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08.01.2015
The amount of incoming international small packets processed by Latvijas Pasts in 2014 has increased by 83% or approximately 1.3 million units. In December, which is traditionally the busiest time of the year for postal operators throughout the world, Latvijas Pasts processed 62% more small packets than in the same period in 2013. The trend of increasing deliveries from online stores is expected to continue also in 2015.
Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in the volume of small packets received at Latvijas Pasts from online stores, particularly from various Asian countries, with China comprising the biggest share. The amount of incoming international small packets in 2014 reached nearly three million units, or 83% more than in 2013. In December, during the holiday period when many gifts are sent and received, Latvijas Pasts processed almost half a million of outgoing and incoming consignments.
In December 2014, Latvijas Pasts handled nearly 71 tons of simple domestic and international letter correspondence – a slight increase from 2013. Christmas and New Year’s greetings are mainly sent within Latvia, whereas the biggest amount of international mail during the holiday season was sent to and received from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, and Russia.
Latvijas Pasts expects the volume of parcels from online stores to continue increasing in 2015 as well. To avoid misunderstandings in receiving parcels, when ordering goods online, the customer should choose registered (recorded) mail or, if it is something particularly valuable/important, even insured mail. Although it is more expensive than regular (unregistered) mail, such deliveries have several advantages: the online track-trace system allows following the parcel throughout the delivery process, and if it is lost or stolen, the customer has the possibility of receiving compensation in accordance with the Universal Postal Convention.
Ordering goods online is safer and cheaper within the European Union, as parcels within the EU are free of customs duties, and consumer rights are better protected. It is important to remember that certain EU member states have territories with a different tax regime – for example, the British Guernsey or Gibraltar. Although some dishonest online retailers operating in these territories sometimes mislead consumers by claiming that the EU customs tax regime applies to parcels from these areas, in reality the buyer does have to pay customs duties to receive the parcel.
All customers of online stores should remember that goods ordered online, even if you have paid to the store already, legally remain the sender’s property until they are delivered to the buyer. It means that complaints and questions regarding the quality of delivery should be addressed to the sender, who in turn will address them to the postal operator of the country from which the product was sent.
About SJSC Latvijas Pasts
Latvijas Pasts ensures the widest availability of postal services throughout Latvia by maintaining more than 600 post offices. The primary function of the company is provision of the universal postal service; Latvijas Pasts also provides commercial transport, express mail, payment, press subscription, retail and philatelic services. Latvijas Pasts is a wholly State-owned company with approximately 4,200 employees. The quality of the company’s domestic deliveries is measured by one of Latvia’s leading market, social and media research agencies TNS Latvia, while the quality of international deliveries is measured within the International Post Corporation by research agencies TNS, Ipsos and Quotas.
Additional information:
Gundega Vārpa
Head of the External Communications Department
Phone: +371 67608505
E-mail: gundega.varpa@pasts.lv
twitter.com/latvijas_pasts; facebook.com/latvijas.pasts