Royal Mail product changes - Standard Parcels and Special Delivery
If Royal Mail wants to make changes to any of its regulated services that could result in those services becoming "less beneficial" to customers, it must follow the process for doing so that is set out in its licence.
Part of that process is consultation with mail users about the proposed changes. That consultation can come through Postwatch, the consumer watchdog for postal services, and in some cases Postcomm will carry out a consultation too.
In January 2008, Royal Mail made an application to Postcomm to limit the compensation available with Special Delivery Next Day and included with it a statement of agreement from Postwatch. On 13 March 2008, Postcomm published its decision, closing the consultation we undertook in 2006, and setting out our decision on Royal Mail's 2008 application.
For more information on Postcomm's work in regulating Royal Mail, see the Royal Mail standards and prices section of our website, which includes background on product changes.
Related documents:
- 13 March 2008 - decision document
- In January 2008, Royal Mail made an application to Postcomm to limit the compensation available with Special Delivery Next Day and included with it a statement of agreement from Postwatch. This document - Royal Mail's proposed changes to its Special Delivery Next Day service. Postcomm's decision (pdf, 77KB) - closes the consultation that Postcomm undertook in 2006 and sets out our decision on Royal Mail's 2008 application.
- 13 March 2008 - news release
- Royal Mail's Special Delivery Next Day service - Postcomm's decision.
- 1 June 2007 - statement from Royal Mail
- Royal Mail has published a statement regarding its application to make changes to its Special Delivery Next Day service and its proposal to introduce a new high value service. Link to Royal Mail's "Regulation Framework" page containing the statement (external website).
- 22 March 2007 - consultation responses
- Responses to the Consultation Document Royal Mail’s Proposed Changes to the Special Delivery Next Day Service (pdf, 792KB).
- 21 September 2006 - consultation document
- Royal Mail’s Proposed Changes to the Special Delivery Next Day Service (pdf, 234KB).
- 21 September 2006 - Royal Mail application
- Royal Mail’s Application to make changes to its Special Delivery Next Day service, including a proposal for the introduction of a Special Delivery High Value product (pdf, 92KB).
- 21 September 2006 - news release
- Postcomm reviews Royal Mail proposals to change its Special Delivery Next Day service.
- 21 October 2003 - decision document
- Proposed changes to Royal Mail's Standard Parcels and Special Delivery products - decision document. Royal Mail Group plc's price and service quality regulation. October 2003 (pdf, 445KB). Sets out the decisions Postcomm made following its May 2003 consultation and the responses we received.
- 21 October 2003 - news release
- Postcomm allows changes to two of Royal Mail's services.
- August 2003 - consultation responses
- Responses to the proposed changes to Royal Mail's Standard Parcels and Special delivery products consultation document (pdf, 604KB). Responses to the May 2003 consultation document.
- May 2003 - consultation document
- Proposed changes to Royal Mail's Standard Parcels and Special delivery products - consultation document. Royal Mail group plc's price and service quality regulation. May 2003 (pdf, 209KB). In 2003, Royal Mail proposed changing the time by which Special Delivery items were guaranteed to be delivered and to limit the maximum weight that could be carried by the Standard Parcels service to 20kg.
