Postal services and costs

The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) is the national regulatory authority for the postal sector in Ireland. An Post was designated Ireland’s universal service provider by the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983 and is obliged to provide certain services.

While many other postal service providers operate in Ireland, only An Post is obliged to provide specific services. There are, also, certain services which only An Post as the designated universal service provider is allowed to provide. 

Postal Services

Postal service providers

Anyone can set up a postal business to handle any form of mail as long as you do not provide the services which only An Post is allowed to provide. If, however, your annual turnover is greater than €500,000, you need a postal service authorisation from ComReg. Authorised providers are required to draw up a code of practice covering customer complaints and redress. They must also make sure that they meet essential requirements in relation to the postal services they provide, for example, security of mail and protection from loss or damage.

A complete list of postal service providers authorised by ComReg is available on its website.

Universal service provider

As the only universal service provider, An Post must provide a universal service to everyone and every organisation in the State. This involves at least one collection and one delivery five working days a week (that is, Monday to Friday) of postal items and postal packages. It must provide the following national and international services:

• clearing, sorting, transporting and distributing postal items weighing up to 2kgs
• clearing, sorting, transporting and distributing postal packages weighing up to 20kgs with target delivery times and prices based on a published tariff
• services for registered items
• services for insured items with compensation of up to €4,600 for items lost or delayed
• support services including:
     - redirecting post
     - sending books abroad
     - minding post (Mailminder)
     - business reply / Freepost
     - private boxes or bags
     - issuing free certificates of posting
     - providing free postal service for blind or partially sighted people

An Post is also required to provide full and unconditional bulk mail access at 43 locations in the State.

There are certain services reserved to An Post. These services are confined to national and incoming international mail weighing 50g or less, providing the price is less than €1.38. All mail that falls outside the area reserved to An Post may be handled by any other postal business operating in the Irish market. This reserved area is due to be opened to all postal service providers from January 2009.

An Post’s other services

An Post also provides postal services that do not fall under the universal service requirement including: Express Post, Passport Express, Philatelic Services (dealing with stamps) and Courier Post. About a quarter of An Post’s turnover comes from non-postal services including financial services, collecting TV licence fees, printing, computer software, digital certification and security, business directories and property development.

Monitoring of postal services

ComReg monitors An Post’s compliance with its legal obligations with regard to the price, quality and choice of the universal services it provides and may issue directions to An Post, after consultation with interested parties. ComReg may also initiate enforcement procedures if appropriate.

ComReg is required to measure the quality of service provided by An Post, and to publish regular reports. There is an official European Standard (EN13850) setting out how this should be done. The measurement is continuous and results of An Post's performance are reported in information notices published by ComReg each quarter. The measurement relates to single piece mail only, i.e., performance of large scale or bulk mailings are excluded from this measurement. ComReg has set targets of 94% for next day delivery and 99.5% for delivery within 3 days. The most recent results achieved are available on ComReg's consumer website.

ComReg’s regulatory role for An Post’s postal services that do not fall under the universal service requirement is much more limited. It can only make sure that An Post has adequate complaints procedures in the provision of these services and that there is no cross-subsidy between these and the universal services.

ComReg has no regulatory role over An Post’s non-postal services. They are subject to normal commercial law.

ComReg ensures that other postal service providers who have a postal service authorisation from ComReg draw up a code of practice covering customer complaints and redress. They also ensure sure that they meet essential requirements in relation to the postal services they provide, for example, security of mail and protection from loss or damage. Postal service providers with an annual turnover of less than €500,000 are not regulated by ComReg.

Parcels from abroad

If a parcel or package comes from outside the European Union (EU), you must pay the VAT and any duties that you owe, before the parcel is delivered to you. If the parcel comes from another EU country, it is not subject to VAT or duties, as these are already included in the price of the goods within the parcel.

The manner in which VAT and customs duties are collected depends on the company that delivers the package and varies from one provider to another. One of three situations may apply:

• The delivery provider pays the fee to clear the item from customs and then charges you directly
• The delivery provider tells you the relevant charge and asks for payment before delivering the package to you
• The delivery provider lets you deal directly with the Revenue Commissioners

The amount charged for clearing postal items through customs is up to the delivery provider and can vary from one provider to another. Usually these charges are based on a percentage of the value of the goods stated to be in the package, with a minimum charge of between €5 and €25. You should contact the delivery provider for a list of the charges.

Postcodes

Ireland is the only country in the European Union without a system of postcodes. It was announced in May 2005 that postcodes would be introduced by January 2008.

Making a complaint

Universal postal services

To make a complaint about a service that An Post is obliged to provide as the universal service provider contact An Post’s customer service team, outline your complaint and ask for it to be resolved.

If you are unhappy with the outcome of An Post’s investigation you can contact the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), which can review your case and let you know if it can take further action for you.

Other postal services

If your complaint relates to one of the other postal services, provided by either an authorised service provider or An Post, you should contact the relevant provider, outline the complaint and ask for it to be resolved.

Contact details for authorised service providers are available on ComReg’s website.

As mentioned above, ComReg may be able to help if you are unhappy with the outcome of the provider’s investigation.

Compensation

If your complaint concerns a monetary claim and relates to one of the other postal services provided either by an authorised service provider or An Post, you may also take action through the Small Claims Court.

Whether you can claim compensation depends on the product, service and postal service provider used. You should first check the terms and conditions of the product or service to see if you are entitled to compensation.

The Ombudsman

You can also contact the Office of the Ombudsman if you are not happy with how An Post has dealt with your complaint.
The Office of the Ombudsman is open between 9.15 and 5.30 from Monday to Thursday and 9.15 to 5.15 on Friday including lunchtime on each day.  The Office is located at:
18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 - 1 - 639 5600
LoCall: 1 890 223030 (from outside 01 area)
Fax: +353 - 1 - 639 5674
Email: ombudsman@ombudsman.gov.ie

Where to complain

An Post

Consumer Services 
G.P.O 
FREEPOST 
O'Connell Street 
Dublin 1 
Ireland 
(01) 705 7600 
Callsave 1850 575 859 
(01) 809 0900 
http://www.anpost.ie 
customer.services@anpost.ie 

Commission for Communications Regulations

ConsumerLine
Block DEF, Abbey Court
Irish Life Centre
Lower Abbey Street
Dublin 1
Ireland
(01) 804 9600
1890 229 668
353 1 804 9671
http://www.askcomreg.ie/
consumerline@comreg.ie