UK Regulator Proposes New Protections for Parcel Customers

By Kyle Morris

A U.K. regulator said Thursday that it is proposing new protections for people sending and receiving parcels.
The Office of Communications plans to improve how delivery firms handle complaints, introduce new rules to ensure the fair treatment of disabled people and introduce regulatory certainty to allow Royal Mail PLC to modernize.

Ofcom said it has found that 64% of customers have experienced problems with deliveries in the last three months. It added that it plans to require better protections for disabled customers, who are almost 50% more likely to experience problems with parcel deliveries.
The regulator proposes maintaining the current framework for regulating Royal Mail for a further five years. Royal Mail, as the universal service provider, is subject to more regulation than other postal operators.
“We’re planning to strengthen our rules to make sure people are treated fairly by delivery firms. If we don’t see significant improvements in customer service, we’ll consider enforcement action or tighten regulations further,” Ofcom’s Networks and Communications Group Director Lindsey Fussell said.
More than 10 million parcels are delivered on average each day in the U.K., Ofcom said.
Write to Kyle Morris at kyle.morris@dowjones.com