Royal Mail hands out official advice for people who are left waiting for their post

It comes after complaints mail was not being delivered

Royal Mail has explained how it handles cases where a person stops receiving post. The clarification came two weeks after a customer complained on social media that they had gone over a week without receiving any mail.

The complainant then visited their local in-person Royal Mail branch where they were given 12 letters at once. Royal Mail has now advised people what they should do if their post has stopped arriving at their address.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We understand how frustrating it can be when letters are delayed. We want to reassure customers that the vast majority of First Class mail arrives the next working day.”

The group said that in cases where there is a delay of a First Class item, it will arrive within two days in 92 percent of cases, while 99 percent of items will arrive within five days.

But the delivery giant also issued a warning that it may be the case that you go a number of days without receiving any post.

The spokesperson explained: “As the volume of letters has fallen dramatically over the past decade, it is now increasingly common to go several days without receiving any post if nothing is expected.

“However, if you have concerns about missing mail, please get in touch and we will investigate.”

First Class items should arrive by the next working day, plus an extra day if redirection is needed. Royal Mail aims to deliver Second Class items within two to three working days, plus an extra working day if a redirection is needed.

If an item has not arrived by the due date plus at least 10 working days, you may be able to claim compensation. You can do this through the Royal Mail website.

If you have a reference number, you can check the status of your delivery using the Track your item feature on the Royal Mail website.

In these cases, if your item has a status of ‘ready for delivery’, it should arrive at your address the next time that the group delivers to your address.

Royal Mail also may not deliver an item if it is deemed to be unsafe, such as in bad weather conditions or if there is a dangerous dog on the premises.

Your item may also not be delivered if the address is inaccessible, such as if the letterbox is not accessible. The postperson may also struggle to deliver the item if you have a door entry security system in place.

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