Royal Mail insurance problem: Sorry tale of a package to India You wanted to know which Indian airport this had happened at, and requested other details. You had insured the watch for £500 and wanted that paid if the watch could not be found. It is unclear whether you made it clear to the post office counter staff exactly what it was you were sending. However, when the "loss" became apparent Royal Mail said that as the watch was prohibited or restricted by Indian customs you would not be compensated for your loss. You argued that the watch was being sent to be repaired, and so was not a prohibited item. There does seem to be some grey area over this and, given that you worked in the complicated arena of export and import at one time, you may know more about this than I do. Royal Mail said it did not know about such an anomaly and asked how customs could identify whether a watch was sent for repair or otherwise. For a list of prohibited and restricted items, see royalmail.com/india. On the restricted list are "clocks and watches and parts thereof." The watch had cost you £11.61 to send. You had been around any number of circles over this. It seemed that the watch was lost to you forever. You told me all you wanted really was to have it back. I made inquiries and, as if out of nowhere, the watch was located. One of the downsides was that by the time I knew about this and asked how it was being returned, the watch had already been despatched by surface mail. I was told it would take up to three months. At this point you said you were delighted and had what you wanted. You promised to let me know when it arrived. However, I didn't hear anything. When I rang you a little more than three months later, I found you somewhat confused. You told me the watch had arrived a few days earlier. You had forgotten our conversation before but it seems to have come back to you the following day. It transpired that you had tried to take the matter to court but the case had been turned down because of the watch's retrieval. I then received a letter from you which in some places was full of praise for my efforts but which also read: "Royal Mail called you after I received my watch - why?" In fact it had been you who had told me you now had the watch - not Royal Mail - and this had been in response to my question to you. But you have your watch and it turns out you will be going to India soon. There, as you said, repairers never throw out anything and keep the oddments forever. So the old watch which will accompany you, presumably on your wrist, would, you were sure, be mended there after all.