How long does royal mail keep parcel
Royal Mail, the UK's postal service, has a standard delivery timeframe for parcels, but the exact duration can vary depending on the service level and destination. Here are some general guidelines:
Standard Parcels:
- Royal Mail's standard parcel service typically takes 1-3 working days for delivery within the UK.
- For international deliveries, the estimated delivery time is 3-7 working days to Europe and 5-10 working days to other destinations.
Tracked 24 Parcels:
- Royal Mail's Tracked 24 service guarantees delivery within 24 hours for parcels sent within the UK.
- For international deliveries, the estimated delivery time is 2-5 working days to Europe and 4-7 working days to other destinations.
Special Delivery Parcels:
- Royal Mail's Special Delivery service guarantees delivery by 1 pm the next working day for parcels sent within the UK.
- For international deliveries, the estimated delivery time is 2-5 working days to Europe and 4-7 working days to other destinations.
Holding Period:
- If Royal Mail is unable to deliver a parcel, it will be held at a local delivery office for a maximum of 18 working days.
- During this time, the recipient can collect the parcel from the delivery office or arrange for redelivery.
Storage Period:
- If a parcel is undeliverable and cannot be returned to the sender, Royal Mail will store it for a maximum of 12 months.
- After this period, the parcel will be disposed of, unless the sender requests its return.
Please note that these timescales are estimates and may vary due to factors such as weather conditions, high volumes of mail, or unforeseen circumstances.