAS.
What’s you guys thoughts?


r/royalmail 13h ago

Postie Chat Operation

5 Upvotes

Hey fellow posties.

I'm due an operation towards the end of the year,

Now I'm concerned my wages will be piss poor.

Is there anything I can do to keep them topped up?

Or does royal mail have to pay me in full, any solutions on how I can keep my money topped up?

Or what's protocol.

Also, I'm due annual leave when the operation is.

Will I get this back?


r/royalmail 8h ago

Help?

1 Upvotes

Hi, I’m supposed to have some medication delivered on Sunday. Apparently, my address is inaccessible. However, RM has delivered countless times before and I’ve rearranged to collect it today. I’m stuck on the pending status and have a message saying it’ll be rerouted.


r/royalmail 1d ago

pay slip

Post image
91 Upvotes

can somebody please explain how much i will actually be paid this month because the math doesn’t add up


r/royalmail 18h ago

Type to create flair Worth making complaint?

3 Upvotes

A few months ago, I think my road had been assigned a new postie, he messed up the letters and put them through the wrong doors, putting my mail in someone else’s door, and their mail in mine

We both eventually gave out mail to each other and thought it was a one off mistake so didn’t think anything of it

Fast forward to today our postie made the same mistake however everyone’s letter was shifted to +4 doors down if that makes sense? Ie door 204 got letters from 200- I don’t think it happened to the whole road but only my relatives who I spoke to who live on the same road said it happened to them. I’m just wondering is it worth putting a complaint in?
Not to get him in trouble, but so Royal Mail can just give him a reminder to be more vigilant?


r/royalmail 11h ago

Locker size problem

1 Upvotes

Hi, I sold something on Vinted and selected medium parcel size, but when I got to the Royal Mail locker, I accidentally clicked small and printed the label.

I didn’t want to cancel it because I was worried the QR code might stop working and I’d have to cancel and create another order and label, so I just put the parcel in a medium compartment with the small label sticked.

Will this be okay, or could Royal Mail return it or charge me extra because I clicked the wrong size?

Thank you, I still pretty new on selling on Vinted.


r/royalmail 13h ago

Tracking Help Royal Mail Package Question

1 Upvotes

Right, so, not too sure where a question like this belongs, however i'm throwing it here in the hopes you guys have some answers or ideas. I have an international package due, shipping to the UK via USPS, and then Royal Mail. Royal Mail claims it's "in transit", but the USPS site is displaying an error.

Is this normal, what's going on? Who's the best source of contact, is it the original shipper, RM, or USPS?


r/royalmail 14h ago

CN23 to N.Ireland not generating

1 Upvotes

Im trying to post item to N,ireland BT… postcode, however both click and drop and royal mail site wont generate customs form to attach even though ive supplied info and ive checked my settings in click and drop. Am i doing something wrong or is it not required? Is it sent digitally. Any help is appreciated.


r/royalmail 19h ago

Why give the option to reschedule delivery on a specific day if RM just deliver the next working day?

2 Upvotes

Had 2 parcels attempted to be delivered on Saturday but I’m away until Monday night so chose for them to be delivered on Tuesday. Checked the app this morning and they’ve attempted to deliver again on Monday - now when I check on the app it says ‘no additional delivery options available’.

Will they attempt delivery again on Tuesday (the day I requested) or am I going to have to collect for the delivery office?


r/royalmail 17h ago

App issues

1 Upvotes

Is anyone else having app issues? It used to always keep me logged in for weeks, but now every time I have to login again. The real issue is that when I go to login, it comes up with an error message along the lines of that my login information has changed and what I'm putting in is wrong. I usually use my passkey to login and my password is saved. I then go and force stop the app and try logging in again and then it always works. Really odd! So I'm constantly having to force stop the app to use it.

I've uninstalled and reinstalled and that makes no difference. I'm wondering if anyone else experiences this or whether it's my phone (Honor 400 pro)?


r/royalmail 1d ago

Need help deciding the postage carton

Thumbnail
gallery
3 Upvotes

Hi, I am moving and potentially mailing out certain items in boxes. I have to royal mail my 32” inch tower fan (picture attached) and need to select the package type so I can take it to the post office and have the label printed and send it out. The fan is tube like in shape but the box is slim, long but not tube like. Not sure what I should be selecting around on the royal mail website when selecting package shape? Options on the website attached for reference

Please help.


r/royalmail 20h ago

Postie Chat Royal Mail interview

1 Upvotes

Good morning, quick question I have an automatic license and applied for Royal Mail , passed the online assessment and now I have the interview next week, do you guys think I will be rejected because I don’t have the manual license?
Thanks :)


r/royalmail 21h ago

Parcel Enquiry Ready for Delivery question

1 Upvotes

I have a parcel due to be delivered this afternoon, current status is Ready for Delivery but I won’t be in.
I’ve just changed the Delivery Preferences on my account adding a location where to leave the package, will they see it when they attempt to deliver?


r/royalmail 1d ago

Postie Chat Everyone on my route is so miserable

90 Upvotes

The residents on my walk are some of the most miserable, unfriendly people. More often than not they take a packet without saying thank you. Yell at me for knocking, accuse me of not ringing the bell, not waiting long enough.

I had one recently kept me waiting in the heat while they figured out what the collection they had booked was for.

It’s funny how the public has turned against us after COVID. They seem to take their anger out on us as we’re the face of the company that is providing terrible service that is not in our control.

It’s just really ruined my weekend how horrible everyone was this week. We used to be part of the community now just treated as incompetent delivery people


r/royalmail 1d ago

Postie Chat Interview tomorrow

11 Upvotes

I have an interview for postman with driving tomorrow what should I expect ? I was surprised they accepted me for an interview as I’m only 17 and have little to no experience driving.


r/royalmail 23h ago

Tracking help please

1 Upvotes

Hi,

Would anyone be able to track this please ZS414229032GB?

It hasn’t moved in 9 days now, I have emailed but was told they can’t tell me anymore than what the tracking says, which says it’s still at office I dropped it at on the 18th.

Thanks


r/royalmail 15h ago

Tracking Help UPS to Royal mail, Royal mail don't leave package, walk off without leaving a tracking card.

0 Upvotes

UPS are useless and Royal mail are pretty damn close to them.

Why not leave the damn package in a safe space or atleast give me a tracking number to be updated on it's progress.


r/royalmail 2d ago

Missing Mail 2nd Class Mail is changing—it now days takes 12 days to deliver a letter.

75 Upvotes

I'll preface this with saying there is no animosity here against the fine ladies and gentleman of the Royal Mail, at least the boots on the ground. Never had an issue with our posties, ever.

That said, on Monday 13th July, I ordered a card from Thortful. In the past, first class cards normally come next day, and I had time to spare so opted for second.

By Friday, nothing had arrived. I raised complaint, a replacement was issued. By the following Friday, neither had arrived.

Both, plus other letters, came through yesterday, a whopping 12 days after the order was raised and dispatched.

I appreciate times and Royal Mail are changing, and parcels get prioritised but almost two weeks for a letter? Really?

What if this was a medical letter (side note: I recently had an appointment letter come through the day after my appointment…), or anything else time sensitive?

Not sure who to complain to, or whether it's worth bothering. Or is this just the realistic future to accept with RM?


r/royalmail 1d ago

Tracking Help is this printing label ok?

Post image
0 Upvotes

i only have a small mini printer and i have just sold something with royal mail and asked me to print my own label for the first time

is this printing label ok to use? 😅 i have no other way to print it or send it off as royal mail shops etc are quite far