Royal Mail delay updates: Post service falls behind competitors as town left without mail

Royal Mail is a popular delivery service in the UK. However, with many facing lengthy delays, MoneySavingExpert’s latest poll found that the delivery firm wasn’t the most popular choice for Britons last year.

Steve Nowottny, news and investigations editor at MoneySavingExpert.com, said: “There’s no doubt that it’s been a really tough year for parcel delivery firms – they’ve had to grapple with a surge in demand while dealing with the considerable practical challenges of delivering in a pandemic. Many couriers have done a sterling job in difficult circumstances, and that’s perhaps reflected in the improved scores many firms received this year.

“Yet the poll results also reveal marked differences in how firms were rated, suggesting that while some firms have been really delivering, others too often fall short.

“When you order something, in practice you may have little choice over which firm delivers your goods, as this is frequently decided by the retailer. Generally, you have no direct relationship with the delivery firm, as the retailer’s their employer. But consumers do have rights when firms don’t deliver – and you should use them.

“If you’re unhappy with a delivery or it simply didn’t arrive, complain to the retailer – that’s who your contract’s with, and it’s up to the retailer to put things right. Ultimately, if retailers get lots of complaints, they will force firms delivering parcels on their behalf to up their game.”

These locations include Bushey (WD23), Dorking (RH3-RH5), High Wycombe North (HP11, HP13 and HP15), Kettering (NN15, NN16) and Northampton (NN1-NN7).

The postal service added: “Every single parcel and letter is important to us. Despite our best efforts and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards.

“This is due to the exceptionally high volumes of mail posted during this further lockdown period, alongside necessary coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices to keep our people and customers safe. 

“In such cases, we always work hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as we can.”