Undelivered letter/card to UK

brousuka

Hi, I posted a christmas card/letter to a relation in London (from Limerick) almost 2 weeks ago and it hasn't arrived yet. This is very unusual as it normally takes only 2/3 days, the letter was perfectly addressed with proper postcode etc. as I always ensure this. I wonder can anyone help me as to who to contact or what to do? I have been on the An Post and Royal Mail websites but can't find any info on undelivered items etc. There wasn't any money in the envelope but there was an important family document. Any help greatly appreciated.

Paulw

If the item isn't registered then you have no way of tracking it.

If you didn't put a return receipt on the outside, it is unlikely to be returned to you.

It simply may have been lost in transit.

If you're sending anything important, you should be sending it by registered post.

One Of Shanks

Did you send it by "Registered Post" or just standard post?

brousuka

One Of Shanks wrote: »

Did you send it by "Registered Post" or just standard post?

Sorry, I sent it standard post.

One Of Shanks

brousuka wrote: »

Sorry, I sent it standard post.

Sorry, I really dont fancy your chances of being able to trace it so.

If you're sending anything of value (even if its just sentimental value) then you really should register it, and place a commercial value on it. At least that way you'll be compensated if it gets lost.

But thats not really of any use to you now in this case.


Its possible that it might still turn up, fingers crossed

aarmoran

im new to this just randomly passing how do i post my own question? any help apriciated

Paulw

brousuka wrote: »

Sorry, I sent it standard post.

Since you sent it standard post, it's impossible to trace, and you have no recourse if it is not delivered. Sorry.

January

You know that there is a major backlog of the postal system in England due to strikes last month?

brousuka

adrieanne__x wrote: »

You know that there is a major backlog of the postal system in England due to strikes last month?

Hmmm, was it only last month?! this could definitely be a factor, I thought it would all be cleared by now but hopefully this might be the reason. If anyone else is in the same boat please let us know and thanks to ya all for the quick replies!

jor el

Was it a sealed envelope? A sealed card says one thing to a wood-be postal thief; MONEY INSIDE.

You can file a lost post form with the An Post, you can probably get this in any post office, but realistically, it's gone, especially since it was going over-seas.

Clare Bear

I saw a documentary a while back about Royal Mail. The number of post that goes "missing" is ridiculous. They had hidden cameras and showed loads of the workers stealing things. Anything that looked like a birthday card and may have money in it was automatically opened. I hope your letter didn't meet the same ending but next time register anything important to be on the safe side. I hope it turns up!

soccerc

jor el wrote: »

Was it a sealed envelope?

All mail should be sent in sealed envelopes regardless of the contents

dudara

Your card could well be caught up in the backlog of mail that they're still working to clear. As you sent it standard post, there's no way of tracing it.

jor el

soccerc wrote: »

All mail should be sent in sealed envelopes regardless of the contents

Not if it's a card, as it makes it look like you've money in it. I've had sealed cards, with nothing in them, go missing, and open envelope cards with money in them get through with no problem.

I never send cards in sealed envelopes. If there's some important document you want to send, send it separately in a sealed envelope, and/or registered.

soccerc

jor el wrote: »

Not if it's a card, as it makes it look like you've money in it. I've had sealed cards, with nothing in them, go missing, and open envelope cards with money in them get through with no problem.

I never send cards in sealed envelopes. If there's some important document you want to send, send it separately in a sealed envelope, and/or registered.

Since 1993 following the introduction of automated culling facing and sorting all mail should be presented in sealed envelopes with a return address on the face of the item, not the reverse

Miaireland

I got to the point where I send cards in ordinary brown envelopes. I was sick of cards not arriving.

chickenpoo

I'm in Australia, and only just received something that was posted from London at the beginning of November, so there definitely are still delays. It would normally only take about a week to arrive.

center15

I received a postcard from Greece one year after it was posted so maybe it will arrive one day!

brousuka

Thanks again for all these observations, when I think of it the envelope (red xmas card envelope) was sealed and was ever so slightly bulky as if it looked that there could be some cash in it. It sickens me to think that some individual could ever think of stealing and destroying it, btw postal theft is a very serious offence isn't it? You know it's not just a greeting card that im pi$$ed about it's the long letter that i wrote (and I don't write letters often)! and the document with it that was meant for a very dear relation in London. I will definitely, definitely register ANY thing I ever send overseas again.

dxhound2005

Give An Post Customer Services a call at 1850 575859 and ask is there any point you filling in a missing letter enquiry form. It is just possible that it was undelivered for some legitimate reason and it is on it's way back to you if you had a return address on it or is awaiting an enquiry if the contents are deemed worth holding if you hadn't.

More likely of course unfortunately is that it was stolen or delivered to the wrong house. The latter is a worwide problem with postmen and if this happened some kind soul might still hand it back in or deliver it to the right address.

brousuka

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Give An Post Customer Services a call at 1850 575859 and ask is there any point you filling in a missing letter enquiry form. It is just possible that it was undelivered for some legitimate reason and it is on it's way back to you if you had a return address on it or is awaiting an enquiry if the contents are deemed worth holding if you hadn't.

More likely of course unfortunately is that it was stolen or delivered to the wrong house. The latter is a worwide problem with postmen and if this happened some kind soul might still hand it back in or deliver it to the right address.

Thank you dxhound2005, just rang this number and a kind lady told me that there is possibly some delays in the London area on incoming mail from overseas as a hangover from the recent strike. Other than that she echoed most of what was said here peviously. I'll hope for the best, Cheers.

eth0_

adrieanne__x wrote: »

You know that there is a major backlog of the postal system in England due to strikes last month?

No there's not. The postal system recovered very quickly after that strike, in fact it wasn't heavily affected at all as the Royal Mail had already brought in temporary staff to cover the Christmas increase in workload.

milly4ever

in a similar position- sent an xmas card a week ago from dublin to england and they still haven't got it. i had put a smaller card inside the main one and put an 82c stamp on it, still hoping it might get there