UK Royal Mail concedes extended PPI transfer

Royal Mail is extending the changeover period for its Postage Paid Impressions (PPIs) proposals in the face of a backlash from industry bosses, who claim they have not been consulted on the issue.

The move follows the DMA (UK)’s appeal to Royal Mail to postpone a decision until it has talked to the industry. Royal Mail has agreed to extend the migration period to 12 months, with a revised implementation date of July 31, 2004.

The DMA welcomes the move, but remains concerned that Royal Mail has still not spoken to the industry. It has now asked the company to enter into talks on the PPI proposals and is awaiting further response.

The DMA remains hopeful that Royal Mail will be prepared to listen, as it has already made concessions by extending the migration period.

Royal Mail wants to rationalise PPIs into five designs to aid identification of what service users are paying for, such as first- or second-class postage.

The designs are used by direct marketers to maximise response to mailings, as they often influence a consumer’s decision to read them.