Royal Mail got the go ahead from Ofcom today to roll out their Delivery to Neighbour programme across the UK in time for Christmas. Delivery to Neighbour will be launched across the UK on Monday the 1st of October, making it easier for people who are out and about when we call to receive their post.
Up until now Royal Mail was the only major delivery company not allowed to deliver to a neighbour as part of its standard practice. Mind you it was a silly rule and my post has habitually, but unofficially, been delivered to my neighbours as has theirs to me when they’re out. About time Ofcom allowed it enabling posties to make their customer’s lives easier without the danger of a reprimand.
Royal Mail wrote to all 29 million addresses across the UK in August providing information about the new delivery initiative which will make it easier for people who are out and about when the post arrives to receive items that are too large to go through the letterbox or require a signature. The only items which will still require a trip to the sorting office to collect will be Special Delivery and inbound international items requiring a signature.
Great news in time for Christmas, bar for the few people who don’t get on with their neighbours in which case there’s absolutely no obligation to accept parcels on their behalf.
15 Responses
Are ebay and paypal going to change their buyer protection terms and conditions to allow for this change of delivery practice?
Do they need to?
While I think this is ok for parcels – I can not believe this is allowed for “recorded delivery”. It makes the service useless.
I had a couple of items left with my neighbour by a courier a few months ago, and the neighbour refused to give them to me, claimed he didn’t have them. Neither the courier or the company I purchased the items would refund me my money as they had been delivered!
Holiday season is coming up and its great news for everyone. Hope for the best and be positive.
Had a buyer contact me yesterday asking where their parcel was. Sent RM Tracked and tracking showed as delivered on Monday, buyer said they had checked with their neighbours but nothing. Later got an email saying that a neighbour further down the road had just brought it and were sorry they had forgotten about it. If Royal Mail are not leaving cards and tracking doesn’t say with a neighbour this is going to be a nightmare.
Looks good on the surface but as with some of the other posters on here, what if you’ve got dodgy neighbours? Nasty people who will even pull the ‘tiny’ sticker off your door so they get your mail? The Jeremy Kyle show carries just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the nasty people there are out there! On the whole, not a good plan, I feel.
The solution would be to allow buyers to ‘opt-in’ to the system in their delivery instructions. Or, even, opt-out; so long as it doesn’t depend on a sticker on the door….
.
There must be a market out there for making & selling stickers, telling RM not to deliver to a neighbour…Cheap to make.
I think it’s a great idea.
As well as making it easier for people to get their parcels, my guess is that many neighbours will get a chance to meet other neighbours for the first time, especially in large city’s.
This can only be a good thing.
Royal Mail wrote to all 29 million addresses across the UK in August providing information about the new delivery initiative’
We are still waiting for the notification to be delivered and still waiting for the requested sticker to opt out. (perhaps they are collated with our INR packages)
I think parameters for ‘neighbour’ should be tighter.
I have a great postie now however, a friend accepted a parcel for a neighbour (there are two houses down a small driveway so she only has 1 neighbour)
Happy to take their parcel she signed but as the postie skidaddled she noticed the address was for a house about 10 minutes walk away!
Running after said postie, he was like…”well it’s signed for now you will just have to pop it round!”
She did of course a few days later when she had time, but the recipient was like ‘oh, I wondered where this was, the tracking said I had signed for it but I had not, I didn’t recognise the name!’
Complaint issued of course but a 10 minute walk is not a neighbour.
I am thinking that we cannot be the only premisis not to receive a notification from the Royal Mail and if the average customer whom might not read forums etc. They might wonder where their package has got to if a neighbour decides to wait for the addressee to collect it. (Or indeed keep it with denial of receipt)
Let see who will be the first victim for it.
I have a feeling a neg is coming in my Amazon account.