ROYAL Mail has reiterated its apology as post chaos continues in Andover, with the Advertiser receiving dozens of complaints from readers in the wake of last week’s front page article.

As reported last week, Royal Mail admitted there had been issues at the Andover sorting office but said any backlog had now been cleared.

However, the Advertiser understands that about 100 properties in the Bishop’s Way area are still suffering delays.

Film producer Louise Clarke, of The Cloisters, recently ordered parcels which were dispatched from Ebay and Amazon on 1 March, but didn’t arrive.

The 50-year-old said: “Ebay and Amazon agreed to send replacements because we thought they had gone missing. Twelve days later we collected the original parcels and the replacements weren’t there. I guess we are going to have to pay to send the replacements back.”

Properties on Louise’s road often go a week with no post, although she said on Tuesday that missing packages have finally started to be delivered this week.

She added: “We’ve had problems for a while and haven’t had regular post for some time.

“I am angry because we are just starting a new business and I want to order some bits online and we can’t rely on the delivery. It is frustrating. It is a major inconvenience.

“We don’t blame the staff, it must be a management issue.”

The Advertiser has been inundated with messages from our army of readers across Test Valley this week complaining about Royal Mail.

Some claimed they had been told that Royal Mail had been cutting staff hours and making post rounds bigger by a third.

When asked to respond, it admitted there had been changes at the Andover sorting office but maintained that any issues had now been resolved.

A spokesman said: “Royal Mail has recently introduced significant changes to its delivery procedures at Andover sorting office.

“We sincerely apologise to customers who have experienced poor service recently, however we are confident that mail deliveries are now running normally. Any customer who has a specific concern about their mail should contact our customer service number on 03457 740740 so that their complaint can be properly logged and investigated.”

THE Advertiser has been contacted by dozens of readers in the wake of last week’s front page. Here are just some of the complaints...

I read in the Advertiser of the chaos caused by the changes to postal delivery routes in Andover. 

I live at The Cloisters on Junction Road and we have had no post since March 4. We are still awaiting delivery of a signed for parcel, which was due on the fourth, as well as a guaranteed next day delivery item, which was due on the 10th. We are also awaiting a set of NHS test results. I have been down to the post office to complain, but was told to return home and wait for the items to be delivered.

I am very pleased that you made the issue into your front page. It has been a fortnight since some houses in the area received any post, which is, under the terms of the Universal Service Obligation, against the law. Meetings have been arranged with Sir George Young to discuss the issue.

Stefan Putigny, of The Cloisters, Junction Road, Andover

 

 

I had thought our recent poor postal delivery service had been caused by a change of postman settling in to a new round. It wasn’t until I read your headline that I realised it was a much wider problem.

We are no longer receiving daily post and our deliveries are not until about 5pm. Both the collection and delivery service now seem to be entirely random. I am glad you have brought the matter to the attention of Royal Mail and I hope your intervention will be a spur to them to remedy the problem.

Patricia Adams, of Dauntsey Lane, Weyhill

 

 

I was so interested in your article regarding the post service. I live in Ludgershall and have been getting intermittent deliveries for weeks.

I have written to Royal Mail and made two calls. Customer service were so rude; on one occasion I did get through and was assured we should have post six times a week. I saw the postman recently at the top of my road with his carrier and walked up to speak to him. He was putting the post back in his van and said he had finished but would not be delivering any more in the road, as he had small packages to deliver and had run out of time.

I watched him drive past my house and drive into my friend’s drive, leave a box on her doorstep and go. When I approached him again a couple of my neighbours were also talking to him about the post. I told him I was going to ring Royal Mail again and repeat his story, but he said he would get into trouble if I repeated it.

Two weeks ago we had a family bereavement and we are awaiting various legal correspondence regarding the estate. We have been assured it has been posted by solicitors, but we are still waiting.

Joanna Plank, Ludgershall

 

 

I have been having problems with my post in Parkview Close. I often receive my neighbour’s post and she has received mine.

A few weeks ago I was waiting for a sign-for letter. The post lady put a card through the door saying I could collect it later at the sorting office. I heard her put the card through so my partner went out and asked her for the letter.

She said she put it through a different door, a few doors away, and that they were away. I did call the number on the card and complain.

On Friday I had a letter for a completely different street in Charlton. I reposted it and wrote on it that it had been delivered in error.

My elderly neighbour said last August she found several letters for different houses in the street had been left on her lawn.

Josie Walker, of Parkview Close, Andover

 

 

I live in Wye Court. For many years I have received the Radio Times, always on a Tuesday, between 11.30am and 12.30pm.

Last week it arrived on Thursday at 3.45pm. I phoned the post office and my call was not answered.

Today my post arrived at 11.30am. Perhaps the sorting office has been sorted?

Paul Jones, of Wye Court, Andover

 

Following your article in last Friday’s Advertiser, I would like to report that on Monday last week I received all the mail for a neighbour, who in turn received all the mail addressed to my husband and myself.

Today (Tuesday) I have just collected the mail from my post box.

Two items are addressed to another property at the opposite end of the village and the other item is addressed to a named property not too far away from here. I will deliver that one myself.

Eunice and Keith Hiscocks, via e-mail In a way it was a relief to read the story in the Advertiser because it made me realise I am not the only one suffering with postal problems. Come on Royal Mail, buck your ideas up. We pay a lot of money for deliveries so this really isn’t good enough.

Pat Robinson, Longparish