Dismal track record of Royal Mail and Postwatch

3.31.36pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 26th Jan 2005

Cllr Jeanette Sunderland has hit out at the organisation 'Postwatch' for failing to take up complaints by a resident who was also unable to get an answer from Royal Mail.

Cllr Sunderland said

" Mr Barrass who lives in Thackley wrote to Royal Mail in November but they haven't replied. I copied his letter to Postwatch who said they cannot take up his complaint until Royal Mail responds! I would have thought that Royal Mail's two month silence was enough for Postwatch to take up not just the complaint but the failure to reply.

This resident complained that his mail had not been delivered because the job had been given to an inexperienced deliverer who had been unable to complete the round. This raises all sorts of questions about how Royal Mail recruit and train staff none of which they seem anxious to talk about.

Neither Royal Mail nor Postwatch come out of this well. Royal Mail are being paid by members of the public who send letters for a service they are not getting and Postwatch is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry to defend the interests of the customers.

Their track record is dismal and there is no sign of an improvement."