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Updated Wednesday, June 23, 2010 10:11 am TWN, The China Post news staff

Post office overcharges, often fails to deliver: CF

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- The Chunghwa Post Co. provides expedited delivery as a mailing service, yet according to an investigation by the Consumers' Foundation (CF), such services often fail to deliver on its promise, with instances of mail by special delivery arriving even later than regular mail.

Expedited services cost NT$7 more per item sent. In total, the foundation estimates that customers spend NT$190 million a year in “expedient” postal service, yet an investigation involving 160 test mails shows that such services are anything but prompt.

To track the speed of special delivery services, the Consumers' Foundation conducted two tests, on June 7 and 9.

On June 7, the foundation tested the Chunghwa Post's 1-day special delivery service for domestic mail, sending the same number of mail for special delivery and ordinary mail, and discovered that 31 percent of special delivery failed to arrive within the day it was sent as promised.

Furthermore, 25 percent of the special delivery mail (NT$12) was found to arrive no earlier than ordinary mail (NT$5), the results in Taipei County showed several instances where special delivery mail actually reached its destination later than regular mail.

On June 9, the foundation targeted Chunghwa Post's register mail services by sending a similar number of registered mail (NT$25) as that of registered mail with special delivery (NT$32). Results showed that 45 percent of expedited mail arrived at exactly the same time as regular registered mail did.

According to the Chunghwa Post's 2008 statistics, 102 million items were mailed by special delivery, 11.3 percent of which were sent by registered special delivery. Calculating in the extra costs, the foundation estimated that the post office had collected NT$190 million in fees for expedited services that were not met.

A Chunghwa Post spokesperson explained in response to the accusations that the post office makes more rounds for special delivery than for regular mail, making three shipping trips versus one. However, he argued that some mail sent for special delivery may have missed the specific shifts and is thus required to wait until the next day, resulting in a delayed delivery.

Furthermore, the spokesperson said, post office branches in rural areas are often short on staff and deliver special delivery items with the regular. In a similar vein, the spokesperson said that even if the post office branch is well-staffed, the postmen often make an effort to deliver all mail early, regular or special, explaining why the mail would arrive at the same time.

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	A Chunghwa Post mailman picks up the mail for delivery. The Chunghwa Post mailbox has two slots: one for “ordinary” mail and another for “prompt delivery,” although recent reports by the Consumers' Foundation discovered that there is little difference in the time of arrival for either service, even though the special delivery costs an extra NT$7. (CNA) Enlarge Photo


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