Royal mail have finally added delivery confirmation for any small or medium parcel delivered in the UK.
When you buy the postage online you get a number. No actual tracking but confirmation that royal mail did deliver it. This they say meets ebays seller standards so should protect you from fraud.
If like me you cant get to a post office, it does allow you to pop it in the postbox and still get some protection.
Of course without a stamp from the post office your still not covered if they lose it.
System is due to start on the 27th March but has already worked for me in the past 2 weeks.

Official announcement:

"We now offer Delivery Confirmation on Royal Mail 1st & 2nd Class Small and Medium parcels*, where postage has been purchased online:

Delivery Confirmation shows you when your item has been delivered or attempted to be delivered. Simply enter your barcode reference or indicia number at royalmail.com/confirm.
Information will be available online at the point we try to or successfully deliver your item.
If you want to see items progressing throughout their journey - and not just at the point of delivery - consider using Special Delivery Guaranteed.
Delivery Confirmation is not intended to be a fully tracked service.



Don't forget if you want Proof of Delivery and a signature at the point of delivery choose Royal Mail Signed For

* Delivery Confirmation is not available for large letters.
Delivery Confirmation is not available for parcels being sent to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man."


"How will free online Delivery Confirmation benefit your business?

Save you time and money on customer enquiries
Stop potential fraud
Ensure you meet marketplace seller standards
Qualify you for seller protection"

Thanks for this thread. I didn't know about that.

I usually get a proof of posting certificate from the post office for items not sent Signed For or Special Delivery. It doesn't have any tracking number but is the receipt to use if things get lost.
So it sounds like the new way, might be best if bought online to get the number, then dropped off at a post office to get receipt for it entering the network. The only full proof way, at least. But as small or medium parcels don't fit in the average post box, that works fine.

It's an improvement, but still not brilliant.

This is the update you get, although a 2nd parcel I sent did arrive ok it hasnt yet given confirmation several days later so may not be fully working yet.

"Latest update: Delivered to your address or a neighbour

We have a record of item xxxxxxx as being delivered from Ilkeston DO on 2017-02-20.

Thank you for using Royal Mail."

It is hard to believe they can track every number plate of cars travelling at 70 mph, but dont have a clue where your parcel is. In this day and age they should be able to constantly track every letter and parcel with a barcode. Even as far as giving you a video of it being handed over, but still maybe one day.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Neilsy,