6 February 2007 - Postwatch, the watchdog for postal services in the UK, has accused Royal Mail of using scare tactics to deter people from stopping junk mail.
In August 2006 Postwatch asked Royal Mail to clarify whether or not people who opt-out of the so-called 'door-do-door service' would continue to receive local or national government publications. In response Royal Mail has confirmed that if the government require Royal Mail to deliver to all addresses, a separate service will be used. Electoral registration and polling material will still be delivered.
However, on its website Royal Mail still advises people that:
Postwatch has rubbished the information Royal Mail gives its customers. The mail watchdog told Which? Magazine: "Consumers should not be put off. The letter is unnecessarily worrying and we're in talks with Royal Mail to get it changed.
"As the government owns Royal Mail, it will make sure that anything of national importance is delivered to everyone and consumers will still receive electoral information."
Postwatch also pointed out that Royal Mail itself delivered information about its new pricing structure to every household, even those that had opted out of receiving junk mail.