A b&B Postal Union non-conformance report has been filed against Royal Mail for failure to comply with the eSpecifications for International Mail (eSIM). When Echo Mail received a Londinium Times shipment at their distribution centre, they noted that the parcel lacked a declarations form and a sender field and returned it to Royal Mail. This marks the first time a postal carrier has been reported to the b&B PU. Royal Mail provided the following statement:

“We are deeply sorry for our failure to act according to the eSpecifications for International Mail. One of our postal workers failed to check the Londinium Times’ shipments for compliance and passed it through. As such, although it is solely our responsibility to ensure parcels are compliant, our B2B agreement mandates that business using our service comply with [eSIM] or be fined. As such, we have taken appropriate action.”

It is unclear what was meant by ‘appropriate action’.

Similarly, a Postal Union spokesperson said the following:

“At the b&B PU, we strive to ensure our member postal services comply with [eSIM] to ensure smooth flow of mail across international borders. In this case, one of our member services did not comply with [eSIM] and this was detected when the package was being processed in the destination country. Following this event, as per [eSIM], the mail was forwarded to the originating carrier to be resolved and redelivered.”

It appears that the b&B PU have taken no action against Royal Mail, however the ordeal has been deeply embarrassing for all parties involved, including the Londinium Times.

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LT hereby apologises for our failure to follow procedure. We will take steps to make sure this never happens again.