22.08.2024

Delivery through automated systems, although not a new concept, has seen significant growth during the pandemic, driven by the urgent need to maintain social distance. Once with the expansion of e-commerce, this trend has gained momentum, evolving into a present-day reality. Given the growing popularity of this delivery option, ANCOM brings to the users’ attention the main regulations in the field.

Automated delivery systems provide users with the possibility to deposit/collect postal items in/from the postal network, through automated and digitized installations, not served by staff, also known under the name of lockers, easy boxes, parcel lockers, parcel boxes or parcel shipping boxes. Automated systems offer users maximum flexibility in scheduling deliveries and help reduce the carbon footprint by optimizing delivery routes.

Regulations on automatic systems

In the case of postal items delivered through automatic systems, the provider is obliged to ensure a collection period of the postal item of at least 36 hours from the moment the recipient is informed that the postal item has been deposited at the automatic system. Keeping the postal items throughout this period does not imply the application of additional fees. The provider must ensure compliance with the deadline for collecting the postal item despite accidental unavailability of a certain automatic system. Where a period of unavailability of the automatic system intervenes, the pick-up term set by the provider will be extended accordingly, and the user will be informed in this regard.

The information message on depositing the postal item at the automatic system, usually sent by SMS or e-mail, shall contain at least the storage period of the postal item and the minimum data necessary to identify and access the automatic delivery system, as well as the operating hours (if the automatic delivery system is not 24/7).

If the recipient does not pick up the postal item within the specified period, it will be kept for collection at a contact point of the provider (fixed contact point served by staff or an automatic system), and the recipient will be given the necessary details on the possibility of collecting the postal item. 

If the delivery at the automatic system indicated by the sender is not possible, the postal service provider must obtain permission from the recipient of the postal item to deliver it at another automatic system, if this option is stipulated in the contract concluded with the sender.

The provider has the obligation to legibly inscribe its name or trademark on all the physical installations that are part of its postal network, including the automatic collection and delivery systems. The provisions shall apply also in the case of access points or contact points used jointly by several postal service providers. Also, on any automatic collection/delivery system a phone number must be indicated to facilitate the communication between the provider and the user of the postal service provided through that automatic system.

Do you have a complaint?

Users who have a complaint regarding the provision of postal services should first contact the postal service provider that offered the service. If the reported issue has not been settled by the provider, the users can also contact ANCOM, following the steps described here.