We do our best to make sure your mail gets to its destination safely, but sometimes, even with the best will in the world, we can't deliver your mail. This could be if:

• The mail isn't addressed properly or if some of the address is missing
• The building no longer exists - i.e. it's been demolished
• The person receiving the mail refuses to accept it
• Insecure packing means the address has come off
• Not enough postage has been paid and no one will pay the fee
• There's a security system at the delivery address that stops us from getting in. If you need to make special access arrangements for deliveries to avoid this happening, give us a call on 08457 950 950
• There's no one at home to receive mail that needs a signature, or it's too big to get through the letterbox
• If the delivery address isn't permanently occupied, or if access is unsafe, impractical or unreasonable. If this happens we'll try to contact whoever the mail is addressed to and ask them to collect it. If we can't get hold of them, or they don't collect the mail in time, unfortunately we'll have to treat it as undeliverable 

If we can't deliver the mail you sent, we'll leave a 'We're holding an item of mail for you' card at the delivery address. This shows the address and opening hours of the local delivery office, so whoever you've sent mail to, can go and collect it. 

We make every effort to make sure your mail arrives safely, so we'll keep it for three weeks (one week if you sent it by Recorded Signed For™). After that, we'll return it to you if you put your address on the outside, and we'll attach a sticker explaining why we couldn't deliver it.

If you haven't put your address on the outside, we'll send mail to the National Returned Letter Centre (or to Portsmouth for Special Delivery mail and packets, and to Belfast for letters). They'll open the mail and return it to you if your name and address is inside. If it's a newspaper, magazine or advertising, however, we'll dispose of it.  

If your address isn't inside but the contents are of sentimental, legal or financial value, we hold it for three months. If you don't claim it within that time, we may have to dispose of it. In some cases, we auction these unclaimed items, and donate all of the proceeds to charity.

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