Postal Services Act 2011

52 Provision that may be made by consumer protection conditions

(1) A consumer protection condition may require postal operators to be members of an approved redress scheme.

(2) A “redress scheme” is a scheme under which complaints about postal operators by users of their services may be made to, and investigated and determined by, a person who is independent of postal operators and OFCOM.

(3) A redress scheme is “approved” if it is approved by OFCOM in accordance with Schedule 5.

(4) For the purposes of the law relating to defamation, proceedings under an approved redress scheme are to be treated in the same way as proceedings before a court.

(5) A consumer protection condition may require postal operators—

(a) to provide information to OFCOM with respect to the levels of compliance with the standards for the handling of complaints, and

(b) to publish information about the number of complaints made about them (whether under an approved redress scheme or otherwise) and the way in which the complaints have been dealt with.

(6) Requirements may be contained in the condition as to the times at which, and the manner in which, any information is to be published as a result of subsection (5)(b).

(7) A consumer protection condition imposed on a universal service provider must include a requirement within subsection (5)(b).