The industry watchdog is considering a revamp of the UK postal service that would allow Royal Mail to stop using Saturday deliveries for second-class letters.
In January, regulator Ofcom began offering consultations on the future of the universal postal service. According to the regulator, the agency is now concentrating on implementing improvements to the second-class service, while maintaining first-class delivery six days a week.
Second-class deliveries would only occur on alternate weekdays under the proposed plans; delivery windows of up to three working days would not change.
Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s group director for networks and communications, said about the announcement: “If we decide to propose changes to the universal service next year, we want to make sure we achieve the best outcome for consumers.
“So we’re now looking at whether we can get the universal service back on an even keel in a way that meets people’s needs.
“But this won’t be a free pass for Royal Mail – under any scenario, it must invest in its network, become more efficient and improve its service levels.”
But how often should you be getting letters and can you complain if you’re not getting your mail?
Royal Mail working hours
Royal Mail workers typically work all week and deliver and collect post from Mondays to Saturdays in the majority of areas. They also deliver on Sundays in some places.
Workers do not work on bank holidays and no post will be delivered on these days.
When will I get my post from Royal Mail?
Royal Mail says on their website that your post should be delivered by 3pm if you live in a town or city, or 4pm if you live in a rural area.
How long it takes depends on what service was used to send it.
First-class letters should be delivered the next working day while they “aim to deliver” second-class items within two to three working days.
They as a group are “obliged” to deliver to addresses around the country daily.
On their site here they say: “We’re obliged to deliver to every UK address on every working day, but there may be some instances when we can’t deliver your mail. If you’re not home, we’ll try to deliver to your neighbour and leave a ‘Something for you’ card.”
Exceptions to being able to deliver include happenings such as an address being deemed unsafe or inaccessible, and postmen being unable to gain entry - for example, a controlled entrance in flat blocks. Another exception would be a letter or package not having been packaged properly.
Sometimes there are also delays due to strikes, and staff issues, and you can check if the post will be delayed in your local area on the Royal Mail website.
Can I complain about my delayed mail?
Yes, the Royal Mail has a special customer service team that deals with complaints. If a letter or package is lost, damaged, delayed or arrived with some of the contents missing, you can complain and may even be entitled to compensation.
To make a claim, customers must send full details on the item including when it was posted, and what service was used - as well as proof of this - plus details of what the issue was. All of the information can be found on the Royal Mail site here.
