Royal Mail begins Delivery to Neighbour trial
Royal Mail began trials today in which parcels will be left with neighbours if a recipient is not home to accept delivery. The “Delivery to Neighbour” trial covers nearly 750,000 addresses, 1,406 delivery rounds, and runs until February 25, 2012.
Royal Mail is running the trial in select areas across the UK, including Bolton, Wigan, Edinburgh, Hull, Gatwick, Norwich and Swansea.
On the trial, when a mail carrier cannot fit an item into a residential letterbox and the addressee is not home, they will choose a neighbour in close proximity to ask if they will look after the package.
The intended recipient will then receive a notification card with details of where the parcel can be collected.
The service will not apply to special delivery mail or international post requiring a signature, but will include Royal Mail’s recorded delivery service. For domestic mail requiring a signature, the neighbour will sign for the package, and if no neighbour is available the item will return to the Delivery Office as usual.
Convenience
Royal Mail is hoping the service will mean added convenience for those unavailable or working when a parcel is delivered, such as when e-commerce products are delivered.
The service would potentially mean fewer undelivered items have to be returned, and costly repeat deliveries avoided. It would replace a system in which undelivered mail is currently taken back to the delivery office, with a card left for recipients detailing how they can collect the item from the delivery office, a post office or re-arrange delivery for another day.
Royal Mail-commissioned research from Tpoll suggested a majority of UK residents would support a Delivery to Neighbour system if they were allowed to opt out.
“Both our own and independent research has indicated that most of our customers would support Delivery to Neighbour as it provides far greater convenience, enabling them to collect their items locally with minimal effort required,” said Royal Mail.
“It means less need to go to one of our offices and we know that other parcel carriers in the UK are able to undertake this approach with very little or no impact on the relationship between neighbours.”
Residents who do not want their packages left with a neighbour can apply to opt out of the trial at the Royal Mail website. Those who opt out will be given a sticker to position in a prominent placec in order to let mail carriers know they are not taking part.
Royal Mail said if any items get lost or damaged when left with a neighbour, intended recipients will be able to claim for compensation.
Welcome
Consumer watchdog Consumer Focus said those mailing items into the affected areas may wish to check the person they are sending items to is happy with the arrangements.
But, Robert Hammond, director of postal policy at Consumer Focus said the organisation welcomed the trial and particularly the flexibility for consumers to choose whether to take part.
Hammond said: “Customers in these areas have been notified that the trial is taking place, and many may see this new approach as convenient. People who don’t want to take part have been offered the change to opt out.”
Royal Mail was given the green light by UK regulators back in September to run the Delivery to Neighbour trial. Previously, it was the only parcel delivery company in the UK legally prevented from leaving items with neighbours.
