Carlisle man holds letter 'hostage' until Royal Mail pays ransom
Last updated at 11:48, Thursday, 11 June 2009
A Carlisle man is holding the Royal Mail to ransom in protest over its charges.
Donald Huddart had to pay additional postage plus a £1 handling fee in order to retrieve a birthday card from his mum.
He didn’t mind being asked to make up the difference on the stamp price. But Donald, of Lawson Street, did object to being penalised for the mistake.
So when post bound for Lawson Street in Aspatria arrived through his Carlisle letterbox he took the opportunity to return the favour.
He told Royal Mail the letter would only be re-directed if he was paid a £1 handling fee for his trouble. Staff at the Carlisle sorting office didn’t want to do business Donald’s way and yesterday the situation remained at a standoff.
Donald, 54, told the News & Star: “It could be £1 or it could be £100 – it’s not the money, it’s the principle.
“I understand it’s a business and they have to make money but I think this is the wrong way to do it. They won’t give me my mail unless I pay a penalty so why can’t I do the same to them?”
A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We apologise for any inconvenience caused due to the wrong delivery of an item to Mr Huddart. We will remind delivery staff to ensure that items are delivered to the correct address.
“Underpaid postage amounts to millions of pounds of lost revenue to Royal Mail each year.
“The £1 charge is to cover additional costs of handling underpaid mail.”
She added that arrangements would be made to collect the letter from Mr Huddart.
SJohnson@cngroup.co.uk
First published at 11:25, Thursday, 11 June 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Someone get a life, its petty and its child like, the post for the other Lawson Street could be important and should be dropped back in the post and hopefully delivered to the correct location this time, of course the Royal Mail have to make charges for such things otherwise everyone could do the same, just pay up and then shut up.
View all comments on this article
Have your say
Crack on lad, just for a week, teach them and banks a lesson, they all slip their charges onto the public, pity we didnt all do this they would think again.
Posted by Geoff on 16 June 2009 at 17:47