Fastlane International warns Royal Mail won’t deliver for four days over Christmas
Global courier warns Royal Mail is set to skip deliveries from December 25th until December 29th.
Global courier expert Fastlane International is warning businesses and everyday customers using Royal Mail that deliveries will be delayed, and children could have to wait four days for their Christmas presents, because Royal Mail is likely to be given permission to skip Boxing Day deliveries this year.
Fastlane International’s David Jinks MILT says: ‘Because Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year, the official Bank Holiday is on Monday 28th. Royal Mail is claiming there won’t be many deliveries to make on Boxing day and has asked its regulator, Ofcom, for permission to skip Boxing Day deliveries – and Ofcom says it is ‘minded to agree’. That means there will be no Royal Mail post and parcel deliveries from Friday 25th right through until the following Tuesday 29th.’
Says David: ‘It’s perhaps a little surprising that the newly privatised Royal Mail has asked for a four-day Christmas break. It was privatised by the Government last year and might have been expected to adopt a more consumer-focussed approach.’
David explains: ‘If you are a business operating on Saturday 26th you will need to remember there will be no regular Royal Mail parcel or letter service on that day, even though it is not a Bank Holiday.’
Adds David: ‘ And If you are a last-minute Christmas shopper, and, let’s face it, quite a few of us are, try to play it safe and send your gifts as early as you can. If you do have to cut it fine, courier services such as Fastlane International offer timed Express and next day deliveries to ensure your parcel arrives in time for Christmas. In fact Fastlane offers the widest range of timed delivery services of any UK courier - and even a same day service; though we would strongly advise customers not to leave it until the 24th!’
Concludes David: ‘As part of the Universal Service obligation Royal Mail is supposed to collect and deliver mail every Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays. Royal Mail has asked for special regulatory approval for the change. Members of the public have until Thursday of this week (September 10) to lodge any protests on Ofcom’s website.’
For its part the regulator has this to say: “Ofcom is minded to agree to Royal Mail’s request for an exception to the universal service on Saturday 26 December 2015 and in future years when this date falls on a Saturday. We invite stakeholder views on this proposal.”
For more details see: http://www.wedelivertheworld.co.uk/about-us/what-we-do/christmas-present-delivery/
For more information please contact David Jinks, Head of PR, on david@flci.co.uk or by phone on 0208 7584962 (07772 055748 out of office hours)
Leading online courier Fastlane International ® strategically partners with the world's leading, logistics companies, including DHL, UPS and DPD to provide a flexible, cost-effective range of parcel delivery services to over 220 countries worldwide. Huge bulk purchasing power allows Fastlane® to offer highly competitive pricing with no compromise in service quality.
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