Cheaper to send post to Ireland via the UK

A firm has got round the expensive cost of posting letters here – by having mail delivered from England!

First Active saved 20,000 by sending letters to more than 200,000 Irish addresses with a UK postmark and stamp.

It costs 39 cent to post bulk mail within Ireland but just 30 cent or less in the UK – although it takes longer to arrive. TDs want the rules tightened – and furious bosses at An Post have threatened legal action against First Active and the Royal Mail.

Financial firm First Active says it acted legally as the mail was NOT first posted to the UK from Ireland.

But a spokesman for An Post said: “What they may be doing is sending it through email to a ‘consolidator’ in the UK – someone who undertakes to carry out this work for them. It will be printed and processed there, and an arrangement made with the Royal Mail as to rates.

“We’re not the only ones losing money – printers and distributors here are too.”

“We regard this as illegal and as breaking international postal agreements. The Royal Mail is at fault for receiving and forwarding the mail.”

Any legal action could be taken within the next ten days.

Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe said he would be asking Communications Minister Dermot Ahern to get to grips with the issue. “It’s ridiculous,” the Wexford TD said. “I just hope An Post realise how expensive it is to send bulk mail through its system.

“I will be asking the Minister to tighten up the rules and regulations.”

A First Active spokesman said: “We are happy we have complied with the law in mailing our customers.

“We look at competitive criteria and one of those is value for money.”

But the firm refused to reveal exactly how its mail system worked.