Residents of Bromley say they are being are only getting mail deliveries every two weeks.
Annoyed locals say they are having to travel to their nearest Royal Mail sorting offices to collect vital letters as deliveries have reduced, going from once a week to once every fortnight.
Bromley sorting office bosses have told the Mail Online that it is currently dealing with high levels of sick leave but staff say the company is just not recruiting workers - which Royal Mail denies.
A spokesman said: “We have a dedicated plan to improve the Bromley area’s service quality. This has already reduced absence levels by more than half, with all current sick absences covered through temporary recruitment.”
Boss of Royal Mail Simon Thompson stepped down this month after being accused by MPs of an ‘unacceptable level of incompetence’.
But how often should you be getting letters and can you complain if you’re not getting your mail?
Royal Mail working hours
Royal Mail workers typically work all week, and deliver and collect post from Mondays to Saturdays in the majority of areas. They also deliver on Sundays in some areas.
Workers do not work on bank holidays and no post will be delivered on these days.
When will I get my post from Royal Mail?
Royal Mail say on their website that your post should be delivered by 3pm if you live in a town or city, or 4pm if you live in a rural area.
How long it takes depends on what service was used to send it.
First class letters should be delivered the next working day while they “aim to deliver” second class items within two to three working days.
They as a group are “obliged” to deliver to addresses around the country daily.
On their site here they say: “We’re obliged to deliver to every UK address on every working day, but there may be some instances when we can’t deliver your mail. If you’re not home, we’ll try to deliver to your neighbour and leave a ‘Something for you’ card.”
Exceptions to being able to deliver include happenings such as an address being deemed unsafe or inaccessible, postmen being unable to gain entry - for example, a controlled entrance in flat blocks. Another exception would be a letter or package not having been packaged properly.
Sometimes there are also delays due to strikes, and staff issues, and you can check if post will be delayed in your local area on the Royal Mail website.
Can I complain about my delayed mail?
Yes, the Royal Mail have a special customer service team that deal with complaints. If a letter or package is lost, damaged, delayed or arrived with some of the contents missing, you can complain and may even be entitled to compensation.
To make a claim, customers must send full details on the item including when it was posted, and what service was used - as well as proof of this - plus details of what the issue was. All of the information can be found on the Royal Mail site here.
