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Longer waiting times? The new postal law is causing confusion!
Longer postal delivery times in the Ostalbkreis due to the new postal law: What consumers need to know and how the processes are changing.
Longer waiting times? The new postal law is causing confusion!
In recent weeks, postal deliveries in the region have increasingly become the focus of discussions. A reader from Wustenriet expressed concern about the supposedly longer delivery times and wondered whether the new postal law played a role. In fact, there are changes that affect the processes at Deutsche Post. Marc Mombauer, press spokesman for the DHL Group, confirmed that the new law has modified the delivery processes, making delayed delivery possible. According to Remszeitung, the changed postal law stipulated that 95% of letters in Germany are now delivered on the third working day must be delivered after posting, while 99% of shipments should reach the recipient on the fourth working day.
In a further step, however, Mombauer emphasizes that Deutsche Post's claim to short delivery times remains unchanged. The changes do not have a sudden impact on letter delivery times, but rather affect the sorting of mail items in particular. Letters are now increasingly sorted according to delivery period and advertising mail stays in the post for four days. The rule for registered mail is that it should arrive one day after it was sent.
Legal changes at a glance
The new postal law was recently passed by the Bundestag; This is the first reform in 25 years and aims to modernize processes and reduce time pressure for the postal service. As Tagesschau informs, consumers now have to wait longer on average for their letters. However, those in a hurry still have the option of using more expensive priority letters, which offer faster delivery.
Six-day delivery will remain in place in the future, meaning deliveries will continue to be made six days a week. There is uncertainty about the question of higher postage costs. The last increase to 85 cents took place in 2022, the next one will be set at a maximum of one euro in 2025. In the area of parcel delivery, on the other hand, there are fewer government regulations, but there are new regulations for better working conditions, for example that parcels over 20 kilos should in future be delivered by two deliverers.
Fewer complaints, but questions about efficiency
When it comes to Deutsche Post delivery cancellations, employees report rare interruptions, usually due to the end of working hours or an increased volume of shipments. Most recently, an increase in shipments at the beginning of May led to a cancellation of deliveries. Mombauer rejects the Wustenrieter reader's assumption that they work with a “thinst staff”. The delivery bases are sufficiently staffed and the employees work according to collectively agreed working hours of 38.5 hours per week.
In addition, Deutsche Post emphasizes that the number of complaints can be classified as very low at just 0.003% of all shipments. Nevertheless, the impression is that the waiting time for letters and parcels has increased, which may be related to the new sorting and delivery processes. The ongoing changes are now raising questions among many citizens about how the reform will affect postal services in the long term.
The reform of the postal law is attracting a lot of attention, not least because of the critical voices in the Bundestag. Voices like that of Hansjörg Durz (CDU/CSU) criticize the additional bureaucratic effort, while others, like Sebastian Roloff from the SPD, highlight the health and climate protection aspects. It is clear that the post office is in a restructuring phase and citizens will keep a close eye on the development of delivery.