If you’re not happy with Royal Mail’s decision about compensation

If your post was damaged, lost or delayed and you claim compensation from Royal Mail, they’ll usually make a decision within 30 days. It can take up to 90 days if the item was sent to somewhere outside the UK.

If you’re not happy with the decision, you can complain to Royal Mail’s customer services team. You can complain by phone, send a letter or use their online contact form.

If you're not happy with the response to your complaint

Contact the Postal Review Panel using their online form or by writing them a letter. The Postal Review Panel are part of Royal Mail but they’ll look at your complaint fairly. They should get back to you within 30 days.

If the Postal Review Panel can't resolve your complaint, they’ll usually refer you to an alternative dispute resolution scheme run by the Postal Redress Service (POSTRS). POSTRS is independent and will examine the case from both sides to reach a decision they think is fair.

You can go straight to POSTRS without a referral from the Postal Review Panel if Royal Mail:

• take longer than 90 days to solve your complaint

• haven’t followed their complaints procedure

You should check if POSTRS can investigate your complaint before you contact them. For example, if the item was posted to somewhere outside the UK, they can usually only investigate complaints from the person who posted it.

You can download the application form from the POSTRS website or call them to start a claim.