French post office signs mail-order deadline agreement

The French post office (La Poste) and the French federation of mail-order
retailers (FEVAD) have signed a delivery deadline agreement. This
unprecedented deal establishes time limits for La Poste’s delivery of
articles sent in the course of 100 mailing campaigns launched by FEVAD
members. If La Poste fails to meet these deadlines, it must compensate the
companies in question for at least part – if not all – of their mailing
expenses. The agreement, which lasts for a year, is intended an experiment.
However, the French post office is considering drawing up customer charters
with the mail-order sector as a whole from 2002 onwards.