You’re expecting a Royal Mail delivery and have received a “We’re Expecting It” Tracking update.
What does this mean exactly? Where is your package when you see this alert and what do you do if the tracking becomes stuck?
Let’s take a look…
Summary: Royal Mail “We’re Expecting It”
The Royal Mail “We’re Expecting It” tracking alert means that the sender has created an order for the shipment with the postal service and a tracking number has been assigned. However, the item has yet to enter the Royal Mail delivery network for it to receive its first physical scan.
Royal Mail We’re Expecting It – Guide
This is a standard Royal Mail tracking alert that is triggered after the sender has made an order for the shipment.
In other words, a shipping label has been created, Royal Mail is aware of the package, the service ordered, and the destination address.
With this information, a tracking number is assigned and the shipment details are automatically entered into the Royal Mail database.
However, at this stage, the sender will still have the package.
Their job now is to package everything up and either arrange for Royal Mail to collect the shipment or drop it off at a post office/drop-off location.
Until this happens, the “We’re Expecting It” will remain. Only once the postal service has the physical package will it receive a scan that will trigger a new update.
It is actually quite a self-explanatory alert. Royal Mail is aware of the package and expects to receive it from the sender very soon.
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Tracking Stuck on “We’re Expecting It”
It is very likely that you have reached this article because your tracking has been stuck on “We’re Expecting It” for a few days now.
There are a couple of reasons this may have happened.
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The Sender Has Yet to Drop the Package with Royal Mail
The first, and most likely outcome, is that the sender has yet to drop it off and the package is still with them.
As mentioned, you will not see another update until Royal Mail physically has the package inside its delivery network.
If the sender still has the item inside its warehouse (or home, depending on the nature of the shipment), there will be no possibility of another tracking update.
I recommend that you give the sender at least two days from the “We’re Expecting It” alert being received, and contact them about progress.
Unless you have paid for expedited delivery that is.
Very often, by the time you get in touch, the item will have reached Royal Mail, with a new update being triggered not long after.
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Delays in the Royal Mail Delivery Network
Another likely candidate for your lack of new updates is simply Royal Mail is struggling with delays.
Even though the sender has handed over the package to the postal service, in some cases the first scan will not occur until the shipment reaches the first sorting facility.
All manner of issues can delay this, (vehicle and traffic disruptions, back-log in the facility to name but a few).
Also, if the sender dropped the item with Royal Mail later on a Friday or over the weekend, the scan may not take place until Monday.
Throughout all of this, your tacking will remain on “We’re Expecting It”, leading you to believe that the tracking is stuck and that no progress is being made.
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Similarity to “Sender Despatching Item”
It is worth noting that Royal Mail actually uses two tracking alerts that mean the same thing, (way to go on increasing confusion : ) ).
The “Sender Despatching Item” update essentially means the same as “We’re Expecting It”.
In both cases, you are being told that the item is still with the sender and that Royal Mail is aware of it, and expects to have it soon.
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Final Words
Overall, the “We’re Expecting It” status alert means that a shipment order and been made and that Royal Mail expects to have the package inside its delivery network very soon.
Sometimes it can take a day or two for this to happen.
Unless your delivery is premium expedited, you should not be concerned about the gap between updates.
In most cases, the package will be moving through the network very soon, and you will receive further updates to notify you of this progress.
Where this doesn’t happen, you should contact the sender to ensure everything was handed over to Royal Mail.
If necessary, you will need to contact the postal service if the shipment really does seem to be stuck.
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I’m a 25 year veteran of USPS. I’m retired now, but as the editor of Mailbox Master, I can’t quite remove myself from the carrier industry just yet. 🙂