School mail 'returned to sender'
Schools in Watford currently closed during their Easter break may discover they are missing post when pupils return to class next month.
Primary, junior and secondary schools were once offered a free Keepsafe service from Royal Mail, whereby their post was collected at the sorting office and delivered when they reopened after a holiday.
Royal Mail, however, have begun to charge schools for the service and as many have failed to open an account, their undelivered mail is being destroyed unless the letter or parcel has a return address.
A source inside Watford Sorting Office, in Ascot Road, said postal workers were instructed to destroy all undelivered mail addressed to schools, including registered and recorded deliveries, on Wednesday.
They said: "Because they're not getting delivered, because the address is 'inaccessible', postmen are being asked to kill them off. Normally the mail is kept until the holiday has finished and then delivered.
"This is outrageous customer service for schools that have to close."
Alan Walsh, secretary of the Watford branch of the Communication Workers Union, confirmed mail for schools was no longer kept free of charge.
He said: "Over the last year Royal Mail have written to schools and said if they're not going to be there, they have to set up a Keepsafe account which they have to pay for. A lot of schools haven't done it.
"Royal Mail said if they're not doing it, any letters that come through they will destroy or return."
When asked about the destruction of mail belonging to schools in Watford, Royal Mail did not offer a response.
A representative, however, said: "Royal Mail operates in an open market under a regulatory licence, which requires us to treat all our customers equally and fairly.
"It would not be fair - nor is it possible under the terms of our licence - to charge some customers for a Keepsafe service (or one of the other services for dealing with mail while the customer is away) while providing the service free to other customers."
9:08am Friday 28th March 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: davidf, oxhey village on 6:51pm Fri 28 Mar 08
How much does this service cost? Have schools made a conscious decision not to use it? How about WO investigating background information not just printing press releases (a source inside the Sorting Office!)
How much does this service cost? Have schools made a conscious decision not to use it? How about WO investigating background information not just printing press releases (a source inside the Sorting Office!)
Posted by: davidf, oxhey village on 7:02pm Fri 28 Mar 08
How much does this service cost? Have schools made a conscious decision not to use it? How about WO investigating background information not just printing press releases (a source inside the Sorting Office!)
How much does this service cost? Have schools made a conscious decision not to use it? How about WO investigating background information not just printing press releases (a source inside the Sorting Office!)
Posted by: Auntie, Watford on 9:19pm Fri 28 Mar 08
Is it LEGAL for Royal Mail to destroy undelivered post after such a short period of time? If so the law is an **** as usual, as is the postal service. (I would imagine HM will be asking for the 'Royal' bit to be removed if she has any sense).
Is it LEGAL for Royal Mail to destroy undelivered post after such a short period of time? If so the law is an **** as usual, as is the postal service. (I would imagine HM will be asking for the 'Royal' bit to be removed if she has any sense).
Posted by: John Howard Norfolk, Tiverton, Devon (formerly Oxhey Village) on 8:22pm Sat 29 Mar 08
There will be egg on faces whenever it turns out the destroyed mail includes exam papers or worse still - results!
There will be egg on faces whenever it turns out the destroyed mail includes exam papers or worse still - results!
Posted by: tallgreengiant, watford on 12:52am Fri 4 Apr 08
On the subject of Royal Mail, am I right that Baldwin's Lane Post Office has now closed?
Did I miss something?
Another one bites the dust...
Will the last person advocating privatisation stand up
On the subject of Royal Mail, am I right that Baldwin's Lane Post Office has now closed?
Did I miss something?
Another one bites the dust...
Will the last person advocating privatisation stand up
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
