Forum Topic

Postal delays

I was wondering if anyone else was experiencing postal delays? I know we have had two bank holidays, but there are at least 4 items of post which were posted last Thursday, from various parts of the country, which have still not been received. Telephoning Acton sorting office is a waste of time - they insist that all post is delivered, and the office cleared each evening.I lost post last year when they employed a temporary worker who failed to deliver the post as he either 'ran out of time' or 'couldn't find the road' - the two responses we got from the sorting office. This post was supposedly sent out the next day, but 10 months later, it still has never appeared.So, am I just being unlucky, or are others experiencing the same problems?Maybe the friendly postie who posts on here could enlighten me?

Amanda Knights ● 5615d40 Comments

Amanda,  I normally have no problems with my post but a delivery which should have arrived by now has not,  it was posted on 26th by 1st class post but oddly I have received other items.What is the number of Acton Sorting Office?

Jen Morty ● 5615d

Does anyone have the number of Acton Sorting Office?Royal Mail website gives a general number which only gives opening hours of the sorting office it closes at 1.00 today and I want to call.

Jen Morty ● 5615d

020 8273 3212 is the number I have.

Amanda Knights ● 5615d

Brilliant,  thanks Amanda.

Jen Morty ● 5615d

I've had post go missing and I'm also recieving othe rpeoples post regularly, not sure what's going on but I've tired to get through to the Acton sorting office with no luck.

Sarah Gates ● 5615d

they often don't answer the general number - there is one straight to the manager's office which I had years ago but fear they have changed it now.maybe our posting postie can advise

Sara Nathan ● 5615d

Our post is definitely taking longer than it should. I have had three letters recently with postcodes in different parts of the country.

Bob Crossley ● 5615d

Mail deliveries are usually excellent along the A40 near Gypsy Corner, although I did have one letter posted via UKMail on 13th April which took over 2 weeks to arrive.

Chris Bell ● 5614d

Isn't Acton Sorting Office one of the most militant in the Country?  They are not planning to go on strike are they? -in my experience they continually give an extremely poor service.  They do not answer their phone.  It is best to be on their doorstep at opening time - in the hope they will open on time!

Dee Cook ● 5614d

Acton S.O. Militant I have never heard of this in all the years I've lived hear here, I get a great service from my superfit Post Woman.They are too busy to answer the phone to answer questions from the public, also the wages have decreased in 20 years from £250 a week to £238 a week, that'll be the minimum wage then.I recently sent off for a renewed chipped Passport via the P.O. on the Mount, it took 6 days in all, fantastic service.I only hope I get to use it more than once in the next 10 years.The rain has started, just as I was beginning to enjoy the warm weather, never cast a cloot etc 02:10

John Pollastrini ● 5613d

Our post lady is fab too and we are in constant fear of her moving on...but Acton used to have a reputation for militancy second only to Gunnersbury and Paddington )or is that third only?)Dunno if it's still true

Sara Nathan ● 5613d

Well they don't like answering their phone guess will need to traipse there no doubt to find my parcel is not there and lost or stolen.......

Jen Morty ● 5613d

Al I know on times is that it opens really early - 0700 maybe or 0730 to be on the safe side....and has closed by about noon.If you go early and are driving you miss the parking restrictions which ick in at 0900

Sara Nathan ● 5613d

Sorting office always empty when I have been looking for a parcel. Our temporary (I hope) postman leaves packets outside our door without even ringing the bell. What if he leaves them at the wrong address as happened twice last year.

Bob Crossley ● 5613d

Yes, the phone thing is a problem, I used to have a number which they did answer, not tried it in a long time, also the opening hours are like a LAW unto themselves.

John Pollastrini ● 5612d

From what I have heard most mail now travels direct from the huge automated sorting buildings direct to the postman in the street, sorted only by general area and not delivery order, and the postman is expected to do a final sort when he receives them.

Chris Bell ● 5612d

You might be interested in this article from the Guardian, 29 April, about the privatised Dutch postal service. I am not saying "Be Grateful you got some mail", but "see how much worse it could get".http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/29/mail-privatisation-second-class-deliveryIf some postmen were slightly less militant, they might have a lot more support and sympathy from their customers and privatisation might be fended off.

Barbara Karayi ● 5609d

I hope the mail is not delivered directly to the red boxes on wheels which are tied to lamposts?Theft asking to happen if the post is left in them overnight.

Dee Cook ● 5608d

I eventually got the missing items , the last one today. It was posted in Gatwick, but was then postmarked Colchester on 4th May. Why it went there is anyone's guess. Then over a week to be delivered to Acton. Quicker to send a letter to Australia!I guess the blame isn't all with the post people of Acton, but Royal Snail (sorry Mail) in general.

Amanda Knights ● 5608d

Recently, a relief postman covering for our regular postman delivered our mail to number 12 next door, the mail for number 8 to us and the mail for number 6 to number 8. He was given a tongue lashing by the lady at number 8 and returned, contrite to retrieve her mail. The people at number 12 were out so we didn't get our mail until later.

Fran Leslie ● 5608d

I have been told that some postmen do have to sort the mail as they receive it, and that can mean laying it out on top of a convenient wall.

Chris Bell ● 5608d

Sorry to hear people experiencing problems with the post... i must say the service has gone downhill over the years... having worked in ACTON since '87, we do get labelled militant, but i'm afraid, wherever you go you'll find the same..... There is no mail kept in the trolleys overnight, unfortunately when postman have a rest day, their duty is normally covered by reserve staff, who don't really give the mail, the attention it needs... i'll be happy to answer any questions you'd like to know.... 02082733210 gets you through to the manager: Frank Garcia

robert nicholas ● 5602d

Brave man!I understand the redeployment is on hold at the moment, thank goodness.

Sara Nathan ● 5602d

For the second time recently a magazine I buy on subscription failed to arrive. The publisher (based at the Perfume Factory, ironically) sent me a replacement, but it must look a bit iffy to them that I had to request it.

Jonathan Seed ● 5601d

Hmm.. I posted this query already but it vanished.I'll try again. So sorry if it gets duplicated.I was asking Robert what a "rest day" is as referred to in his post.  Is it a paid holiday day or a sick day or something? I'm just wondering as I've never heard the term "rest day".

Sarah Harris ● 5601d

HI Sarah, well basically we get a day off each week, which they call a REST DAY, & yes it counts as a paid holiday.. anymore questions feel free to ask me :)

robert nicholas ● 5601d

YES sara, they are not employing anyone at the moment, until all these changes are made & the machines brought in...

robert nicholas ● 5601d

Robert, what really happens to the post that is not delivered by the reserve staff, and returned to the sorting office? We lost at least 5 important letters, and a package on one day last year because the 'reserve' postman didn't deliver them. We were told that they would be delivered the next day, as the sorting office was cleared every night. Still waiting for them 10 months on!!!

Amanda Knights ● 5600d

Thanks Robert.  So 1 paid day per week as holiday = approx. 52 days a year paid holiday (approx 7 weeks).  Do you also get separate holiday days to, for example, go on a long week or two holiday or do you have to save up your rest days throughout the year?Please don't think I'm having a go at public sector workers, I'm not, I'm just fascinated by the differences between public and private sector, hence the questions :-)

Sarah Harris ● 5600d

But most people get two days a week - Saturday and Sunday.Do postmen get Sunday and one other day - which is what I assumed.If so, that's not holiday!

Sara Nathan ● 5600d

No, Sara, it's not holiday but I really have no clue when it comes to the RM working hours. I'm just interested, I'm not trying to start a debate on private vs public sector nor say that posties don't deserve it, and am certainly not having a go at Robert, I just wondered that's all.

Sarah Harris ● 5600d

Amanda, sorry to hear about those 5 important letters going missing, i can't honestly tell you what happened there to be honest, but the office is cleared of all items each day, unfortunately as sometimes happens, if those letters were delivered somewhere else, some people don't re/post them.... I do my job to the best of my ability, never leave packages behind hedges etc.... Some postmen just look for that quick fix, giving the rest of us a bad name... Hopefully you won't experience anything like this again... & any letters brought back by the reserve staff, normally go out on delivery the next day, So god knows what happened to your items, feel sorry for you, because it must of frustrated yourself....

robert nicholas ● 5600d

Well you're sort of right Sarah, we get a rest day each week, one week it'll be a monday, then tuesday etc... it follows on in that order... but we do work saturdays, unless you're lucky to have a rest day fall on a saturday, meaning you get what they call a long weekend, with sat/mon off... Our office at W3 has rest days, some offices have rest weeks, meaning they save all of their rest days & after 5/6 weeks, they get a rest week.. confusing i know... But apart from all this, we still get our normal holidays... hope that helps :)

robert nicholas ● 5600d

Very true Sara, you got it in one, we get sunday & one other day, hope you're still enjoying the kettle classes in the PARK CLUB :)

robert nicholas ● 5600d

Very nice lady in Baldwyn Gardens came round today - same number as us but no other similarity so I don't know what the relief postman was doing delivering a large book addressed to me there...Christine must ahve been off!

Sara Nathan ● 5600d

YES Sara, i know the lady in question, very nice lady indeed, everybody is nice around there, yourself included... My girlfriend used to live at NO59, but she has since moved, & yes the lovely Cristine, must have been off!!! lol

robert nicholas ● 5599d

Yes recently when the wonderful Christine was off her replacement gave us a bunch of letters including 3 for Churchfield Road ( not the same number).  I caught up with the reserve chap down the road and queried how he got Goldsmith Avenue confused with Churchfield Road but he just took the letters apologised and smiled sheepishly.

Jill Williams ● 5597d

Thanks Robert, I see now - basically your rest day is your weekend day off taken during the week and then I assume you get your proper holiday entitlement (x number of weeks) on top of that.I think personally I'd prefer the weekly rest day rather than working 6 days a week for 5/6 weeks and then getting a week off.  You'd have so much to catch up on you wouldn't have time for any resting! ;-)

Sarah Harris ● 5597d

Ha ha... the way the job is Sarah, i look forward to my rest day, rather than wait 6 weeks.... but i see your point of view... :)

robert nicholas ● 5597d

Yes Jill, very embarrassing hey, i suppose they are not concentrating properly, but i take great care in my job... & everybody love Christine :)

robert nicholas ● 5597d