Tracked 48 Service Questions! - ROYALMAILCHAT (2025)

Apologies if I'm in the wrong forum.

I have tried Royal Mail Customer Service but the person I spoke too was very apologetic and nice to speak to but didn't really know the answer so I thought I would ask here.

I recently returned an item using their prepaid Tracked 48 label and despite it being shown as delivered on Royal Mail's tracking the customer (John Lewis returns Centre, postcode XX40 1EE although I think it somewhere in Northamptonshire, initially denied receipt).

The final tracking line simply says:

Delivered by
NDC RDC Delivery

at 03:53

Eventually they refunded me (the item was only £15 in value so I wasn't all that bothered) but I was wondering how the service works and if someone could give me some insight as I run an eBay business and normally use Royal Mail signed For, very successfully I should add, but I have been considering switching to Tracked 48.

My main question is what is the main difference between Signed For and Tracked 48 apart from the lack of a signature required for the latter?

Does Tracked 48 travel with the ordinary post like Signed For?
How, like in my example above, can it be delivered at 4 in the morning?
If a company like John Lewis can deny receipt even when it says delivered how could Royal Mail help me prove delivery if my customers say similar?
What does NDC RDC Delivery mean and is this a typical tracking style entry?

Any and all insights into the service greatly appreciated as this would be quite a big switch in how I do my posting!

Thanks in advance.

Does Tracked 48 travel with the ordinary post like Signed For?

Kind of - they are different streams but eventually they are delivered by your local postman

But the main difference is tracked is scanned as it travels through the system, signed for is only scanned on attempted delivery, successful or not

How, like in my example above, can it be delivered at 4 in the morning?

John Lewis is a bulk sender of items and gets lorry loads of returns. RDC (Distribution centres) and MCs normally deliver these for large companies to a warehouse of the companies choosing. As they warehouses are open 24 hours it can be delivered at any time, but usually to a specific time lot.

If a company like John Lewis can deny receipt even when it says delivered how could Royal Mail help me prove delivery if my customers say similar?

For any business denial of receipt from both sides is a situation you will face. In the case of John Lewis they probably don't track receipt of returns by the tracking number, but by their own order number, or product code etc. For a Business, to Consumer delivery, the local postie will scan the item on delivering, this scan has a GPS element so you will be able to see where it was scanned.

However, you could set up your own processes to combat false claims, like a database of orders and fulfilment. This may help you spot persistent false claims or even a problem area which you could address with Royal Mail

What does NDC RDC Delivery mean and is this a typical tracking style entry?

For a B2C - no.
For a C2B return - yes.

Thank you for the prompt response and ideas for me to mull over. I think the GPS is quite reassuring if it is available to the sender although I assume should I need it I could get that from Royal Mail for my Signed For and Special Delivery parcels.

I'm sure I'll have more questions to come in the future, all help much appreciated. You have already given me more info than the customer services agent could !