Households across the Isle of Wight are once again reporting delays with the delivery of post from Royal Mail, with claims that parcels are being prioritised over letters.
Multiple sources have contacted Island Echo in the past fortnight to express concern about a growing backlog of undelivered mail, particularly the delay in receiving NHS letters and appointment reminders.
According to a worker familiar with operations at both the Newport and Ryde delivery offices, ‘internal changes to overtime policies’ and a ‘new Amazon contract’ have led to what they describe as ‘mass disruption’.
It is claimed by at least 3 different sources that letters are being left behind in favour of parcel deliveries, not helped by a ‘shortage of staff’.
Island Echo is told:
“Parcels are being prioritised every day. Letters just sit there.
“Some people will be waiting over 14 days for delivery, and many of us can’t do anything about it because of new management policies. This is affecting doctors’ letters, DWP letters, all sorts of important things.”
However, Royal Mail says it does not recognise the claims of a policy of parcel prioritisation.
The company says they are delivering letters and parcels every day, using overtime where needed. At exceptionally busy periods, such as Christmas, it may be necessary to clear parcels first to keep mail moving – but this is not the case at present.
A Royal Mail spokesperson has said:
“Every single letter and parcel is important to us, and we aim to deliver all items on time. Mail is being delivered six days a week to all addresses on the Isle of Wight.”
The last few years on the island Royal Mail services
have been sh*t!, and they ain’t getting any better.
The Post office can say what they like, delay after delay to letters is common, parcel delays are much rarer, especially Amazon.
The Post office is a just a joke service and has to change.
Royal Mail seem to work for Amazon, it doesn’t
surprise me, because the majority of High Street
businesses are closing down day by day.
All part of the New World Order.
Companies like Amazon will be our only choice
of shopping in the future.
Is that like Royal Mail didn’t ‘recognise’ the PDA scandal? Or…deny, deflect and don’t deliver.
It’s the worst kept secret that RM prioritise packages over mail because that’s where the profit is and other distribution networks are doing far better, far quicker.
Time to get our posties back to what they did best…delivering POST. Split the ‘business’ and renationalise the priority service; it’s not just the island, it’s countrywide…and the posties are sick of it too.
It’s no surprise, it’s been privatised.
In my area it’s common not to see a postie for days and then get a shedfull of letters on the same day, including missed hospital appointments.
Absolutely correct, nothing for days, and then a large amount of post arrives at the same time, quite often, the post marks show the post was sent many days before, even first class arrives later than 2nd class sent after first class.
Royal Mail can say what they like and get away with it.
They should lose the Royal from their name.
And the Mail should be Snail.
Will that improve the levels of service?
I have the same problem.
I have complained to Royal Mail but
nothing changes.
I’m still waiting for the letter informing me of the date for a hospital appointment that I attended last week… luckily I phoned St Mary’s to enquire about the appointment progress or it would have been missed.
The spokesman is 100% LYING. I’m a postman in Plymouth and we are constantly asked to prioritise parcels over letters. All year round not just Christmas. For a company that is supposedly skint, it sure doesn’t mind throwing away money on OfCom fines
Why is Royal Mail getting away with blatant lying.
Every postman in the country will tell you they DO prioritise parcels over letters.
If we have a lot to deliver we are told make sure the Tracked items are delivered first.Then if you have time deliver some of the letters.
RM bosses lied under oath at parliamentary enquiry and got away with it and they are doing it again.
It’s the same everywhere. Having not received a letter in the last 14 days I called in on the local delivery office. Trays of mail stacked up . I observe the postman pull up in street deliver parcels to selected addresses but never a bundle of letters to be seen. Is something you just can’t fight.
Don’t listen to a single word that a “Royal Mail spokesperson” says. I’m a postman and I can tell you unequivocally that it is a company wide policy to prioritise Tracked parcels over letters. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the busy Christmas period or not, you will be told that when you can’t complete the workload you must prioritise and deliver all Tracked items and leave mail behind! The way the company is being mismanaged right now, it is virtually impossible for Royal Mail delivery staff to complete the workload consistently leading to huge backlogs of undelivered mail items such as NHS letters, banking mail and other important items.
Don’t fall for the spin coming from Royal Mail, the letters side of the business is in a managed decline and is being purposefully run into the ground. They don’t care about your letters, so if you DO care about them then stand up for your mail service and support your posties who want nothing more than to serve your communities!