Over-75s will get their mail delivered to front door after all

Postal company Itella backs down and admits poor judgement-call

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Itella, the former Finland Post (the name changed in 2007), has backed down in its dispute over the right of those over the age of 75 to have their mail delivered all the way to their door, rather than just to the communal mailbox area.
     
In the future the over-75s and those with a physical handicap will continue to enjoy the right to have their mail delivered all the way to their homes, if they so desire.
      If their front door does not have a mail slot, people can get their mail delivered to a mailbox set up in the immediate vicinity of the door.
      Earlier this week Itella announced that from the beginning of February it would restrict the right of the over-75s to have their mail delivered all the way to their front door.
      The company said that it would offer the free-of-charge home delivery of mail only to mobility-handicapped individuals over the age of 75.
      The rest of the population in the same age group would have had to settle for collecting their mail from their building’s communal mail box area, unless they had specifically paid for the home delivery.
     
Itella’s change of heart is down to the generous amount of negative feedback the company received from its clients.
      “In this matter we made an error of judgement and of course we apologise for that”, says Petri Aaltonen, the head of consumer services at Itella.
      “Communication, in particular, was carried out extremely poorly from our side.”
     
Aaltonen hopes that once the renewal process of the law on postal services is commenced the criteria for home deliveries will be itemised more clearly than before.
      At the moment the age limit of 75 is only mentioned in a recommendation by the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA), which, unlike a law, is not binding.
      There has been a tug-of-war between Itella and FICORA since early December, when Helsingin Sanomat published an article on the controversial subject. Many elderly people were not aware of their rights to the service.
      According to Aaltonen, the free service that Itella has now consented to will presumably cost the company millions of euros per year. Aaltonen hints that this may result in price increases in Itella’s other services to make up for the difference.
     
FICORA praises Itella’s decision.
      Also Minister of Communication Suvi Lindén (Nat. Coalition) expressed her satisfaction with the outcome.
      According to Lindén, the availability of postal services has to be guaranteed to those with physical disabilities also in the future.
      As far as the age limits, the Minister has a more cautious approach.
      “We have many 75-year-olds who are physically very active. They play golf and go hiking”, she says.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Over-75s can get free postal delivery to the door, but not without complications (8.12.2009)

Links:
  FICORA press release

Helsingin Sanomat