Lost or Delayed Post — What to Do and How to Claim

Royal Mail does not classify an item as officially lost until a certain number of working days have passed after the expected delivery date:

• 1st Class: allow 10 working days after the due date before reporting
• 2nd Class: allow 15 working days after the due date
• Tracked 24 / Tracked 48: allow 10 working days after the estimated delivery date
• Special Delivery Guaranteed: if it hasn't arrived by 3pm on the guaranteed day, you can claim immediately

If you're waiting on tracked mail, check the Royal Mail tracking tool first — the item may be held at a delivery depot or awaiting a second delivery attempt.

Claims are submitted directly to Royal Mail, not to the Post Office. You can do this: - Online at royalmail.com/help/claims - By calling Royal Mail customer services

You'll need: - Your proof of posting (certificate of posting or receipt) - Your tracking number (if you used a tracked service) - Evidence of the item's value (receipt, screenshot, invoice) - The recipient's address

Royal Mail does not compensate for: - Cash sent through the post - Jewellery sent using standard services (use Special Delivery for anything valuable) - Items that are prohibited under postal rules - Damage caused by inadequate packaging

If an item arrives damaged, keep all packaging — Royal Mail may ask to inspect it as part of a claim. Take photographs of the damage before unpacking. Claims for damage follow the same process as lost items.

For anything valuable, use Special Delivery. For everything else, always get a free certificate of posting. It costs nothing, takes seconds, and is the only way to support a claim for standard post.