Royal Mail’s next-door delivery scheme is likely to stretch neighbourly relations to the limit after the postal operator revealed that households will have to display opt-out stickers on their letterboxes.
Ofcom has already raised concerns over the opt-out, saying it will urge Royal Mail to look for alternatives, after concerns expressed by some individuals consulted on the proposal.
Critics claim it will be an obvious sign that people do not trust their neighbours. Potentially an electronic or less visible opt-out procedure should be considered, it said.
Trials for the scheme were launched in November last year in select areas across the UK, including Bolton, Wigan, Edinburgh, Hull, Gatwick, Norwich and Swansea. It covered nearly 750,000 addresses, 1,406 delivery rounds.
The regulator believes the new scheme will reduce the need for consumers to pick up their parcels from Royal Mail depots or post offices, and will bring Royal Mail in line with rival delivery firms, who can already leave items with neighbours. The service will now begin next week.
It said in a statement: “The ‘Delivery to Neighbour’ scheme should help meet increasing consumer need for easier ways to receive certain items requiring a signature and parcels, if the person is not at home when the postman tries to deliver.”
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