Royal Mail suspending Special Delivery guarantees

Royal Mail are actively monitoring the rapidly evolving coronavirus situation and want to reassure you they seek to continue providing the best possible service for you that we can, whilst protecting the health of their people, and customers. A new change coming into effect from today is suspending Special Delivery guarantees. This comes on top of the suspension of collecting signatures

Signing for and receiving items

In order to protect both Royal Mail people and customers as much as possible, they are minimising contact during delivery. Royal Mail will not be handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures but instead log the name of the person accepting the item. Additionally, for all customers where we need to deliver any item that won’t fit through your letterbox, they will place your item at your door. Having knocked on your door, they will then step aside to a safe distance while you retrieve your item. This will ensure your item is delivered securely rather than being left outside.

Suspending Special Delivery guarantees

For items posted from today (Thursday 19 March 2020) onwards, Royal Mail will no longer guarantee deliveries by 1pm the next working day.

Royal Mail will still prioritise Special Delivery parcels and letters and will aim to deliver by 1pm or before the end of day. Resource implications of the latest coronavirus advice means they may not be able to meet the customer promise of guaranteed next day delivery in all locations at all times.

The Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 9am service remains unchanged and they will still guarantee to deliver by 9am.

International Mail and Parcels

Most border restrictions in place due to Coronavirus apply to the movement of people not goods. Royal Mail’s International services are operational and continue to accept traffic for destinations across the globe. However, delays are expected due to the authorities in those countries applying special orders e.g. quarantine; or special measures being implemented (e.g. diverting to mail boxes, replacement procedures for obtaining a signature) by the local postal/delivery service to minimise the spread of the virus.