First identify WHY the claim was rejected.
Save the refusal exactly as received. Identify the reason, the service, who sold the label and the evidence the handler actually considered. Your next action should answer that reason, rather than repeat the claim unchanged.
- Find the original reference and decision date. Keep the submission, attachments, notification acknowledgement and all requests for further information.
- Separate “not eligible yet” from a final refusal. A premature claim, missing document and excluded item need different responses.
- Preserve every live cutoff. Record the initial claim deadline, any evidence reply date and the complaint/review instructions. A review request does not automatically extend another deadline.
- Check the contract holder. A marketplace/broker booking may need its own handler, even where Royal Mail or Evri delivered the parcel.
Rejection-reason diagnostic matrix
| Reason rejected | Potentially fixable? | Evidence needed → next route |
|---|---|---|
| Submitted too early | Often, once eligible. | Service, due date and qualifying period → ask whether the case can stay open or must be submitted again once eligible; preserve the final cutoff. |
| Submitted too late / deadline missed | Only if the date, rule or record was wrong, or discretion applies. | Actual booking/eligible date, applicable terms and timely receipt evidence → ask the same handler to review the deadline calculation. Do not assume a new form cures lateness. |
| Wrong claimant | Usually a routing question. | Invoice and account owner → have the contractual customer submit or provide the authorisation the handler requires. |
| Label bought through a third party | Often, if its own deadline remains open. | Marketplace/broker booking receipt → use that provider’s claim route immediately; ask whether it can preserve the carrier deadline. |
| Missing proof of posting | Possibly, with genuine handover evidence. | Validated certificate, receipt, collection confirmation or acceptance record → supply the missing record, not just label payment. |
| Missing proof of value | Possibly. | Original purchase invoice, payment or manufacturing records linked to the item → ask what specific alternative is accepted if unavailable. |
| Retail sale price supplied; cost price required | Often a calculation/evidence gap. | Cost invoice or production record plus separate sale record → request recalculation under the correct service terms. |
| Item excluded from compensation | Only if the category/service was misapplied, or another remedy applies. | Exact contents, applicable exclusion and booking terms → ask the handler to identify its basis and explain any factual misclassification. |
| Prohibited / restricted item | Only if the finding is incorrect or conditions were met. | Precise contents and evidence of permitted quantity/packing → answer the actual restriction; do not describe a prohibited item differently. |
| Inadequate cover / claim exceeds ceiling | Sometimes a cover record error; often a limit. | Booking confirmation and purchased cover → seek the correct covered sum. Extra cover cannot be bought retrospectively. |
| Packaging exclusion | Possibly, if packing was compliant. | Before-dispatch images, outer/inner packing, damage photos and retained packaging → ask which requirement failed and how the evidence supports it. |
| Carrier says delivered | Possibly, with specific contradictory evidence. | Delivery photo, destination, signature/location record and recipient account → request a delivery investigation; a non-receipt declaration may be requested. |
| Evidence missing / unreadable / not received | Often. | Requested document, date already supplied and delivery/upload confirmation → resend that item through the existing reference and seek acknowledgement. |
| Duplicate claim / already compensated | Only if records are incorrect or a distinct unpaid element remains. | All claim references and settlement ledger → ask to merge/correct records and identify any outstanding amount; disclose payment. |
| Incorrect claim route or product selected | Often, subject to time limits. | Actual service code, account type and invoice → ask for transfer/correction or use the instructed route; do not assume the original filing preserves it. |
Ask for the precise clause or policy and the factual finding supporting refusal. If the notice gives several reasons, answer each in a short numbered response. Distinguish “we need a document” from “the document was considered and did not prove the point”.
Do not send the same claim again unchanged
A second identical claim can create a duplicate, obscure the chronology and leave the original reason unanswered. Use the existing reference for a review or complaint unless the provider specifically instructs a new submission.
Before / after
Weak: “You lost it. I refunded my buyer. Pay the sale price.”
Useful: “The refusal says no handover evidence. Attachment A is the collection confirmation issued after pickup on [date], for tracking [number]. It was not listed in the decision. Please review acceptance using A and confirm whether anything else is needed.”
If the case was closed for missing information, supply the named document, explain what it establishes, and ask whether the existing case can be reopened. Do not promise that missing evidence automatically earns an extension or reinstatement. If no document exists, say so and ask which genuine alternatives can be assessed.
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Evidence-gap checklist: prepare the review packet
- Decision: full rejection, date, reference, exact reason(s) and any review instructions.
- Contract: label provider, account owner, service and variant, posting/Order date, selected cover and the applicable terms/version.
- Original claim: final submitted text and evidence, acknowledgement and each further-information request with your reply.
- Missing link: one line explaining what each new or corrected record proves and which reason it addresses.
- Amount: evidenced cost/value or repair figure, contractual ceiling, postage requested, amount already paid and balance outstanding.
- Time: original deadline basis, notification/submission proof, live evidence cutoff and complaint-stage instructions.
- Requested outcome: review an overlooked document, correct the route/date, explain the calculation or provide the next complaint stage. Keep this specific.
Use the Royal Mail service/evidence matrix or Evri booking and damage evidence packet for the carrier-specific records. Keep originals and an index, and share only the personal data needed for the claim.
Royal Mail vs Evri: choose the actual escalation route
| Carrier / contract | Internal next route | Boundary to check |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail retail / non-contract product | Ask Customer Services to review the decision with the reference, reason and gap-filling evidence. Follow the complaint escalation instructions in the reply. | The Postal Review Panel is the final internal stage primarily for eligible non-contract products; do not bypass the preceding process. |
| Royal Mail business/account | Use Business Customer Services and the business complaints process identified for your account. Ask for the next escalation stage and a written final position. | Do not assume a retail Postal Review Panel or POSTRS route covers the account contract. Check product and complaint eligibility first. |
| Evri direct booking | Ask Customer Services to investigate the refusal/missing information on the same reference; make a complaint if unresolved. | After prior help has failed, Tell us straight reaches the senior team. It is not a universal independent appeal system. |
| Evri or Royal Mail through an intermediary | Ask the booking provider to review its claim decision under its complaints process. | The carrier’s direct form cannot replace an intermediary claim or automatically preserve its deadline. |
| Other couriers | Use that courier’s current claim decision and complaint terms. | Royal Mail and Evri procedures are not templates for every carrier. |
Royal Mail: review the finding, then use the relevant complaints process
For an incorrect decision, respond to the named claims contact using your reference. State what was missed or misapplied and ask for a reviewed decision. Use the official complaints entry for the personal route, or business complaints process for an account. The official Click & Drop contact guidance lists parcel enquiry teams: 03457 740 740 without OBA and 03457 950 950 with OBA.
Royal Mail’s Postal Review Panel page describes a complete evidence and handling review, as the final internal stage primarily for products not supplied under a contract. It says to use instructions in your latest email/letter and quote the reference and dissatisfaction. An initial loss refusal is not automatically a final response eligible for independent redress.
Access limit: the current Salesforce personal/business complaint pages could not be retrieved during this review. We have verified the contact split and Panel scope from readable official material; we do not assume that every account uses the personal-stage sequence or publish an unverified account review SLA.
Evri: Customer Services, then Tell us straight if unresolved
Use Evri’s complaints procedure: online Customer Services chat or 0330 808 5456. For a missing-information refusal, identify the requested document and ask which record is absent; return it through the same case and ask whether reconsideration/reopening is available. If Customer Services has already tried to help, Tell us straight provides senior-team access at noreply.priority@evri.com. Include tracking, booking email/name, case reference, refusal, new evidence and the precise unresolved issue.
Evri states an aim to respond to most cases within 24 hours and reports 92% of complaints resolved within three working days. These are not guarantees of a compensation decision or payment within those periods. If booked through eBay, Parcel2Go or another third party, complain to that booking provider; do not assume the senior-team address takes over its contract.
Deadline risk: a complaint does not stop another clock
| Clock | What to record | Action if unclear |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Mail loss eligibility / filing | Service, account type, due date, earliest claim date, final window and actual submission confirmation. | Check the service/contract matrix. Do not use 80 days universally. |
| Royal Mail damage / part loss | Damage delivery date, posting date and the actual service-specific terms. | The public retail damage page mentions 30 days from posting for Tracked; the current account matrix uses 30 days after actual delivery and non-account terms use an eligible-date window. Confirm the governing rule in writing; act before the earliest plausible cutoff rather than merging them. |
| Direct Evri commercial notification | Relevant UK Order date and proof of written notification within 28 days under clause 7.3. | Ask the handler to review timely-notification evidence. A late complaint cannot be assumed to repair late notice. |
| Evidence request / review instructions | Date received, record requested, reply-by date and proof you complied. | Ask whether the record was received and whether reopening is possible; no automatic extra period. |
| Intermediary / marketplace | Booking provider’s own claim/complaint rules and any open order-case deadline. | Contact it promptly, even if the carrier has not finished investigating. |
Compare Royal Mail retail damage wording, account Appendix C, non-account Tracked clause 11.2 and Evri clause 7.3. These describe different products, contracts or claim types. For historic postings retrieve the version that applied; a newer change does not automatically alter an earlier claim.
Concise reconsideration wording
Reference and decision: Please review claim [reference], rejected on [date] because [exact reason]. I am [booking customer / authorised contact] for [provider, service and Order/tracking reference].
What needs reviewing: The finding appears to be [specific factual gap or misapplied service rule]. [Record A], dated [date], shows [precise fact]. It was [not supplied / supplied on date but apparently overlooked]. [Record B] addresses [second reason, if relevant].
Dates and amount: [Booking, dispatch, notification, eligibility and filing dates, as relevant]. My evidenced loss is [amount and basis], purchased cover is [level], and [amount] has already been paid by [route]. The remaining amount requested is [calculation].
Request: Please review [finding/calculation/route] in light of the attached records. If the refusal remains, please identify the governing clause, explain how it applies to these facts, and confirm the next complaint stage and any deadline.
This is an adaptable structure, not a carrier-approved appeal form or legal demand. Use “review” or “complaint” as the provider does. Delete irrelevant placeholders; a short indexed explanation is easier to check than a long chain of repeated messages.
Something changed: update the case before sending again
| New development | Record to add | How the next action changes |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier later confirms loss | Written finding, date, tracking and claim reference. | Ask for review of an earlier “not lost / too early” finding; preserve the original notification and all deadlines. |
| Recipient supplies non-delivery declaration | Actual requested form, completed by the recipient, plus submission proof. | Ask the handler to reassess the missing-evidence point. It is evidence, not automatic proof of liability. |
| New proof of value found | Original invoice/payment/manufacturing record linked to the shipped item. | Explain the supported value/cost and request the calculation be reviewed within the actual cover. |
| Tracking changes | Before/after snapshots, event timestamps and any carrier explanation. | Correct the chronology. Delivery, misdelivery, return and disposal findings can require different action. |
| Marketplace reimburses the seller | Amount, date, funding source and any recovery conditions. | Tell the handler and reconcile the outstanding loss; ask how the terms deal with other recovery. Do not claim the same loss twice. |
| Parcel later arrives | Receipt date, recipient confirmation, condition and prior compensation. | Notify carrier and marketplace. Ask whether to close/adjust the claim or repay compensation; do not continue asserting whole loss. |
In a saved ParcelClaim Seller Case, use the existing Something Changed feature to record the development and refresh next steps. Recording a development does not itself notify a courier or marketplace: you still send the necessary update through its case channel.
External escalation: check eligibility before relying on it
Royal Mail POSTRS is service-specific. Ofcom’s Royal Mail complaint guidance says the scheme covers only certain postal services. CEDR’s current published summary rules require an unresolved complaint that has exhausted the internal process, subject to specified exceptions, including an unresolved case after 90 days despite reasonable efforts. Its normal referral limit is 12 months from receiving the company’s notice that it cannot resolve the complaint; the maximum claimed sum is £10,000.
POSTRS rules, especially 2.2.16, also restrict Royal Mail contract-product complaints. A business or sole trader using an eligible non-contract service is a different case from an OBA carriage contract. Obtain confirmation of customer, product and complaint eligibility; do not infer it just from the word “seller”, a deadlock letter or an elapsed 90 days. The Royal Mail product-scope document linked from its Panel page could not be retrieved during review.
Evri: this guide verifies its internal Customer Services and senior-team process. It does not establish a universal consumer ADR or ombudsman entitlement for direct commercial bookings, recipients or third-party labels. Ask the contracting provider which external scheme, if any, covers this dispute and check the scheme’s own eligibility rules.
Court or other legal action is secondary to diagnosing the decision and preserving the evidence. If the contractual dispute remains material, get advice suited to the claimant, booking contract and UK jurisdiction before considering costs, limitation periods or a formal legal step. Consumer Rights Act protections cannot simply be assumed for carriage purchased for commercial trade. A buyer’s consumer claim against a business seller does not give that seller identical consumer rights against the courier. This page does not assess a legal cause of action.
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Sources & policy review
Policy checked: . UK domestic claims; the terms applying when you booked and the exact service govern your claim.
- Royal Mail group — Postal Review Panel scope and final internal review
- Royal Mail — personal complaints entry
- Royal Mail — business complaints entry
- Royal Mail Click & Drop — parcel contact split
- Royal Mail — account terms, clause 14 and Appendix C
- Royal Mail — October 2026 non-account Tracked terms
- Royal Mail — damage and part-loss policy
- Evri — claims, notification, evidence and liability terms
- Evri — Customer Services, third-party route and Tell us straight
- Ofcom — Royal Mail complaints and limited POSTRS scope
- CEDR — POSTRS summary eligibility and exclusions
- CEDR — POSTRS full service rules
Carrier procedures and independent redress do not have identical scope. Royal Mail Help complaint pages and the linked product-scope PDF could not be fully retrieved; the readable Panel, carrier terms and scheme rules support the distinctions here. Follow your actual decision’s instructions and confirm any unresolved eligibility question with the relevant handler. No universal appeal deadline or guaranteed recovery is inferred. ParcelClaim is independent of the carriers. This guide helps organise a claim; compensation is not guaranteed.