How long are GRO Certificates taking?

[Maggiemae]

Hi Maggiemae

Husband's cousin whose birthday is 18th will understand, although hers is a milestone one, so special card and I'm hoping it will be delivered before then.

Other one is to a ( now  ) 6 year old who dashes to the mail box several times a day.

GRO normal despatch is  5 working days Mon-Fri.  Increases a bit when they are closed over Public holiday periods. None in July, our next one is end of August.

Check the date on the bottom of the cert when you receive it, that will tell you when it was posted from here

I ordered 2 more certs this last Sunday (2nd) due for despatch Fri, I'm half hoping they will arrive Saturday, but GRO use 2nd class postage for UK  orders, so it could be Monday before I receive them

I'm getting that you are in the UK? If so your delivery time for GRO certs is way faster than for Australia even allowing for second class postage. If that's the case I'd be better off having my certs sent to you and you scanning them and then sending the scans to me  .

I'm going to sit tight, despite wanting my certificate and wanting NOW, and place my confidence in our Aussie postal service. The joke will be on me if it turns up tomorrow  .

MM

[lemur41]

Hi Maggiemae
 
Like I said, take note of the date on the bottom of cert, where it's "signed off" I have absolute confidence in the GRO that it's the date it was put into Royal Mail for despatch to OZ.

Yes I am in the UK, but it's just normal inland mail for us.

 I must say that I've done ordering  bmd's  from Sydney & Melbourne offices, and been impressed with their service
I've received the certs within about a week. My x 2  Gt. Uncle's Will copy which came from Sydney was about 2 weeks, not actually in the mail that long, just took a total of 2 weeks to process and deliver

[Warin]

Some of 'my' UK suppliers have gone to a different (probably 'cheaper') 'free' delivery system .. looks to be by Singapore ... adds about a week to the delivery. 

The joke will be on me if it turns up tomorrow  .

That is what happens to me.. I complain about the lack of delivery and the next day there it is.

[trish58]

Received one of mine yesterday, taken 5 weeks, one still to arrive......I don't believe for one moment this is a GRO problem but Australia mail (Yes I am in Oz) and it has been going on for quite a while now.
My Sister in the UK is a stickler for making sure family always have their birthday/celebration cards on time and sends them 2-3 weeks ahead of time, she was really upset when she spoke to my Brother in Qld for his 75th birthday to discover he hadn't received his card.

Australia Post are supposedly laying "Posties" off due to falling profits on mail delivery because folks are using the internet instead of mail. They fail to mention the huge increases in profit on their parcel post due to online shopping. My answer to that is bring back Parcel post delivered by Australia post instead of using private contractors.
Problem solved and we may get our mail delivered on a daily basis again.

Trish

[lemur41]

Trish

So does the date on the bottom of the cert match around the date the GRO estimated for despatch  to you,when your ordered please.
I have read somewhere that the problem with Australia Post is as you say, and I'm also a stickler for posting cards early, whatever the destination. Maybe should post the Christmas cards to OZ  next week

Maggiemae has said she will tell us when her cert  arrives. I have 2 due myself, today hopefully, they were ordered last weekend, will be niggling if I have to wait  until Monday!!! but just to myself, won't bore, they will arrive when they arrive






.

 

[trish58]

Lemur
If I remember correctly, if you order a cert and it has Despatch Date 2nd Aug, then the date on the certificate will possibly be dated 1st Aug.

Mine mostly appear to be this way, they are sent the day after they are signed, this could be just coincidence, one of the experts would be able to tell you more.

Hope it arrives, I just wait these days, at one time not to long ago they were always spot on.

Trish

[lemur41]

Hi Trish

Yes you are correct, they attempt to process within 5 working days, and the cert possibly dated on the 4th day. Doesn't always work that way, depends how busy they are.

 I (just on one occasion) had one delivered within 3 days of ordering. That was 21st Dec ordered  and I received it Christmas Eve  they obviously had fewer orders, that was about 5 years ago.

lemur

[dawnsh]

When you get your acknowledgement from the GRO, the due date for despatch should be around 5 'working' days which excludes bank holidays and weekends.

I order a batched of 19 certs a few weeks back with a range of event dates.

The births and deaths were historic, and because the GRO has digitised part of the process for these, they were dated the day before the due date.

All of the marriages were dated on the due date.

One certificate had had a problem as it was dated 3 days later and was typed.

If the GRO cannot issue a cert you will receive a refund just after the due date but as you haven't had a refund then you should consider that it is in transit and making it's way slowly through the system.

You can also request a replacement if you feel it may be lost and they will produce another one for you but it will most probably take the same amount of time to come through.

I replied on a similar topic the other day and the poster asked for a replacement, with the original duly turning up very shortly after.

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=725685.0

[trish58]

Thank you Dawnsh for clarifying a couple of things there.

What I didn't know was the refund after 3 days. I did know about the replacement, as they have replace a couple for me over the past 15 years. Their services in my opinion is just great, as I said I don't think for a moment it is their fault we Aussie folks are having all these delays, and far to many Aussies are having the same problem.

Trish