If you’re a business customer, here’s how to make a complaint.
We’re sorry you would like to make a complaint about Royal Mail.
We’ve lots of useful information in our help centre but if still need to contact us please do so via our tailored personal customer complaint webform. This will ensure we have all the details we need to handle your complaint as soon as possible.
Complaint webform
If you choose to contact us by phone please have the details of your complaint available, our number is 03457 740 740. We're open Monday to Friday 8am-6:30pm, Saturday 8am-3pm and Sunday 9am-2pm.
For some complaints you may be required to complete a “Loss, Damage or Delay” form available at royalmail.com/claims. Our Customer Service Advisors will let you know the appropriate process to follow.
If you are contacting us on behalf of another person, we may ask you to provide proof of that person's consent to your handling their complaint.
Once we have received your complaint, the Customer Services Advisor will record your details and provide you with a unique reference number that identifies you and your complaint.
Our Customer Promise
Once we have the full details of your complaint our promise is that we will normally take no more than 30 calendar days to respond fully to your issue. Please be aware that some international complaints may take longer to resolve due to the work that needs to be done by foreign administrators.
There may be occasions when we require additional information or responses from you to complete our investigation. When that is the case we will allow 14 calendar days for your response. Allowing for complex cases with several such interactions, this means our longest investigations for inland complaints may take up to 90 calendar days to fully complete.
Our Customer Service Advisors will take ownership of your complaint and look to provide you with a resolution.
We will consider your individual circ*mstances so tell us if you are vulnerable and we will take additional steps to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.
How the complaints process works
Stage 1: Contacting our Customer Services Advisors
The Customer Services Advisor will take the details of your complaint. They will make every effort to resolve your complaint providing you with an appropriate response.If you are not happy with the reply you can escalate your case to the Escalated Customer Resolution Team.
Stage 2: Contacting our Escalated Customer Resolution Team
Our Escalated Customer Resolution Team is trained and experienced in dealing with escalated complaints. They will endeavour to address and resolve your concerns; however, if after allowing them another chance to try and deal with your complaint, you remain dissatisfied with their response, you can contact the Postal Review Panel.
Stage 3 - The Postal Review Panel
Royal Mail customers who have complained have access to the Postal Review Panel who will take a fresh and impartial look at your case. After this review the Postal Review Panel will provide a final response from Royal Mail about your complaint. This will take place within 30 days of your first contact with them.
The objective of the Postal Review Panel is to find a mutually satisfactory resolution for your complaint.
However, if you are not satisfied after the Postal Review Panel has provided you with a final response then your case will be considered ‘deadlocked’. Customer complaints in deadlock can be referred to the independent Ombudsman style scheme, the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS).
You can contact the Postal Review Panel at any time quoting your Royal Mail reference number. However Royal Mail will always want to try and resolve any concerns or complaints you have, and it is strongly recommended that you work with the Customer Services teams at Stage 1 and Stage 2 to try and sort out the problem before contacting the Postal Review Panel.
Stage 4 - If you remain unhappy
If you remain dissatisfied with the response you have received after contacting the Postal Review Panel and you have received a deadlock letter, you may be able to escalate your complaint to the independent Ombudsman style scheme, the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS).
POSTRS’s role is to resolve customer disputes. POSTRS provide a free service and we are bound by their findings.
Depending on the nature of the specific complaint, POSTRS may be available. Generally, the service is available to you if:
- we have not been able to settle your complaint within the 90 day timescales set out by Royal Mail Customer Services
- you have been referred to the scheme through your ‘deadlock’ letter
- we have not followed our own complaints procedure in handling your complaint
A list of Royal Mail's products and services available through the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS) is available at royalmail.com/postrs.
You can download our customer complaints process below:
Complaints Handling Process
Further information
If you require independent advice about your rights as a consumer or how to progress a complaint, you can contact Citizens Advice Consumer Service if you live in Great Britain or the Consumer Council if you live in Northern Ireland. They offer practical advice via the telephone and online. Please be aware that Citizens Advice consumer service and the Consumer Council Northern Ireland cannot make a complaint on your behalf or provide advice on specific Royal Mail products and services.
Contact details
Royal Mail Customer Services
To make a complaint call us on 03457 740740 or complete our dedicated form here.
Should you wish to cancel your complaint, you can do so here.
You can also write to us, please read the important message here before doing so.
If you choose to write to us, please ensure you give us as much detail as possible. Things to include are:
- Your full name and address
- Daytime contact telephone number
- Email address
- Full details of your complaint
You can then send the details to:
Freepost ROYAL MAIL CUSTOMER SERVICES or here.for.you@royalmail.com
Postal Review Panel (For complaints already handled by Stage 1 & 2)
Web: www.royalmailgroup.com/postalreviewpanel
POSTRS – The Independent Ombudsman-style Service
For further information please refer to POSTRS’s website www.cedr.com/postrs
Citizens Advice (Great Britain)
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/
Telephone: 0808 223 1133 Welsh speaking customers: 0808 223 1144
Consumer Council for Northern Ireland
www.consumercouncil.org.uk/
Telephone: 0800 121 6022
