Missing Royal Mail Tracking number

lockedm
New Community Member

I used the paypal postage facilities to post something sold through ebay. I chose the royal mail next day recorded delivery option. I never made a note of the tracking number as I assumed it would be registered in my account. However, I only have a transaction ID. The buyer is saying they have not received the item. I am concerned that I may be being scammed. Does anyone know how I can get the tracking number from the paypal transaction? Many thanks.

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16 REPLIES 16

roddyb
New Community Member

I am so angry, just sent a sold item by the Royal Mail 1st class signed for system, bought the stamp via the paypal/ebay integrated mail function and now it hasn't arrived.  Purchaser angry.  To top it all I have no tracking number because I have fallen into the trap of allowing the postman to pick it up and it wasn't scanned.

 

This system by Paypal needs a total overhaul.  The tracking number needs to be generated by RM and affixed to the Paypal transaction details.  Too many people are getting caught out by using this overpriced premium sub-standard service.

 

Anyone that uses this service has to queue up at the post office and get their letter/parcel scanned.  What is the point of doing it through paypal then?

 

The dangerous side of this service is that in trusting PayPal that you are doing the right thing you are laying yourself open to negative feedback and financial loss

 

By the way, did I mention you cannot dispute or complain about a Royal Mail/Paypal postage transaction?  convenient, eh?

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youradds
Contributor
Contributor

Looks like I fell into the same trap as well. Talk about a farse! I certainly won't be using that method again. Much prefer to print out the label, attach it and then take up the post office and get a tracking number!

 

Customer saying it hasn't arrived, and I've got no way to prove if it has or has not (nor make a claim). What a joke!

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MisterMarc
Contributor
Contributor
Me to. I purchased the label, posted it as advised by PayPal, then realised PayPal doesn't have a record of the tracking. I phoned them and was told by some foreigner that I have to add the tracking... no **bleep** sherlock! So I was sold a service that doesn't exist. I am complaining to trading standards, and I have raised a query/charge back with PayPal. I want my money back you thieving American cowboys.
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scottyh56
New Community Member

I have just been through the same thing. I went back to the post office and she gave me certificates with tracking numbers.

 

But this is the thing - that same tracking number is on the postage label that you stuck on the parcel. You can find it by going back and looking at a reprint of the postage label on screen. So if printing labels through eBay they must always have a record of that tracking number.

 

But this is not the whole story. The tracking will not work unless properly scanned in at the post office. I am sure parcels are sometimes thrown in the post in by post office staff without scanning. Only if I have a piece of paper from the post office with the number on will I know it is in the PO system properly.

 

Scott

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evbitzuk
Contributor
Contributor

Unfortunately, in my experience, even if you can supply PayPal with a valid tracking number, you will still lose your money if the item goes adrift in the post.  

 

My basis for this is that I sent a customer a parcel which had an attempted delivery 2 days later  (according to RM's tracking) and supposedly the postman left a card in the usual way.  About 3 days later grumpy customer contacted me to say the parcel had not arrived. I re-sent tracking info and told him what RM said had happened.  He (it appears) could not be bothered to go to his local sorting office to collect the parcel and or didn't believe me and put a claim though his credit card co against PayPal (and me).  PayPal opened a dispute case, notifying me.  I contacted PayPal through the disppute resolution system explaining what had happened and, despite me telephoning the sorting office concerned and confirming the parcel was still there (and obviously telling the customer this) he STILL persued the claim and his money was refunded out of my PP account about 2 weeks later.

 

As it happens, he contacted me 2 weeks later to apologise and the item came back to me as undelivered but I still lost my postage fee.

 

So, what's the point in paying for a tracked service, you might wonder (as did I for a while).  Truth is, not much, but at least it gives your customer some comfort (up to when it becomes clear the parcel has vanished, anyway) and it *might* make it possible to claim compo from RM - but I haven't ever tried that.... And you did choose a service that gives enough compo to cover the value of the missing goods, didn't you?  Of course you did (not!).  I have only had that one parcel and one other, which went abroad, go missing out of about 2 thousand parcels, so far.  So not bad, really...

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idroberts
New Community Member

Hi there - I thought the same, but there is hope. Go to your PayPal account summary page. Scroll down transactions until you find the payment to Royal Mail Group Online Postage and then open that - the official RM tracking number is the top one under Track your delivery (should be 13 characters ending in GB). Hope that helps.

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Spinewire
New Community Member

I am also in the same boat i saw this on paypal after I purchaed it.

"Track your delivery
FF002866238GB
30 August 2017,
Sent by RMG

Status: Sent"

 

and assumed that the FF002866238GB30 is the tracking ID when I got my receipt I binned it (as it is exactly the same format as the RM tracking numbers) Gave that number to the customer and they said it didn't work, contacted paypal and they said it's an "internal trakcing number" and I have to use the one given by the royal mail. I have had about 8 messages from the customer and have agreed to refund the P&P when/if the sale completes. I posted it on the 30th and it has still not arrived (12th). They say it take 3-5 days... I can see i am going to get **bleep**ed as the customer can says it was not delivered and with no tracking number i have no "proof" so i will lose £135 worth of stuff and paypal will refund the customer. Then the royal mail will be all "oh sorry you have no proof you sent" it and i won't be able to claim. Absolute **bleep** take.

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