Post Gone Missing Again?

But is your postman to blame? Make sure your parcels and letters fall into the right hands this year and catch your thieving neighbour…

Finding out that your post has gone missing is an inconvenience at best, and a definite cause for concern if it’s happening on a regular basis. The Royal Mail deals with more than 332,000 customers per day complaining about their post not turning up as promised, but what if the postal delivery service isn’t the one to blame?

With over 44% of UK residents living in flats within shared buildings, parcels can often get left in a communal delivery area and the opportunity for theft-by-neighbour is rife. With mail theft fraud increasing by 10% last year, residents of flats are prime targets and neighbours are often the main suspects. If your post hasn’t been reaching you and there’s a niggling suspicion in the back of your mind, it’s better to sort it out before the seasonal post rush begins.

Here’s how to make sure your post makes it to your front door

1. Ask your neighbours

This may sound simple, but confrontation can often be one of the hardest parts of living in a shared building so you want to approach it carefully. While you don’t want to damage relations between your neighbours, you also want to be firm and let them know of the problem. Ask the other users of your communal post area if they’ve seen your parcels and mention that you’re worried they’ve been stolen or ‘taken by mistake’. Hopefully this will be enough to scare the perpetrator into returning your post without further ado.

2. Be vigilant

While getting up earlier won’t be everyone’s favourite solution, it could save you the hassle of trying to locate your missing parcel. Most Royal Mail posties work 5.30am-1pm so if you want to figure out the delivery time for your building and intercept any thieving neighbours, you’ve got to put in a solid shift. The same with delivery companies – most allow you to book an early time slot so grab that one. Early bird catches the worm (and their post).

3. Talk to your postman

It’s important to remember that postmen are humans too. We aren’t suggesting you sit inside all day, every day, but if you have half a day free then it’s worth opening the door and having a chat with your postman. A branch of friendship goes a long way and they may well bit more cautious with your post if you explain your situation.

4. Install a hidden camera

Make like James Bond and install a hidden camera. This tiny spy camera from Spy Equipment UK isn’t much bigger than a one pound coin and can be concealed on the inside of a letterbox or in a corner of your post room – most people won’t even notice it.

Go one further and get this WiFi connected camera – it looks like a junction box so can go in your flat building undetected, and you can watch it on your phone or tablet during the day. It’s completely legal to use a surveillance camera to protect yourself and your home from criminals, but for ease of mind you can read up on the UK spy laws here.

5. Get post delivered elsewhere

Not that you’d be admitting defeat, but rather getting around the problem. Blocks of flats are prime locations for opportunist thieves and if your post is still being opened by someone other than you, then thinking about an alternative address could be an option. Your place of work, a Collect Plus Store or a trusted friend or family member could save you from missed post.

Is it the landlord’s responsibility?

Under UK regulations, it’s usually the building landlord’s responsibility should your home be damaged by a crime or accident that wasn’t your fault. However, it isn’t your landlord’s responsibility to replace any belongings that have been stolen through criminal activity so unfortunately they can’t do anything about your disappearing post.

Should I call the police?

If you suspect that your neighbour has been stealing your post then you should call the police and report it as a crime. Parcels of great sentimental and monetary value will be flying across the country in the coming month and if they aren’t reaching you then it needs to be investigated properly.

Follow our failsafe tips to ensure you receive your rightful post this year. Contact our team if you are interested in discussing this subject matter in detail.