Royal Mail aims to provide you with a reliable and consistent service at all times. If, however, you are unhappy with the service we have given you, this guide will tell you how you can get in touch with us and how we will deal with your complaint or issue.

If you do want to register a complaint with us you can contact Royal Mail Customer Services.

Once we have the full details of your complaint our promise is that we will normally take no more than 30 calendar days to respond fully to your issue. Please be aware that some international complaints may take longer to resolve due to the work that needs to be done by foreign administrators.

There may be occasions when we require additional information or responses from you to complete our investigation. When that is the case we will allow 14 calendar days for your response. Allowing for complex cases with several such interactions, this means our longest investigations for inland complaints may take up to 90 calendar days to fully complete.

Our Customer Service Advisors will take ownership of your complaint and look to provide you with a resolution.

You can make a complaint by contacting Royal Mail Customer Services through our website or by speaking with one of our advisors or by writing to us.

If you contact us through the Royal Mail website or in writing please provide us with full details of your complaint. If we require further information we will notify you using your preferred method of contact.

If you choose to contact us by phone please have the details of your complaint available. For some complaints you may be required to complete a “Loss Damage or Delay” form which is available online through our website or from Post Offices. Our Customer Services Advisors will let you know the appropriate process to follow. If you are contacting us on behalf of another person, we may ask you to provide proof of that person's consent to your handling their complaint.

Once we have received your complaint, the Customer Services Advisor will record your details and provide you with a unique reference number that identifies you and your complaint.

There are 3 internal stages in our complaints process and our preference is always to deal with your complaint on a person to person basis by phone, but, if you prefer, we will deal with your complaint at any stage through e-mail or letter.

You can download and view a diagram of the customer complaints process below:

Complaints Handling Process - English (PDF 62KB)
Complaints Handling Process - Welsh (PDF 94KB)

The Customer Services Advisor will take the details of your complaint. They will make every effort to investigate and resolve your complaint providing you with an appropriate response.  If you are not happy with the reply you can escalate your case to the Escalated Customer Resolution Team who will undertake a re-investigation.

Our Escalated Customer Resolution Team is trained and experienced in dealing with escalated complaints. They will endeavour to address and resolve your concerns; however, if after allowing them another chance to try and deal with your complaint, you remain dissatisfied with their response, you can contact the Postal Review Panel.

Royal Mail customers who have complained have access to the Postal Review Panel (new window) who will take a fresh and impartial look at your case. After this review the Postal Review Panel will provide a final response from Royal Mail about your complaint.  This will take place within 30 days of your first contact with them.

The objective of the Postal Review Panel is to find a mutually satisfactory resolution for your complaint.

However, if you are not satisfied after the Postal Review Panel has provided you with a final response then your case will be considered ‘deadlocked’, customer complaints in deadlock can be referred to the independent ombudsman.

You can contact the Postal Review Panel at any time quoting your Royal Mail reference number. However Royal Mail will always want to try and resolve any concerns or complaints you have, and it is strongly recommended that you work with the Customer Services teams at Stage 1 and Stage 2 to try and sort out the problem before contacting the Postal Review Panel.

If you remain dissatisfied with the response you have received after contacting the Postal Review Panel and you have received a deadlock letter you can then escalate your complaint to the independent Ombudsman style scheme, the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS). The service is available to you if:

- we have not been able to settle your complaint within the 90 day timescales set out by Royal Mail Customer Services.
- you have been referred to the scheme through your ‘deadlock’ letter.
- we have not followed our own complaints procedure in handling your complaint.

Depending on the nature of the specific complaint, the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS), may be available.  Please see the set out products (PDF 75KB) for which with Ombudsman-style service is available.

If you require independent advice about your rights as a consumer or how to progress a complaint, you can contact Consumer Direct. Consumer Direct is a service operated by the Office of Fair Trading. They offer practical advice via the telephone and on-line. Please be aware that Consumer Direct cannot make a complaint on your behalf or provide advice on specific Royal Mail products and services.

To see the Annual Statement of the Number of Consumer Complaints Received from Relevant Consumers – Produced by Royal Mail in Accordance with the Postal Services Consumer Complaints Handling Standards Regulations, please view customer complaints (PDF 40KB).

Royal Mail Customer Services

Web: www.royalmail.com/customerservices

Telephone: 8am – 6.00pm, Monday to Friday
                      8am - 1.00pm on Saturdays
From within UK: 08457 740 740
International callers: +44 1752387112

Textphone:  08456000606

Writing:  
General Enquires: FREEPOST, 20 Turner Road, St Rollox Business & Retail Park, GLASGOW G21 1AA
Making a claim: Royal Mail Customer Services, FREEPOST, Plymouth PL9 7YB

Web: www.royalmailgroup.com/postalreviewpanel

Email: postalreview@royalmail.com

Write: FREEPOST Postal Review Panel

IDRS provide an independent and free service and their findings are binding on Royal Mail. For further information please refer to their website www.postrs.org.uk (new window).

Web: www.adviceguide.org.uk

 

Telephone: 08454 04 05 06