Residential Postal Services

Frequently asked questions

Who we are

ComReg is the regulator for the postal sector in Ireland. Our vision is of a dynamic and competitive postal market providing consumers with a wide range of competitively priced quality products and services.

In this guide we explain:

• the services An Post must provide
• the delivery performance targets An Post is obliged to meet
• what happens if you miss a delivery from An Post
• how to stop unsolicited mail
• VAT and customs payments for parcels from abroad
• how to give your input on postal matters.

What services must An Post provide?

An Post is Ireland’s universal service provider (USP).This means that An Post is obliged by law to provide certain postal services[1].

ComReg makes sure that An Post meets these obligations, which include:

For everyone and every organisation in the Republic of Ireland: at least one collection and one delivery five days a week for postal items; postal packages and parcels.

For national and international services:

To clear, sort, transport and distribute:

• postal items weighing up to 2kgs; and
• postal packages weighing up to 20kgs with target delivery times and prices based on published rates;

To provide a number of other services, including:

• redirecting post
• issuing free certificates of posting
• sending books abroad
• minding post (Mailminder)
• providing free postal service for blind or partially sighted people
• business reply and freepost
• private boxes or bags.

What is the latest time I can post to make sure the mail is delivered the next working day?

At most postal points the latest time of posting (LTOP) to make sure of next working day delivery nationwide is 5.30pm Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays. Some posting point locations have an earlier or later posting time than 5.30pm.The time will be displayed at the posting point.

Does An Post have quality of service performance targets for the delivery of mail?

We set, monitor, publish and enforce quality of service standards in relation to the universal postal service. The performance targets we set for An Post for the delivery of national single piece priority mail are:

• 94% to be delivered within one working day, and
• 99.5% to be delivered within three working days.

We publish An Post’s actual performance results every year.

You can see the most recent results on our website www.comreg.ie or the An Post website www.anpost.ie.

Are there any services that only An Post can provide?

At the moment – yes. Certain services are ‘reserved’ to An Post as the USP. These relate to national and incoming international postal items weighing 50g or less, with a price of no more than €1.37. All other postal items may be handled by any postal service provider operating in the Irish market.

In line with EU rules, the postal market in Ireland will be fully opened to competition by 1 January 2011 at the latest. From that point there will no longer be services reserved to An Post.

Is An Post the only provider of postal services in Ireland?

No. Many other postal service providers operate in Ireland, but they are not obliged to provide specific services. Anyone can set up a postal business to handle any form of postal item as long as they meet certain conditions and do not cover the services reserved to An Post.

Many providers now offer postal services that used to be provided only by An Post. Postal service providers with an annual turnover of more than €500,000, excluding VAT, must obtain a postal service authorisation from ComReg. You can see the list of authorised postal service providers on our website www.comreg.ie.

What happens if I miss a delivery from An Post?

If you miss a delivery and your postal item is held for collection, for example if you have to sign for it or it is too large to fit your letter-box, you should receive a delivery note telling you where and when you can collect it.

Can I stop unsolicited mail?

We do not regulate this area, but there are a number of steps you can take to stop unsolicited mail, such as:

1. Put a sticker on your letter box that states you don’t want unaddressed mail (or 'junk mail') to be delivered to you. For example, write 'no unaddressed mail please'.
2. Register with the Mail Preference Service (MPS). If you do not want to receive addressed mail from companies you have not done business with before, you can add your name to the MPS list. Companies who are members of the Irish Direct Marketing Association (IDMA) have agreed not to include people on the MPS list in any of their mailings. This is part of the IDMA Code of Practice but it is not a legal obligation and the IDMA Code of Practice only applies to its members. You may still receive addressed mail from companies that are not IDMA members. Contact the IDMA for more information: Phone: (01) 661 0470 Web: www.idma.ie
3. 'Return to sender' – if you receive addressed mail from someone you have done business with before. Write on the letter that you do not want to receive any unsolicited mail from them in the future, put it back in its envelope and write clearly on the front 'return to sender'.

If you still have problems stopping unsolicited mail you can also contact:

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
Phone: 1890 252 231
Web: www.dataprotection.ie

Parcels from abroad

The following information may help:

Must I pay VAT and customs duties on parcels I receive from abroad?

If the parcel or package comes from outside the European Union (EU), you must pay VAT and any duties. If the parcel comes from another EU country, you don’t pay VAT or duties as these are already included in the price of the goods.

How are VAT and customs duties collected?

This depends on the postal provider.They may:

• Pay the fee to clear the item from customs and then charge you directly when they deliver the item.
• Tell you the relevant charge and ask for payment before they deliver the package to you.
• Let you deal directly with the Revenue Commissioners.

Contact the Office of the Revenue Commissioners for more information:

Phone: 1890 66 63 33

Web: www.revenue.ie

How much can I be charged for clearing postal items through customs?

We do not regulate the amount charged. It is up to the delivery service and it can vary from one provider to another. We suggest you contact the service provider for a list of their current charges. We also recommend that you advise your supplier to check for the most competitively priced service before they post the item.

Can I influence ComReg's decisions about postal matters?

Yes you can, by taking part in our public consultation process.

Register on our website www.comreg.ie/home/newsletter.480.subscribe.html and we will send you an email each time we place new information about postal matters and consultations on the website.

How can I contact ComReg?

By phone (LoCall): *1890 229 668 (9.00am to 5.30pm) Monday to Friday

*(Calls to 1890 numbers from landlines are charged at a local call rate, charges from mobile phones may vary depending on your operator)

By fax: (01) 804 9671

By email: consumerline@comreg.ie

Our websites are: www.comreg.ie / www.askcomreg.ie / www.callcosts.ie

By post: ComReg Consumer Team, Irish Life Centre

Block DEF, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1

Legal Disclaimer: We prepared this document from a variety of sources. While we took reasonable care to prepare it, we do not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage anyone may suffer by using any of this information.

October 2008

[1] The specific services that An Post must provide are detailed in ComReg 05/85 ‘The Universal Postal Service – Formulating a working definition’ issued in November 2005.