Post Office
Grandparents sent 3 year old son 4th birthday present in the post. Unfortunately, they sent it recorded/signed for and addressed it to him personally. Nice touch Grandma! Unfortunately Postie didn't bother ringing the doorbell, so Mrs Nitrous had to collect parcel from the sorting office.

Sorting office informed her that 3 year old son needed to come in person to the sorting office with ID and sign for it himself.

I hope they don't mind it being signed in crayon!
(Nitrous Nitrous, Tue 28 Feb 2012, 21:17, 8 replies)

Anybody can sign for it as long as they have ID of their own for the PO to record. My sister works funny hours, we haven't lived in the same house for about 7 years now, and I just go to get her parcels, show them my own driving licence....
They make a note of my name and address on the recorded delivery chit thingy, and off I go with said parcel.
I have also asked friends of mine who have said such things as "I'll be over in a bit, I'm just going to the post office first" to collect my recorded delivery parcels. They just state my name and address, show their own ID and bring me my eBay/Amazon tat.

This story is complete bollocks, you're only telling it to look big, it's not working, you're boring me, now tell us the real story please. I believe is goes something like this.....

Grandparents sent a parcel recorded delivery, I went to pick it up, showed them my own driving license, signed the form, and came home with the parcel. Whole transaction took mere minutes....

NEXT!
(Blahh, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 1:37, closed)

Maybe the people at your
post office are just feckless chavs.
(username failed moderation, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 9:01, closed)

Just because the staff at your local post office are incapable of doing their jobs correctly, doesn't mean the original story is untrue
"They will need to bring the original ‘Something for you’ card and provide proof of your ID."
www.royalmail.com/delivery/inbound-mail/redelivery/faqs#Can I send somebody else to pick up my item?
Therefore, unless your friends pop over to your house first to collect the original 'Something for you' card and your ID, you are talking complete bollocks.

NEXT!
(TheColonel, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 9:28, closed)

Yes... well... a couple of points

1. It is entirely possible that the people working in the sorting office are: a) Jobsworths b) Ignorant of their own policy c) not properly trained
2. As you point out when parcels have been delivered to my door, I have signed for my wife and others, even taken deliveries for neighbours etc. So why all of sudden my wife can't sign for her son for whom she is legally responsible seems somewhat bizarre.
3. The story is true - sad and Inadequate I may be but I'm not so in need of recognition that I need to make up a story on a stupid website to feel good about myself.
(Nitrous Nitrous, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 10:29, closed)

Oh yeah and...
www.royalmail.com/delivery/business-delivery-options-uk/recorded-signed/faqs


"Will I always get a signature and does the person named on the address label sign for the item?
We make sure we get a signature from whoever receives the item, but bear in mind that this may not be the person named on the address label."
(Nitrous Nitrous, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 10:36, closed)

When I worked as a postie
I was on the desk a fair bit. Our basic (unofficial) policy was that if they showed us a driving licence with the right address on, they got the parcel (though this was for recorded deliveries, not specials, which are a whole new mess of shit if they go missing). You still need the card though.

We did have one lass come in with her marriage certificate, since she'd only been married the week before and so none of her ID was up to date.

Generally we were fairly sensible, but they guy that worked the desk during the week was a complete arse.

Another hint: If you get one of the "insufficient postage" cards, then you can ask the bloke behind the desk to hold it up to the light to see if he can make anything out (though you can't take it or have him open it unless you pay). Also, around christmas, the staff get so tired of charging people £1.09 for the christmas cards slightly too big for normal letters that within a couple weeks an order has come through from on high just to let them have it.
( Tedium Alduce me to interlow myself., Wed 29 Feb 2012, 12:14, closed)

how is he still only 3 if it was his 4th birthday?????
OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Quintno EXPERIMENT RUINED CANCELLED, LEFT 4EVER, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 15:40, closed)

errrrr...
He's not 4 yet- It was in advance of his 4th birthday, on Friday, therefore he is still 3! Incidentally, they managed to come round for redelivery in the 5 minutes that there was no one in the house and shoved it through the letterbox- no signature required!
(Nitrous Nitrous, Wed 29 Feb 2012, 20:16, closed)