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Delivery exceptions


Royal Mail is proud to be the UK’s sole designated Universal Service Provider for post. We deliver a ‘one-price-goes-anywhere’ service on a range of letters and parcels to over 30 million addresses across the country, six-days-a-week. We also provide a range of commercial services to consumers, sole-traders, SMEs, large businesses and retailers, and other postal operators who use our downstream network.

Royal Mail operates under a regulatory framework that imposes certain obligations and restrictions on Royal Mail as the Universal Service Provider. This includes providing the Universal Service, including delivering and collecting mail six days a week.

There are some circumstances where the obligation does not apply, for example on a public holiday. In addition to this, Ofcom has set out the circumstances it considers to apply to exceptions to the obligation to provide collections and deliveries.

Collection Exceptions

The circumstances that Ofcom considers exceptional for the purposes of collections from the access points concerned are:

  • Health and Safety
  • Difficulty of Access
  • Absence of Users
  • Anticipatory Health and Safety closure

Delivery Exceptions

The circumstances that Ofcom considers exceptional for the purposes of deliveries are:

  • Health and Safety
  • Insecurity
  • Difficulty of Access
  • Customer Request

Process for determining appeals on Universal Service Obligation exceptions

 
If Royal Mail has made your address an exception from its obligation to deliver daily to your home or premises, ie a decision has been made to cease deliveries to your door 6 days a week, you have the right to appeal that decision if you do not agree with the reason or the alternative delivery arrangements offered.   
 

1. Initial decision by Royal Mail

If a solution cannot be agreed with your local manager, you can appeal their decision. Your appeal will be undertaken by the Customer Operations Manager’s line manager. This will usually be the Operations Performance Lead for the area.  They have one month to undertake their review and provide you with their decision in writing.
It is likely they will arrange to visit you to complete a further risk assessment before providing you with their decision in writing.  Please provide a contact number so any arrangements for a visit can be made directly with you.
 

2. Decision of Royal Mail after Stage 1 Review

If you disagree with the decision of the Operations Performance Lead, you can appeal the Stage 1 decision. Stage 2 of your appeal will be undertaken by a senior manager responsible for customers in your area. This will usually be the Regional Operations Director. They have two months to undertake the Stage 2 review and provide you with their decision in writing.
 

3. Obligation of Royal Mail following Stage 2 Review 

The final stage of the Appeal process, if you remain unhappy with the Stage 2 decision would be for you to refer the case to Ofcom, our Regulator, as a Stage 3 appeal. Cases would not normally be referred to Ofcom until Stages 1 and 2 are completed.   Ofcom will review the entire case and will determine the outcome. Their decision is final, and they will advise all parties of their decision.  There is no set time limit to this stage, although Ofcom will aim to resolve cases as soon as possible.
 
Ofcom contact details : Ofcom, Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London, SE1 9HA.
 

Please note

  1. If you would like to request a review or to initiate an appeal you must use the contact details at the top of the letter.  Please clearly detail the reason(s) for a review or appeal and provide your contact number so that a visit can be arranged with you directly, if needed.   

  2. Stages 1 and 2 of the process ends when you receive the reviewer’s written decision.  If you do not receive a decision within the defined timescale for each stage you are entitled to proceed to the next stage by raising this via the contact details at the top of this letter.  

  3. The appeals process ends when either; 

  • the issue is resolved, and delivery arrangements for the address(es) are agreed; or

  • Ofcom has notified all parties of their decision.

 

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