Royal Mail and COVID-19
Please note
Public Health England (PHE) has advised that people receiving parcels are not at risk of contracting the coronavirus. From experience with other coronaviruses, we know that these types of viruses don’t survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels. This complements the highly publicised guidance from PHE for people to wash their hands more often than usual using soap and hot water.
I am expecting to receive an item that may need a signature. How do I get it?
In order to protect both our people and customers as much as possible, we will not be handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures. Postmen and women will instead log the name of the person accepting the item. This will apply to all deliveries that require a signature.
For all customers (including those who are self-isolating) where we need to deliver any parcel that won’t fit through your letterbox, we will place your item at your door. Having knocked on your door, we will then step aside to a safe distance while you retrieve your item. This will ensure your item is delivered securely rather than being left outside.
If you are unable to come to the door at all we will issue a ‘Something for You’ card, advising of other ways you can arrange to get your item. For example, by getting a friend or family member to collect the parcel from our local Customer Service Point on your behalf. In this situation, and to keep your mail as secure as possible, they will need to bring along the card we left you and relevant ID.
Receiving your package
Under the current COVID-19 delivery arrangements noted opposite, insurance underwriters may only accept liability for parcels that are lost or damaged whilst in the care custody and control (CCC) of Royal Mail, DHL or any other chosen carrier, so we recommend that you have adequate household insurance cover in the event that delivered items go missing. Whilst the current COVID-19 delivery arrangements remain in place we would be happy to hold your items on a fully insured allocated basis (no exposure to our balance sheet).
The charge for this temporary service is as follows:
Gold, Platinum, Palladium and Rhodium: 0.35% p.a with a minimum charge of £8.35 per month.
Silver: 0.75% p.a. with a minimum charge of £15.00 per month.
VAT is payable on the charges above.
When you receive goods from us by post or courier we advise that you carefully check the external packaging before you sign for it. If you notice any signs of damage or tampering, or if you are in any way unsure about the integrity of the package, you should not accept it. Although not always the case, it is sometimes possible to feel the weight of your item(s) in the package. Package contents are carefully weighed and independently checked by several staff members before being sealed.