How long does royal mail hold your parcel
Royal Mail, the UK's postal service, has a standard holding period for parcels that are undelivered or cannot be delivered due to various reasons. Here are some general guidelines:
- Standard parcels: If a parcel is undelivered or cannot be delivered, Royal Mail will hold it for 18 working days (approximately 3 weeks) before returning it to the sender.
- Special Delivery: For Special Delivery items, Royal Mail will hold them for 31 working days (approximately 5 weeks) before returning them to the sender.
- International parcels: For international parcels, Royal Mail will hold them for 31 working days (approximately 5 weeks) before returning them to the sender.
During this holding period, Royal Mail will try to contact the recipient to arrange redelivery or provide alternative delivery options. If the parcel is still undelivered after the holding period, it will be returned to the sender.
Please note that these holding periods may vary depending on the specific circumstances of the parcel, such as:
- If the parcel is being held due to an incorrect or incomplete address, Royal Mail may hold it for a longer period to allow the recipient to correct the issue.
- If the parcel is being held due to customs clearance issues, Royal Mail may hold it for a longer period to resolve the issue.
- If the parcel is being held due to a payment issue, Royal Mail may hold it until the payment is resolved.
If you're concerned about the status of your parcel, you can contact Royal Mail's customer service team to check on its whereabouts.