Service Updates

1. What services does Isle of Man Post Office (IOMPO) provide?

Inbound - IOMPO provides on-island ‘last mile’ delivery services for several parcel companies. For Royal Mail this includes letters and parcels,  Our partners determine the types of products and services they offer, how they are conveyed to the Island, and the ‘last mile’ delivery service requirements which we provide on their behalf once we receive their items.

Outbound – IOMPO collect, process and dispatch to the UK all mail including letters, packets and parcels sent via post boxes and sub-post offices. Time-guaranteed, insured and other trackable services are also available in line with customer requirements. We contract with Royal Mail who process and complete the ‘last mile’ UK delivery and onward conveyance of international items to the destination for all outbound products.

Royal Mail are regulated in the UK by OFCOM, are consistently highly rated in the UK Citizens advice ‘Parcel league table’, and are the UK business with the lowest CO2e emissions per parcel.

Local to Local – Within the Island IOMPO delivers letters, packets and parcels sent via post boxes and sub-post offices.

Please note. IOMPO does not deliver all parcel traffic in to the Island, there are other logistics companies who also provide parcel delivery services.

2. How is inbound mail from UK to IOM processed?

Currently all our partners transport their items to the Island from their UK distribution centres via road and boat (Isle of Man Steam Packet afternoon sailing). We receive on Island, process and deliver in line with our partners requirements:

In advance of mail arriving onto the Island, it is handled by Royal Mail. IOMPO cannot control the time taken for items to be processed by Royal Mail before being shipped to the Island. However, we work with Royal Mail to understand any issues in their delivery network and how they are working to address these.

3. How is outbound mail from IOM to UK processed?

With the exception of our guaranteed next day service, all items are transported to our partner (Royal Mail) to their UK hub by road and boat (Isle of Man Steam Packet morning boat) for onward processing and delivery:

Once mail is in Royal Mail’s delivery network, IOMPO has cannot control the time taken for delivery. However, we work with Royal Mail to understand any issues in their delivery network and how they are working to address these.

4. How is local to local mail processed?

Items are collected from post boxes, sub post offices and businesses (with pre-agreed collection arrangements) five days a week (Monday – Friday). Collection times vary and if you have missed the collection time, your item may not be collected until the following working day which can be longer at weekends.

5. What time are items collected on the IOM for processing?

Collection times for post boxes vary. To check the collection times of post boxes in your area please visit www.iompost.com/services-finder and select ‘Post Boxes’ from the menu.

Collections from sub-post offices take place later in the day. You can use the same link above to find your nearest sub-post office.

Mail can be accepted at Postal Headquarters (Spring Valley Industrial Estate, Cooil Road, Braddan) until 6.30pm on week days in time for the next UK dispatch.

6. Can the outbound mail not be sent on the evening sailing (instead of the following morning), to be delivered in the UK quicker?

No – if mail was sent on the evening sailing, it would arrive too late to connect with Royal Mail’s network for next day delivery. By sending mail on the following morning we have been able to retain later ‘last posting’ times each day.

Our next day guarantee service has an earlier cut-off and is conveyed by a scheduled airline to inject into Royal Mail’s network in time for a next day delivery.

7. What happened to the dedicated mail aircraft?

The dedicated aircraft was used by Royal Mail to convey the majority of its mail to the Island. Royal Mail surplus items and items that could not be conveyed by aircraft due to CAA regulations were sent via the boat. Their aircraft used to arrive in the morning. Royal Mail chose to discontinue the aircraft, all in bound mail we receive for ‘last mile’ delivery now arrives by boat.

IOMPO contracted with Royal Mail to convey its outbound services to the UK utilising the return journey. It was not financially viable for IOMPO to operate a dedicated aircraft to the UK for limited outbound traffic (as an island we import more than we export). However, from the point Royal Mail chose to cease their aircraft, IOMPO has sustained a guaranteed outbound next day service using a commercial airline.

8. Why does it feel like items are taking longer to be delivered since mail conveyance was changed from aircraft to boat?

Whereas previously Royal Mail items were received and processed in the morning following the arrival of the aircraft, we now receive their items for ‘last mile’ delivery by afternoon boat. We have adapted our operations accordingly to process on the evening of receipt for delivery next day. Outbound mail is collected and processed on the same day, ready for dispatch into Royal Mail’s delivery network the next morning.

Before mail arrives onto the Island and once it leaves it is handled by Royal Mail and within their network, which we have no control over. However, we work with Royal Mail to understand any issues in their delivery network and how they are working to address these.

The change to Royal Mail transfer arrangements was implemented in mid-October just prior to the start of our seasonal peak; adverse weather and other disruption to sailings has impacted service since the changeover.

9. Should I expect delays as a result of peaks in Christmas volumes?

With promotional events now starting from early November each year the ‘build up’ to Christmas (our peak) starts early. We plan for this starting mid-year, to minimise disruption throughout the busier period.

During our busiest period it’s ‘all hands to the pump’! We increase our workforce, extend our delivery arrangements and even arrange for non-operational colleagues to support the operation. While we go the ‘extra mile’ we do acknowledge that during our peak period there can be high traffic, adverse weather and other UK supply chain disruption, which can mean we are not always able to meet customer expectations. We are working with our delivery partners to minimise disruption wherever possible.

10. How can I check (track) the progress of my delivery?

We work hard to ensure all required tracking events are captured, so customers have access to the information they need. Items which have been sent using a service which includes tracking, can be tracked. No tracking is available for items sent by standard services

The table below outlines the services available for residential customers to use when sending mail to the UK, and their features:

Items can be tracked at www.iompost.com/trackandtrace.

There are also a variety of tracked services available for international destinations. For information on these services visit our website.

11. What can I do if I have an urgent item to send?

We continue to offer a guaranteed next day service to the UK, available to both commercial and residential customers.

Residential customers can send mail using our Special Delivery Next Day service from Monday to Friday, available up until 3pm from the customer counter at Postal Headquarters.

Commercial customers can access our range of services using our Click and Dispatch online platform, or email sales@iompost.com for more details.

12. What happens if my items arrive damaged?

Senders are required to ensure their items are packaged adequately for transit; however if items are unfortunately damaged in transit, senders may be entitled to compensation from the organisation they use for sending their items. If items arrive damaged then please contact the sender.