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Better late than never

(27 Posts)
M0nica Sun 02-Feb-25 11:46:58

Yesterday I found a parcel on the doormat delivered by Royal Mail. I looked at it blankly, not having ordered anything online recently.

It was in a black polythene wrapper about 15 inches by 12 inches, soft - and had been slit open along the long side revealing that it contained polythene bags od some kind.

I was completely perplexed, until I looked at the label and realised that the dispatch date on it was 14/02/20_24_.

Then, it all came back to me. This time last year we were busy selling and planning the move out of our holiday home in France and I ordered 3 thick polythene single bed mattress covers to cover the matresses to make sure they did not get damaged in transit. I also ordered double bed bags and other packaging materials. I did wonder what had happened to the single bed covers, but assumed they had arrived but I had put them in ne of those safe places where things can never ever be found.

The puzzle is: why have they taken nearly a year to reach me, why did someone feel the need to slit the parcel open to check on the contents, a quick feel would make it clear what was inside and where has the parcel been for the past year.

Anyway we are now selling our house in the UK (its been on the market a long time and we had our first serious potential buyer round yesterday, so I will be able to use them when we move from this house.

Whitewavemark2 Sun 02-Feb-25 13:06:29

Drugs

AuntieE Sun 02-Feb-25 13:14:34

Does the Royal Mail have a dead-letter office for parcels?

I mean what do they do with al the parcels that drivers say no-one was at home to receive? Even although we were!

Do they just kick those parcels to the front of the van, until there isn't room for any more?

Has the parcel been to any address that looks remotely like yours (or doesn't, as the case may be?) or to every householder with a name like yours?

There are endless possibilities here, aren't there?

M0nica Sun 02-Feb-25 14:44:36

It didn't feel like drugs and from a UK retailer - all details on the label, who must send out a hundred parcels a day like this. the double bed covers got through alright.

One of life's great mysteries.

maddyone Sun 02-Feb-25 14:54:02

Royal Mail are very poor. A friend of mine sent us a Golden Wedding card last year in August. It still hasn’t arrived. I sent a birthday card to my niece last November. That still hasn’t arrived arrived. I’ve recently ordered some personalised cards. They were ordered over two weeks ago and neither has arrived. If they still haven’t arrived in a few more days, I’ll let the vendors know and when this happens, they normally sent out the items again. Both were sent Royal Mail.

I think Royal Mail is a disgusting service, if it even qualifies as a service any longer. With the cost of a first class stamp being around £1.80 (I think) and the cost of the card (usually between £2 and £3) it makes the total loss around £4 to £5 just to send a card, and the cost to a vendor when goods go astray must be huge.

maddyone Sun 02-Feb-25 14:55:39

Correction.
No, first class stamp is £1.65, not £1.80.

M0nica Sun 02-Feb-25 19:23:01

I might add that the parcel was posted through the letterbox when we were out.

AreWeThereYet Sun 02-Feb-25 20:31:13

MrA is hypothesizing that it was nicked by someone in one of the depots then chucked away when they realised it wasn't something they wanted. A year later it was found by someone else and put in the deliveries.

😁😁

Oreo Sun 02-Feb-25 20:39:00

AreWeThereYet

MrA is hypothesizing that it was nicked by someone in one of the depots then chucked away when they realised it wasn't something they wanted. A year later it was found by someone else and put in the deliveries.

😁😁

I bet you’re right!😆

maddyone Sun 02-Feb-25 21:01:48

But where do all the lost cards go?

midgey Sun 02-Feb-25 21:12:29

My daughter posted my birthday card at 4.30 in her local shop/post office in Nottinghamshire. She rang to apologise that she had missed the post. It arrived safely the next morning in Staffordshire before lunch!

JaneJudge Sun 02-Feb-25 21:20:34

The cards get stolen as they might have money in them
Honestly it’s such a poor service nowv

M0nica Mon 03-Feb-25 08:30:59

Oreo

AreWeThereYet

MrA is hypothesizing that it was nicked by someone in one of the depots then chucked away when they realised it wasn't something they wanted. A year later it was found by someone else and put in the deliveries.

😁😁

I bet you’re right!😆

Yes, I also think this is probably what happened. Although what there was about a small flat package, relatively heavy, but obviously containing something folded, to attract a potential thief, I cannot imagine.

Lizzie44 Mon 03-Feb-25 12:17:30

Royal Mail isn't what it used to be. Increased prices and worsening service unfortunately. A glimpse inside our local sorting office reveals a chaotic system with letters and packages lying around all over the place. Should add that postmen/women who deliver our mail are friendly and helpful, though clearly unhappy about their working environment, shifts etc.

mabon1 Mon 03-Feb-25 13:13:22

The boys and girls who do our round are great. They always leave a note telling me where they have left the parcel if I am not at home when they call.

Oreo Mon 03-Feb-25 13:17:37

maddyone

But where do all the lost cards go?

Do they have their own version of Paradise?🤔

fluttERBY123 Mon 03-Feb-25 13:21:26

JaneJudge

The cards get stolen as they might have money in them
Honestly it’s such a poor service nowv

Even as I posted a birthay card with cash to dgs at uni I wondered if it would get there and it didn't. Last time I will.do.it.

seadragon Mon 03-Feb-25 13:30:33

I've been sending almost all mail by Special Delivery costing an average of £10 because our mail is either not reaching us at all or being delivered to another cottage in the village with a similar name with monotonous regularity. However, a neighbour mentioned last month that he'd sent a cheque and card over Christmas which arrived empty with a side slit open.....

LovesBach Mon 03-Feb-25 14:25:19

A few days ago I received a birthday card from a friend, posted in the middle of December. The address, postage and post code were correct, and it had been cheerfully franked 'Post early for Christmas'. Where has that been lurking?

Delila Mon 03-Feb-25 14:30:40

Royal Mail service is excellent here, for both letters and parcels.

SillyNanny321 Mon 03-Feb-25 19:13:44

Still trying to get Royal Mail to send back to a Seller the parcel that they say they tried to deliver to me but I was out! At the time I was in my kitchen in the front of my property so could see that no one actually walked down the path at the time stated! No photo either! Royal Mail insist that I should pick the parcel up from them despite them knowing that there is no way I can! Live alone & disabled, nearby family work & cannot get time off when Royal Mail are open! Will I ever get my payment back? Probably not as the parcel has likely been opened & contents sold down the local Pub! Sorry for the lengthy rant but hate Royal Mail with a passion now!

M0nica Mon 03-Feb-25 19:16:50

mabon1

The boys and girls who do our round are great. They always leave a note telling me where they have left the parcel if I am not at home when they call.

But in my case, the parcel spent a year somewhere else before the postman had sight or sign of it

jocork Mon 03-Feb-25 22:15:21

I now get very few deliveries and everything arrives in a batch of four or five letters - usually bills or junk. I received significantly less Christmas cards this year which I assume is because of the increase in postage charges. I hope it isn't that a lot of people have died in the last year and I haven't heard!

nanna8 Mon 03-Feb-25 22:19:40

They check nearly everything here, especially from China. It doesn’t delay things much,though. I think your parcel must have been ‘lost in the mail’ for a time !

nanna8 Mon 03-Feb-25 22:20:58

Cards etc from the UK take weeks and weeks. Thought it was our lot but maybe it is your end ? I got a Christmas card last week.