HANDLING PROCEDURES FOR UNDELIVERABLE MAIL

Handling procedures for undeliverable mail

Direct Returns (Bearing an External Return Address)

Ordinary Items and `Signed For' Items

 The Delivery Officer must affix a label to each item, stating the reason for non-delivery. The label must not cover the original address and must be fully completed

 Recipient address should be crossed out and the return address ringed in blue crayon.

 Item should be endorsed RTS and returned to mail centres daily.

Special Delivery Items

 SD items must be returned to the sender using the original bar code identifier.

 Scanned “Return To Sender”

 Record kept in the Delivery Office Posting Book

 Despatched daily to the Mail Centre.

Undeliverable Items (Not Bearing An ERA)

Ordinary Items and `Signed For' Items

 The Delivery Officer must affix a label to each item, stating the reason for non-delivery. The label must not cover the original address and must be fully completed

Delivery Offices must forward this mail daily to their Mail Centre to be consolidated, for onward despatch to the National Returns Centre.

 `Signed For' items must be scanned as RLB and forwarded then forwarded to their Mail Centre.

Special Delivery Items

 Items without an external return address must be despatched daily, via the Mail Centre, using the original bar code identifier.

 Scanned “Sent to RLB”

 Recorded in the Delivery Office Posting Book

Other Types of Undeliverable Mail, with No ERA

If items have no return address and can be identified as:

 Postcards (picture postcard /advertising etc.)

 Mailsort 3 letters contract posting (identified by an `M' postage paid indicator).

 clearly containing only a newspaper or magazine

 PPI (Postage Paid Impression) letters and packets identified by PPI indicia.

 Meter mail letters and packets identified by meter impression.

They should be destroyed locally as sensitive waste.

Ministry of Defence / British Forces Post Office (BFPO)

The Ministry of Defence request all undeliverable letters and packets (those with no external return address) addressed to members of the armed forces, including BFPO, be returned (under cover) to the British Forces Post Office at Northolt.

Items bearing House of Commons, Court Postmaster's Crest, Scottish Parliament, Welsh & Northern Ireland Assemblies

Items posted by members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister, the House of Lords or Members of Parliament etc. without an ERA should be forwarded, unopened and under cover to the appropriate location.

Downstream Access Mail (DSA)

Any undeliverable Downstream Access mail, not bearing an external return address, should be disposed of locally as outlined above.

Foreign Mail

Foreign mail is mail that bears a foreign postage stamp or foreign PPI. This includes the Postal Administrations of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
A pink CN15, label must be affixed showing the reason for non-delivery and date-stamped.
All items bearing customs charges must be forwarded to HM Customs at the UK `Office of Exchange' where the charge was raised (indicated by the date stamp).
Postcards or printed papers posted abroad which bear no return address and are not registered mail should be destroyed locally as sensitive waste
All other ordinary items posted abroad (whether Air or Surface), which are undeliverable, and irrespective of any inland return address (with the exception of SL95 postcodes), should be returned to the parent Mail Centre for onward sorting to Heathrow Worldwide Distribution Centre (HWDC).
Items bearing a SL95 postcode in the return address should also be returned to the parent Mail Centre for onward sorting to Greenford Mail Centre.

Private Courier Mail

Any private courier mail inadvertently placed into the system is to be despatched via the Mail Centre to the NRC.

Articles Found Loose

All Articles found loose, except loose cash and vouchers, must be forwarded via the Mail Centre, for onward despatch to the NRC. Items should be listed on the appropriate form.
Loose cash and gift vouchers are to be sent Special Delivery (Mail Centre to forward to the NRC).
Newspapers, magazines, other printed papers and items of no saleable value (such as buttons, badges, perishable goods, single items of stationary, cheap cutlery, china and cheap metal parts (nuts and bolts etc.)) should be destroyed locally as sensitive waste.
Damaged mail with a full address, must be enclosed in an envelope, addressed, damage sticker attached, completed and sent to the Mail Centre for forwarding as appropriate.
Where no address can be found, the item should be treated the same as other undeliverable mail and forwarded to the NRC.

Damaged Mail

Mail damaged by fire/water or any other contamination, that cannot be delivered or returned should be destroyed as sensitive waste. It must not be forwarded as `undeliverable mail'.

Redirected Mail

When delivery cannot be made for whatever reason, the Delivery Office responsible for the delivery of the redirected mail must endorse each item, then despatch as per instructions detailed in this document.
If several items are contained in a redirection envelope, the envelope must be opened and each item endorsed accordingly.

September 2008