My dream of upgrading my forks on the RSV4 pretty well went from "an amazing deal" to a "nightmare". Forgetting the new fork side of the equation. The forks ive sold (Ohlins) have gone missing courtesy of the Royal Mail/ Parcel Force. This has taken place over roughly a month... Thursday 9th July - sell the forks on ebay. To a lad in Taiwan. Hes happy to pay the carriage which the next day i go down the local post office - 170 quid. Hes ok with that - take the forks back to the post office... July 10th. I had the box over - fully labelled (buyers name address mobile number, email address) now at this point i didnt put my details on there but, thinking everything of his was on there that would be enough - my mistake. After a week or so he messages me and says he cant track them...(170.00 was the most expensive option for sending them). I log on and see theyre stopped at customs. At that point i think "well, theyll clear soon and be off and away" A few days later i check in again....Package returned to local post office - insufficient details....heres where it gets dodgy... I go back to the local post office (at this point im a little hazy as it was a few weeks ago) but i see whoever is behind the counter and they say "no, not back in..." A few days later, go back in and speak to the woman who actually sent them...."yeah - on my day off they were collected again so theyll try to send again" - i contact Parcel force and they say "no - if they were back in our system they would be scanned in.... this continues for a week. Me chasing parcel force and going back to check at the local post office. I call parcel force today, they say "no - they were signed for by X, they are not in our system.." So i call the local post office today (im away at the moment) and to this point ive been civil, not lost my temper, not even rasied my voice but today i did....i told the woman on the end of the phone "not the woman who signed for it" that id be in there on saturday for either my forks or the money for them or ill get the polic involved/go through small claims...personally i think the woman had had them away...i told her what they were and what they were worth (for the insurance) and the second time i went back in she way stuttering, umming and ahhing but thats just my opinion. Its a post office in with a McColls newsagent...so if i just get static on saturday (apparently shes in sunday so im going back in then) then ill tell them to their face the above...get the filth involved (although i dont expect much on that front) and then contact McColls and the post office...i believe the post office has its own police force as it were (something to do with the queen) or something like that... Ive refunded the lad in Taiwan - i couldnt conciously hold on to his money knowing they never left british soil and knowing hes got fuck all chance of getting them. It was the right thing to do...so im out by 970.00 quid and no forks... Any advice would be appreciated.
Did you fill in a customs declaration and attach to the parcel ? The PO shouldn’t have accepted the package without one
They shouldn't have returned with no return address either - these usually go to a depot in Ireland I think it is waiting for the sender to prove who they are. I believe there us a form and a small fee to pay to do so. It happened to someone sending me a mudguard last year. My post office won't accept anything recorded without a return address.
Well, funnily no, when i told her what they were and the value she said..."thats all fine.." - had i have known i would have but she never even mentioned it...
And theres the problem....as far as Parcel force are concerned - theyre back at the post office...which theyre not...
Ill call them back tomorrow and try that angle...still going in there on saturday...time to get a bit more "assertive" as it were...
So were they sent insured? If so, like m@tt says, start the claim formally. As long as you have proof of sending, the onus is surely on them to prove delivery or return. Unless you have some sort of hard evidence that the stuttery bint has half inched them, the PoPo will likely be disinterested, and fall back on the “Civil Matter” line. Keep your cool, if you go down Saturday
Just thinking out loud... Interfering with the Royal Mail is a major criminal offence IIRC. PO office should have CCTV surely which should show who handled your forks. If they don't have your signature for reciept of returned goods to you, its clearly their problem. Were they insured as part of the shipping fee? Goodluck!
That i dont know but, the cctv angle is good- theysaid the only place they can be is/was behind the counter...ill ask...
Contact the Post Office complaints / fraud dept. I've dealt with them before and they were quite thorough https://www.postoffice.co.uk/contact-us-complaint
It's at this point that I come in and offer some sound advice....but I have none.............sorry. I would just say that without good evidence, don't go doubting staff, Even if it was not a real PO but McColls. Actually, since it was McColls, you could be right. it was the bitch!
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpg...heading/offences-of-interfering-with-the-mail A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable— (a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both, (b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.
The fact is you paid for the PO to send your forks to Taiwan. So once you handed them over they become the responsibility of the PO. If they lose them no matter what the excuse then it’s up to them to compensate you. After all that’s what the insurance is for. Most often motor vehicle parts are not covered for damage but definitely for loss. As above concentrate on starting the claim process.
Honestly think a set of forks is small change for anyone handling this nobody is willing to risk a job for this...easy to say but this will work out just keep calm it’s shit but it will work out mate
If you were able to track them on UK soil, to the customs step, then they must have left the PO? It appears the return journey back to the post office is where they have gone amiss? Either way, is a PO/Parcel force cock up. Insurance should pay out but, from experience, it can take ages.
