Royal Mail
The delivery of any parcels which cannot be posted through a letter box or that requires a signature, such as: 1st and 2nd class parcels, Signed for items, Royal Mail Tracked 24 and 48 items, Special Delivery Guaranteed and Age Verification items, will no longer be asked for signatures or handed to customers personally.
Instead, postmen and women will be practising social distancing, waiting to confirm customers retrieve their parcels from the doorstep securely and entering alternative confirmation details into PDAs themselves.
Royal Mail Customer Service Points (CSPs) at Delivery Offices
Royal Mail’s delivery default is the addressee. If there is no one at home (or a neighbour) and the parcel is too large for the letterbox or requires a signature the post-person leaves a physical ‘Sorry we missed you’ card, this is also sent via e-mail and SMS.
Parcels are then stored at the Royal Mail Customer Service Points (CSP), safely and securely for a maximum of 18 calendar days. Customers can arrange for the parcel to be re-delivered to their address (free) a neighbour (free) or a local Post Office (small fee) via our APP, contact centre or on-line.
One of the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown is that there are many more people at home, therefore Royal Mail are taking far fewer parcels back to their CSPs.
To protect the health and safety of their people and the general public as far as possible, the following temporary changes to their CSPs will take effect from Monday 6 April:
• The largest 100 CSPs will be open for a 4-hour window between 07:00-11:00
• All other CSPs will be open for a 2-hour window between 07:00-09:00
• All CSPs will be closed on Wednesdays and Sundays
• Retention of all undelivered parcels at CSPs will also be extended to 30 days
• Consumers can continue to have parcels re-delivered for free and will be encouraged to do so
Customers will be advised to check their ‘Sorry we missed you’ cards for their temporary opening times.
Hermes
Couriers will try to deliver your parcel to a safe place, take a photo to confirm safe delivery and then provide you with a calling card stating that safe place. If a safe place is not possible, couriers will still knock on the door but rather than asking you to sign, couriers will ask you for your name. They will then input this into their hand-held device and write “Covid-19” in the signature box.
These measures are being taken to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of the delivery employees, members of the public and the communities as well as the continuity of full delivery services during these concerning times.
Customers are also encouraged to use alternative delivery options like: myPlaces, Diversions and Safe Place, which means that the parcels will not be handed directly from the courier or signed for. You can download the app for Apple or Android and choose between these options, and also the option of "My place" or "Leave with my neighbour" on their website.