We always welcome a Letter to the Editor to share with our readers – unsurprisingly they don’t always reflect the views of this publication. If you have something you’d like to share, get in touch and of course, your considered comments are welcome below. This from Brian Cannell in Freshwater. Ed
On Friday morning last [5th August] I decided to purchase a new watch strap from online retailer Amazon. During the completion of the order I was asked if I would like next day delivery, at a cost of £8.99, fairly high but at least I would know when it would be delivered, before 13.00 the next day Saturday.
Saturday morning arrives, the shopping trip will have to wait as my new strap is coming today. The morning passes by and 13.00 comes and goes, but no sign of the package. Went shopping at 1400 and returned at 1600, checked online and the reason Royal Mail had given for non delivery was “Unable to locate address”.
Postcode in use for over 40 years
Now it is my belief that postcodes were first trialled in Norwich in 1959 and then appeared throughout the country by the mid seventies hence the Royal Mail slogan “Always use the postcode”.
I live on a small estate in Freshwater, the flats there being built in about the sixties/seventies. There is a road sign at the end of the road clearly displaying the estate name and a sign three feet square outside my block showing the flats within.
I think on this occasion we have to realise that the phase “Unable to locate address” really means “Couldn’t be bothered to deliver”.
No problem with normal mail
My post lady or post man delivers to my property six days a week and finds his/her way quite normally, but of course that’s just normal mail, costing less than a pound to deliver it seems that mail posted in that way is OK, but when one chooses to pay £8.99 for a guaranteed before 13.00 next day the system fails.
Online, the offer from Royal Mail was to try to deliver again three days later on Tuesday, so I’ll be visiting Royal Mail Monday just to make sure the delivery person actually knows where Freshwater is, perhaps I’ll offer a map.
