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Postman refusing to leave registered post with landlady?
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08-05-2012 10:58am#1I'm not at home this morning but expecting a delivery I had asked my landlady who lives in the lower part of our house to listen out for it.
I received a phone call a short while ago to hear her telling me the post man was at the door but was refusing to let her sign for and take the item in my stead.
She opened the front door to him, the very door I would have opened to him, told him she knows me, who she is, and that she could take the item for me.
The postman told her it was registered post and if I did not receive it he would be in trouble and her to 'close over the door now'.
If An Post workers are under strict instruction not to leave post with anyone else, even if that person opens the door of the destination address, than I will understand the postman is just doing his job, but I am certain I have signed for deliveries for others in the past and there was no issue.
I've been on to An Post's customer care centre and will be again when my landlady texts me the delivery number from the We missed you leaflet the postman put through the door after refusing to leave the item. They told me they would get to the bottom of it.
Have any of you encountered anything like this before? Does it not seem strange the item would not be left with someone answering the door of the destination address? Surely we're all familiar with a friendly delivery agent asking 'Can you sign for this?'.0
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I'm not at home this morning but expecting a delivery I had asked my landlady who lives in the lower part of our house to listen out for it.
I received a phone call a short while ago to hear her telling me the post man was at the door but was refusing to let her sign for and take the item in my stead.
She opened the front door to him, the very door I would have opened to him, told him she knows me, who she is, and that she could take the item for me.
The postman told her it was registered post and if I did not receive it he would be in trouble and her to 'close over the door now'.
If An Post workers are under strict instruction not to leave post with anyone else, even if that person opens the door of the destination address, than I will understand the postman is just doing his job, but I am certain I have signed for deliveries for others in the past and there was no issue.
I've been on to An Post's customer care centre and will be again when my landlady texts me the delivery number from the We missed you leaflet the postman put through the door after refusing to leave the item. They told me they would get to the bottom of it.
Have any of you encountered anything like this before? Does it not seem strange the item would not be left with someone answering the door of the destination address? Surely we're all familiar with a friendly delivery agent asking 'Can you sign for this?'.
I think he was doing his job properly, much prefer that than the "I didn't get it or sign for it"0 -
Next time, you should contact An Post first and tell them that you've given permission to your landlady to sign for it.0
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Postmen can't win, if they let someone else sign for it, there'll be people on here (and have been in the past) complaining that something highly personal was left with the nosey next door neighbour.
If they don't let someone else sign for it people will complain that they've to go miles out of their way to pick it up.0 -
keithclancy wrote: »I think he was doing his job properly, much prefer that than the "I didn't get it or sign for it"
Apparently he was not doing his job properly, see what An Post said to me.Next time, you should contact An Post first and tell them that you've given permission to your landlady to sign for it.
I've been advised by An Post that's unnecessary.schemingbohemia wrote: »Postmen can't win, if they let someone else sign for it, there'll be people on here (and have been in the past) complaining that something highly personal was left with the nosey next door neighbour.
It was my landlady, not my next door neighbour, and she answered the door the parcel was addressed to.
Spoke with An Post customer care again once I had the delivery number. They said their policy was for the postmen to leave packages with anyone who answers the door of the address.
The agent said she would contact the manager at the sorting office and make sure it's re-delivered properly tomorrow, glad I rang to complain.0 -
It was my landlady, not my next door neighbour, and she answered the door the parcel was addressed to.
How does the postman know that ? Does she have a landlady ID badge on her ?
Could be anyone.
When I was house sharing in Ireland I would not be happy if the postman gave my registered mail to someone in the house, could be anyone visiting a fellow housemate, or he might even be at the wrong house.
Too flaky, there isn't even a postcode system in Ireland, have often seen stuff delivered to the same house number on a different street.
I'd complain as to the exact opposite of what you want, in my case I just get it delivered to work.0 -
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Complaining seems extremely harsh.
He obviously went out if his way to make absolutely 100% sure that you and nobody else would get your parcel.0 -
My elderly grand-aunt (who has serious mobility problems) was told by a postman that he couldn't give her a sign-for package without her producing photo ID.
He then got ratty because he didn't 'have all day' and she took ages to find her passport upstairs!
She's not the gullible type, so naturally enough she locked him outside front door until she got it.
Since when has An Post required photo ID for registered items?0 -
Did they specifically say this is the policy for registered post, i.e. even if you did mention registered at the start is it possible they forgot while saying this.They said their policy was for the postmen to leave packages with anyone who answers the door of the address.
I would have guessed the official policy would be that it should go to the addressee only. I can't see much on anpost's site
UK has thisWill I always get a signature and does the person named on the address label sign for the item?
We make sure we get a signature from whoever receives the item, but bear in mind that this may not be the person named on the address label. If there's nobody available to sign for the item and the item is not collected or redelivery rearranged within 18 calendar days, we return your mail free, with a note saying why we can't deliver it. On the rare occasions that we don’t get a signature for any other reason, we'll refund your money
I think summons delivered by registered mail, I wonder what happens if somebody else did sign and never gave it to you, who gets in trouble for not going to court?
I think some things can be signed for by the postman, lots of dealextreme stuff I get to work is registered but I don't think they have to sign for it, there's some double label system and I think the postman is somehow confirming its delivered himself. There could be hundreds of people at the one address, seems a bit mad if they just hand stuff to whoever answers, I know this is not the case with the OP but the same policy should cover all cases.0 -
Next time address the parcel to your land lady!0
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An Post only have a legal responsibility to deliver the item to the address, but my gut feeling is that in the case of registered post with a declared value, the insurance will not cover items where they've been signed for by someone other than the addressee.
For items with no declared monetary value (such as a summons or other documents), I imagine that recorded delivery to the address is sufficient.
In this case, the postman may have been burned by this in the past and so is just anal now about it.0 -
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keithclancy wrote: »in my case I just get it delivered to work.
And then have someone else sign for it, which is exactly what you're complaining about, right? If you're living with people you don't trust with your mail, then you really shouldn't live there.
An item is delivered to an address, and anyone at that address can sign for it. In the OP's case, the post man refused to deliver it to the correct address, which was wrong as this is no An Post policy.0 -
keithclancy wrote: »How does the postman know that ? Does she have a landlady ID badge on her ?
Why yes, yes she does.keithclancy wrote: »Could be anyone.
Not when he knows her, and yes he knows her from delivering to her in the past but regardless, An Post's policy is the policy and he was not following it.keithclancy wrote: »When I was house sharing in Ireland I would not be happy if the postman gave my registered mail to someone in the house, could be anyone visiting a fellow housemate, or he might even be at the wrong house.
See the above reply about An Post's policy and the word regardless.Complaining seems extremely harsh.
He obviously went out if his way to make absolutely 100% sure that you and nobody else would get your parcel.
Or he obviously went out of his way not to follow the policy he had been instructed to by his employer. I don't see complaining as harsh, and I did first ask An Post what the policy was before doing so.
I think not receiving a delivery I have paid for when someone is here to collect it as extremely harsh. All too often An Post postmen will not even ring people's door bells and instead just drop the leaflet through the door.Did they specifically say this is the policy for registered post, i.e. even if you did mention registered at the start is it possible they forgot while saying this.
Yes, because I view the fact it being registered of major relevance, I mentioned it somewhere before I told the agent 'I understand if this postman has been instructed by his employer to only make the delivery into the hands of the addressee instead of someone living at that address...'.I would have guessed the official policy would be that it should go to the addressee only. I can't see much on anpost's site
I didn't want to guess, so I called them, and they confirmed the policy is to deliver to anyone at the address.Next time address the parcel to your land lady!
As confirmed by An Post this is not required once the postman is adhering to their policy.In this case, the postman may have been burned by this in the past and so is just anal now about it.
I had thought of that when pondering why he did not just deliver the item, but he could not have been burnt if An Posts policy, as advised by An Post, is to deliver to anyone at the address.0 -
An Post just make up the rules as they go along.
I got a notification to say thered been an attempt to deliver a reg letter to my house. (no one rang the door but thats another story).
I rang up and asked could they deliver to my work but as it was a different area they said there was "no way they could deliver it there".
After much pleading they agreed to deliver it to my house again even though they "never do that and would do it this one time".
So the next day came and the letter never arrived. (husband working from home)
Rang up again. The postman "refused to redeliver because he'd already followed procedure" (he hadnt) so they said "well we'll deliver to your work this one time even though we never do that".
Asked to speak to a manager.
"oh yea we cant deliver to your work so either collect it from the office (no where near where I live and useless opening hours) or get your neighbour to sign for it".
"My neighbours arent home"
letter went back to whoever sent it and I never found out what it was.0 -
It's stuff like this that just makes me use DHL, UPS, FedEx etc.. all of which are professional services!
I find An Post absolutely shockingly bad.
We regularly get packages chucked in the flower bed, left out in the rain, signed for by the postman and then chucked in the flower bed. Left in the rain behind the house etc etc.0 -
And then have someone else sign for it, which is exactly what you're complaining about, right?
Bit different, the mailroom can't really stick down a false name and would have no reason to go rummaging through all the mail coming into the building.If you're living with people you don't trust with your mail, then you really shouldn't live there.
Its nothing to do with trust, if its registered mail its supposed to be hand delivered to me, end of, not some man/woman who claims to be my buddy/landlord/dad/mum.
What happens if An Post say they delivered a valuable package to your address and your house mates say they didn't receive it ?An item is delivered to an address, and anyone at that address can sign for it. In the OP's case, the post man refused to deliver it to the correct address, which was wrong as this is no An Post policy.
Really ? I was getting mail for a completely different house for years, the Postal System in Ireland is RUBBISH, there are houses registered with the Land Registry that are in a totally different location than the address.
Don't get the point of this thread at all, tell a Garda you can accept a summons on someone elses behalf and see what he/she says.
Registered Post is supposed to be Guaranteed delivery to the Person if you address it to that person.
Some examples:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056229393
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055946713
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056198858
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055864053
If you want someone to accept post on your behalf stick it down as 'Care of' or 'C/O'0 -
keithclancy wrote: »Bit different, the mailroom can't really stick down a false name and would have no reason to go rummaging through all the mail coming into the building.
Having an item delivered to your office but signed for by someone other than yourself is not different at all to someone else at my address signing for me, and in fact everything you go on to say in your reply could be directed at someone receiving post at their office.keithclancy wrote: »Its nothing to do with trust, if its registered mail its supposed to be hand delivered to me, end of, not some man/woman who claims to be my buddy/landlord/dad/mum.
This is not just some woman claiming to be someone I know, this is some woman who opened the front door the package was addressed too, it's not as if she was lurking outside in the bushes, or did anything to make the post man suspicious. Someone answering the door of the address the item is intended for gives any claim they make to their identity, in so far as their relationship to me, a hell of a lot of credence.keithclancy wrote: »What happens if An Post say they delivered a valuable package to your address and your house mates say they didn't receive it ?
Then I should find new housemates, I would not live with anyone I suspected would be stealing my post. Also, I don't make An Post policy, but what they have told me it is suits me grand, once their workers adhere to it unlike this morning.
Your reply seems to be ignore the fact that An Post confirmed their policy is to deliver registered post to anyone who answers the door at the address. The postman was therefore not doing his job correctly, whether or not it's what some people deem as the correct way to do his job.
One of the first things the agent said to me when I explained the situation and it was confirmed the post man was out of order was 'we'll get to the bottom of this'.keithclancy wrote: »Postal System in Ireland is RUBBISH.
Frankly I'm more concerned about the service.keithclancy wrote: »Don't get the point of this thread at all
This is a consumer issues forum and I am a consumer of the delivery service offered by An Post, mentioned in my original post and every post since.keithclancy wrote: »tell a Garda you can accept a summons on someone elses behalf and see what he/she says.
Fortunately I am not in a position where I am concerned about Garda summons, I'll let someone else worry about that.keithclancy wrote: »Registered Post is supposed to be Guaranteed delivery to the Person if you address it to that person, otherwise why not address it to 'The Tenant'
Not according to An Post.0 -
keithclancy wrote: »Bit different, the mailroom can't really stick down a false name and would have no reason to go rummaging through all the mail coming into the building.
No, it's actually the exact same thing. You say you don't want An Post to deliver a registered mail item to your home if you don't sign for it personally, but you do want them to deliver it to your place of work without signing for it personally. How you can possibly think these are different things is beyond me.keithclancy wrote: »Its nothing to do with trust, if its registered mail its supposed to be hand delivered to me, end of, not some man/woman who claims to be my buddy/landlord/dad/mum.
But that's just it, it's not supposed to be hand delivered to you personally, and even if it were, your own requirement for them to deliver it to someone at work, that isn't you, completely negates your own argument.keithclancy wrote: »What happens if An Post say they delivered a valuable package to your address and your house mates say they didn't receive it ?
The exact same thing can be said for your place of work. If someone in your home steals your mail, then that's an issue for you to deal with, not An Post. You can't pick and choose when An Post delivers to the named recipient and when they don't. Either they do or they don't, always. You can't have it both ways simply to suit you.
The example threads you linked are for mistakes, which happen. Tens of thousands of items of post are delivered every day, to expect zero errors is not believable. Two of the threads weren't even An Post's issue, they relate to people that had items addressed (wrongly) to different locations and An Post delivered them (correctly) to those locations.0 -
Having an item delivered to your office but signed for by someone other than yourself is not different at all to someone else at my address signing for me, and in fact everything you go on to say in your reply could be directed at someone receiving post at their office.
Totally different, I've addressed it to the Company as care of, if its not delivered to me then work is liable if the Post company have proved they have delivered to the office.This is not just some woman claiming to be someone I know, this is some woman who opened the front door the package was addressed too, it's not as if she was lurking outside in the bushes, or did anything to make the post man suspicious. Someone answering the door of the address the item is intended for gives any claim they make to their identity, in so far as their relationship to me, a hell of a lot of credence.
A person calling to your door cannot know that and has know way of verifying that.Then I should find new housemates, I would not live with anyone I suspected would be stealing my post. Also, I don't make An Post policy, but what they have told me it is suits me grand, once their workers adhere to it unlike this morning.
Its the exact opposite actually, anyone i've lived with are friends or people i've known quite well, i don't drag friends into my business and i look after things myself. If for example a package was not delivered and the Post company says it was delivered then it becomes a another persons problem.Your reply seems to be ignore the fact that An Post confirmed their policy is to deliver registered post to anyone who answers the door at the address. The postman was therefore not doing his job correctly, whether or not it's what some people deem as the correct way to do his job.
One of the first things the agent said to me when I explained the situation and it was confirmed the post man was out of order was 'we'll get to the bottom of this'.
I spoke with An Post customer service, they advised that they deliver registered mail to private addresses to the addressee only, unless instructed otherwise.Fortunately I am not in a position where I am concerned about Garda summons, I'll let someone else worry about that.
What exactly are you implying, don't know what you mean there.0 -
When I lived at home, I always signed for my parents/brothers letters. The post man just handed me the clip board and I signed. The post man never said to me, can I see Mr. X, he needs to sign for it.
It's exactly the same at work. We use a lot of courier services and letters are addressed to my boss and other members of staff and I just scrawl my signature and away they go. Or as the case was yesterday, just told the courier my name, didn't even sign anything.0 -
Jury duty/service would be similar. Are they sent out by registered post? I think you do get in trouble if you do not turn up or reply. If you had a mentally incapacitated person in the house they could easily forget or discard the letter.Fortunately I am not in a position where I am concerned about Garda summons, I'll let someone else worry about that.
I emailed them about it, and asked if it was accepted by anybody in the house is there another service to stop this and have it only to the addressee.keithclancy wrote: »I spoke with An Post customer service, they advised that they deliver registered mail to private addresses to the addressee only, unless instructed otherwise.0 -
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Hi
If I send an item by registered post can it only be signed for by the person it is addressed to, or is it given to anybody who answers the door. If it is given to and signed for by anybody is there a service where to stop this, where it can only be signed for by the addressee.
thanks
reply from them
Still a bit of a grey area, I doubt the postman in the OPs case would get in any trouble, he could say he was wary of the person who answered.Dear Sir/Madam,
The registered service would be delivered as addressed and a signature would be required on delivery by a responsible adult at that address not necessarily the named recipient on the letter.
We do not have a service whereby only the named person would be required sign for an item.
Yours sincerely,
**********
An Post Customer Services.0 -
keithclancy wrote: »Totally different, I've addressed it to the Company as care of, if its not delivered to me then work is liable if the Post company have proved they have delivered to the office.
You neglected to mention that rather relative piece of information.keithclancy wrote: »Its the exact opposite actually, anyone i've lived with are friends or people i've known quite well, i don't drag friends into my business and i look after things myself. If for example a package was not delivered and the Post company says it was delivered then it becomes a another persons problem.
Personally I would trust all my friends and anyone I'd live with well enough to not rifle through my post.keithclancy wrote: »I spoke with An Post customer service, they advised that they deliver registered mail to private addresses to the addressee only, unless instructed otherwise.
Since that's diametrically opposed to what I was told maybe the person you spoke with was new, although considering the service of An Post the people I have spoken to may also be new, either that or a considerable amount of An Post workers have their heads up their asses.
Three times now I have spoken with them, the first time they told me anyone who answered the main front door at the address can sign for deliveries, and yesterday this policy had changed to anyone who answered the front door can sign for them, but in the case where a house is broken up into flats the main front door will not count.keithclancy wrote: »What exactly are you implying, don't know what you mean there.
There were no implications from what I said, don't be so defensive.saraocallaghan wrote: »When I lived at home, I always signed for my parents/brothers letters. The post man just handed me the clip board and I signed. The post man never said to me, can I see Mr. X, he needs to sign for it.
It's exactly the same at work. We use a lot of courier services and letters are addressed to my boss and other members of staff and I just scrawl my signature and away they go. Or as the case was yesterday, just told the courier my name, didn't even sign anything.
I too have signed for registered post for others often, it seems An Post change their policy according to how the post man is feeling on any particular day.Jury duty/service would be similar. Are they sent out by registered post? I think you do get in trouble if you do not turn up or reply. If you had a mentally incapacitated person in the house they could easily forget or discard the letter.
That's all well and good, but as I and others have, it seems the policy on allowing others to sign for registered post changes depending on who the customer is dealing with.I emailed them about it, and asked if it was accepted by anybody in the house is there another service to stop this and have it only to the addressee.
This, the different answers I have gotten on two different days calling them, others calling them hearing advice that concurs with your received mail, the fact that I and others have been allowed to sign for others post, and the fact my landlady was not shows further the policy appears to change on a whim.0 -
Dear Sir/Madam,
The registered service would be delivered as addressed and a signature would be required on delivery by a responsible adult at that address not necessarily the named recipient on the letter.
We do not have a service whereby only the named person would be required sign for an item.
Yours sincerely,
**********
An Post Customer Services.Still a bit of a grey area, I doubt the postman in the OPs case would get in any trouble, he could say he was wary of the person who answered.
Seems pretty clear cut to me and to concur with exactly what they have been telling me, a responsible adult at the address will suffice for a signature, I'm sure a woman who the post man has met before, answers the door to him, and owns the house should count as a responsible adult.
Although like I have said when I spoke with them yesterday they added the rider that where a house is broken up into flats answering the main door will not count.
I'm regretting not asking for a manager now.0 -
keithclancy wrote: »Its nothing to do with trust, if its registered mail its supposed to be hand delivered to me, end of, not some man/woman who claims to be my buddy/landlord/dad/mum.
What happens if An Post say they delivered a valuable package to your address and your house mates say they didn't receive it ?
I get plenty of registered letters and valuable packages delivered to my home address. They are signed for / accepted by my wife who is at home during the day.
The postman doesn't have an issue with it and neither do I.0 -
Reg mail is delivered to the address not the person.
The practical side of delivering to the person only,would be virtually impossible as in order to deliver the mail you would need to see verifable ID and as we dont have ID cards that would make it impossible.
the only reason i can think of is that the postman was perhaps of the opinion that your landlady shouldnt see or handle that particular piece of mail.
Or he was just been a knob.0 -
Sorry for bringing up thread but I didn;t know you could get the post office to redeliver an item, i thought it would be stuck at the depot for someone to collect it? Can someone cofirm if you can get an psot to redeliver it the next day instead of having to go into the post office yourself?Apparently he was not doing his job properly, see what An Post said to me.
I've been advised by An Post that's unnecessary.
It was my landlady, not my next door neighbour, and she answered the door the parcel was addressed to.
Spoke with An Post customer care again once I had the delivery number. They said their policy was for the postmen to leave packages with anyone who answers the door of the address.
The agent said she would contact the manager at the sorting office and make sure it's re-delivered properly tomorrow, glad I rang to complain.0 -
Sorry for bringing up thread but I didn;t know you could get the post office to redeliver an item, i thought it would be stuck at the depot for someone to collect it? Can someone cofirm if you can get an psot to redeliver it the next day instead of having to go into the post office yourself?
I think I may only have been able to get them to deliver again because the post man should have left it with anyone answering the door the parcel was addressed to. AFAIK normally you have to collect it if you miss the delivery.0
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