Royal Mail bites back at Ofcom review

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The latest Ofcom review has rustled Royal Mails feathers, claiming that the regulatory review does not go far enough to address the challenges faced by the business.

Ofcom recently told parcel firms to get better at handling complaints as they confirmed new measures to help improve service standards in the industry. Alongside this, Ofcom also declined Royal Mail’s request to offer tracking on 1st and 2nd class parcels to avoid the risk of hurting competition.

Royal Mail have expressed their disappointment that Ofcom has not taken the opportunity to allow them to provide tracking on the products offered to the general public under the Universal Service. Tracking is no longer seen as an optional extra or a premium offer, it is a necessity.

According to Royal Mail, the very purpose of the Universal Service is to offer postal services not provided by the market at a uniform affordable price throughout the UK – and tracking for all, at an affordable and common price for everyone, should be a feature of a modern postal Universal Service in 2022. If regulation is a blocker to modernisation it will increasingly put the finances of the Universal Service at risk, threatening the ongoing sustainability of the one-price-goes-anywhere postal services that customers rely on. Royal Mail have asked Ofcom to reconsider this decision.

The company is more understanding on Ofcom’s request for better handling of complaints procedures.

On customer complaints, Ofcom proposes to issue guidance to all parcel firms regarding their complaints handling procedures, including setting out who to contact, how the complaints process works and how long the complaint will take to resolve. As the Universal Service Provider, Royal Mail’s USO services are already subject to this type of guidance and we recognise Ofcom’s efforts to level the playing field amongst all parcel operators.

– Royal Mail

3 Responses

  1. I don;t quite understand what they wanted, does this mean Royal Mail wanted to add tracking to all 1st and 2nd class postage but increase the price and Ofcom said no you must add tracking for free?

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