What does retention mean royal mail

In the context of Royal Mail, retention refers to the process of holding onto undeliverable mail, such as items that are returned to sender due to incorrect or incomplete addresses, or items that are unable to be delivered due to the recipient being deceased or having moved away.

Retention is an important part of Royal Mail's mail processing and delivery operations, as it helps to ensure that mail is not lost or misdirected. When an item is retained, it is held at a Royal Mail sorting office or delivery office for a period of time, during which the sender or recipient may be contacted to resolve the issue.

There are several reasons why Royal Mail may retain an item, including:

  1. Incorrect or incomplete address: If the address on the item is incorrect or incomplete, Royal Mail may retain it to prevent it from being delivered to the wrong person or location.
  2. Item unable to be delivered: If an item is unable to be delivered due to the recipient being deceased or having moved away, Royal Mail may retain it to prevent it from being lost or misdirected.
  3. Item returned to sender: If an item is returned to the sender due to being undeliverable, Royal Mail may retain it to prevent it from being lost or misdirected.
  4. Item held for investigation: In some cases, Royal Mail may retain an item to investigate a suspected fraud or other issue.

If an item is retained by Royal Mail, the sender or recipient will typically be notified and given the opportunity to resolve the issue. This may involve providing additional information or instructions to help Royal Mail deliver the item correctly.