PostCon:Delivery to neighbour trial

[POSTMAN]

29 July 2011

Postcomm announced today that it is launching a six week consultation on two applications that it has received from Royal Mail to change the company’s terms and conditions and working practices. Royal Mail states that it is requesting the changes to bring its business more in line with other packet and parcel delivery companies and to reflect change within the postal market.

We are issuing two consultation documents today which deal with each of the requests from Royal Mail:

(1) Postcomm consultation on Royal Mail applications to amend and align its terms and conditions (pdf) http://www.psc.gov.uk/documents/2000.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail’s application proposes to change the terms and conditions of its regulated services in order to amend the compensation arrangements for lost and damaged items and align the retention periods for undeliverable items that are held at Royal Mail delivery offices.

(2) Postcomm consultation on Royal Mail’s application to run a delivery to neighbour trial (pdf) http://www.psc.gov.uk/documents/1995.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail wishes to trial the delivery of postal items to a neighbour where they cannot be delivered to the absent addressee because a signature is required or the item is too big to put through the letterbox.


The purpose of these consultation documents is to seek views, in particular from Royal Mail’s customers, on the two separate applications that Royal Mail has made to Postcomm in relation to the provision of its regulated services. The Regulated Services are defined in its Licence to include price controlled services, free services , Miscellaneous Services and Business Collections. Royal Mail explains in each of its applications which particular services would be affected.

We do not at this stage express a view on the merits or otherwise of Royal Mail’s proposals and consider it more appropriate to consult and invite views from interested parties, including in relation to the appropriateness of issuing a direction for Royal Mail to trial the service. However, we attempt to draw out issues which we believe interested parties ought to bear in mind when considering these proposals and ask specific questions on which we would welcome responses to enable us to reach a view consistent with our statutory duties.

Postcomm invites comments on all aspects of Royal Mail’s applications. Responses should be submitted by Friday 9 September 2011 and a decision will be made on each application prior to the transfer of regulatory responsibility from Postcomm to Ofcom [1].

[DGP1]

Royal Mail wishes to trial the delivery of postal items to a neighbour where they cannot be delivered to the absent addressee because a signature is required or the item is too big to put through the letterbox.

FFS I don't have time to wander up and down the street looking for someone who is in to take the packet, plus how are we supposed to know who is a 'good' neighbour

[Lounge Lizard]

Royal Mail wishes to trial the delivery of postal items to a neighbour where they cannot be delivered to the absent addressee because a signature is required or the item is too big to put through the letterbox.

FFS I don't have time to wander up and down the street looking for someone who is in to take the packet, plus how are we supposed to know who is a 'good' neighbour

Absolutely .
'Tracked' is meant to be a premium service yet it is somehow acceptable to deliver it to a neighour of whom we have no knowledge, not that I do, I've not got time to go to the neighbour on the left, out, then the neighbour on the right, probably out too, then back to the original address with the P739 advising delivery to neighbour or collection from Delivery Office - four calls in all when I'm over my time anyway, never.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14346271" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Royal Mail wants permission for its postmen and women to be able to leave some post with a neighbour if the addressee is not at home.

It wishes to trial the idea for mail that is too large to post through a letter-box, and for some post that requires a signature.

Special delivery mail will not be included in the planned pilot scheme.

The Royal Mail also wishes to reduce the time in which consumers and firms can make a compensation claim.

Watchdog Consumer Focus said that while some consumers would welcome the idea of being able to have mail left with a neighbour, "worryingly there is no opt-out option".

"For many people having their mail left with a neighbour they do not know, or might not trust, could open the door to problems," said its director of post, Robert Hammond.

'Popular location'

At present, postmen and women have to take items of mail back to their delivery office if the named recipient is not at home and the items cannot fit it through the letter box, or require a signature.

Royal Mail said the planned pilot scheme was in response to consumer demand.

"In a recent survey, leaving an item of mail with a neighbour was the most popular location for delivery when no-one was at home to receive the mail," it said.

Any decision to allow the pilot scheme will be made by postal service regular Postcomm, which has now launched a public consultation.

It is seeking responses by 9 September.

Better investigate

The Royal Mail wants to reduce the time in which both household and business customers can claim compensation for lost or damaged items from up to 12 months after an item is posted, to 90 days for a six-month period.

It then wants to cut this further to 60 days next year.

Royal Mail said: "This will enable Royal Mail to better investigate the loss of an item and improve our ability to find it and return it to the sender."

It added that "approximately 70% of consumers" already claim compensation within two months of posting. But watchdog Consumer Focus pointed out this meant almost a third did not.

Royal Mail also wishes to introduce a standard holding period of 18 days for items that could not be delivered to an address, down from the current 21 days for most methods of delivery.

Further, it wants business contract customers to no longer be able to seek compensation for the loss or damage of postal items sent using untracked services such as Mailsort and Packetpost.

Postcomm will again have to rule on all these issues, and is again seeking public responses by 9 September.

Consumer Focus called on Postcomm to look "long and hard at whether these moves are in customers' interests and whether they are warranted".

"While changes to keeping undelivered mail are sensible, the proposals on compensation and leaving mail with a neighbour would cut consumers' rights, leaving many losing out," said Robert Hammond.

Postcomm's regulatory responsibility for the postal service is due to be transferred to Ofcom in the autumn.

[R@YAL F@IL]

Here we go again, people in ivory towers paid huge sums of money come up with what they think is a great idea So then in real terms "they" think we have time to knock on 2 or 3 homes to deliver one item, they really are from another planet these people

[fishtank]

Out of the whole street who are you most likely to fall out with?

[Big Daz]

Alignment of retention periods for undeliverable items held at Royal Mail delivery offices Royal Mail wishes to change the length of time that all postal items will be kept for if they are returned to delivery offices (“callers‟ offices”) for collection, from 21, 14 and 7 calendar days to a standardised 18 calendar days.

[Stormproof]

If they want it delivered to their neighbours house why don't they just get it addressed to them in the first place
I often find notes attached to doors.....leave at Number xx. No fecking chance, 739'd and back to the office with it

[chunk]

the only way that idea would be sound ..would be to have a designated neighbour who the recipient declares trustworthy.

A round with 500 drops.... this could mean carrying a list of 500 designated good neighbours with you!

This is blue sky thinking from someone with his head in the clouds.

[Wessex]

I think it might mean that the postie doesn't have to return to the depot , a type of job and finish but where the company makes,..

[steven100]

Hidden agenda maybe, lets add another 5 streets on and get rid off more full-time staff. Our union are a joke.

[north london driver]

most neighbours in london dont know each other or can not understand each other.
another great idea, shame they did not think to charge 1.50 to redeliver items instead of
customer care letting everyone going on line asking for a request delivery.

all customers should be charged for redelivery of items.
second delivery charge 1.50
third attempt 3.00

if still no answer return the item after two days and charge the sender.,

as were not a public service anymore why should we care.

[tonner83]

a system we use at parcelforce is that if there is no one at home we can take the parcel to any local post office where the customer can pick up at there convenience they re open all day unlike many sorting offices and make my job hell of a lot easier this has saved alot of my time and the customers maybe they should trial it this way youre thoughts

[Wessex]

I can't believe that RM are listening to their customers that is the biggest load of b/s going , look for the commercial advantage after privatisation .My own view is this is an idea from their obsession with the school of bonsai philosophy .Therein lies the answer, grasshopper.

[davthepunk]

I just read about this on the BBC website during a bout of insomnia, then I just remembered that I had an account on here...

I'm a customer - and I absolutely do not want this. Apologies if this comes across as a rant and I'm not having a go at the hard-working posties here, but this has annoyed/concerned me.

1. I live somewhere with some dodgy neighbours. I don't want them getting their hands on my stuff (anything that's typically too big for my letter box would also typically be something that could be sold on for smack and booze).
2. I live somewhere with some dodgy neighbours. I don't want their stuff delivered to my house.
3. I sell on eBay and sometimes I send things Recorded Delivery. If I send something recorded delivery, I expect the proof of delivery to indicate that the item was actually delivered where it was supposed to be delivered.
4. Man, the scam buyers on eBay are going to have fun with this - 'postie said it was left with neighbour but they said they didn't have it - I'm going to claim item not received from Paypal', etc., aren't they?

I can understand why people might want this and think that this is a really good idea, if their neighbours are their friends, or at least trustworthy - but why no opt out system, both for receiving post and taking in post for others? That's the part that seems absolutely ludicrous to me.