Postal and Courier Services and The Consumer

With the increase in the pace of the economy and the pressures on the Post Offices and the courier companies, instances of misdelivery, non-delivery and loss of postal articles entrusted to these agencies has increased manifold. There is therefore a great need to know the laws that govern these services and the rights and liabilities of the consumer and these agencies. This work is the first attempt to bring together all the relevant laws on the subject, supported by judicial decisions.

The work explains in detail the law relating to the various services rendered by the post offices such as i) Letters through ordinary post, ii) Registered letters, iii) Speed-Post, iv) Postal parcels, v) Telegrams, vi) Money-orders, vii) Post office savings bank, viii) Postal Life Insurance, ix) National Savings Certificates x) National Savings Scheme and other deposit schemes and xi) the services rendered by the Courier companies.

Noteworthy decisions on the subject are provided. The Appendices contain the text or the extract of the relevant statutes on the subject.

                   1.	Postal history in India 1
                   2.	Role of East India Company 1
                   3.	First Postage Stamp 2
                   4.	Postal service as it is today 2
                   5.	Post office not a common carrier 2
                   6.	Service under Consumer Protection Act 4

                   1. General 7	
                   2. Meaning of the word ''loss'' 8
                   3. Presumption of fraud 9 
                   4. Immunity under S. 6, Post Office Act 9
                   5. Cases where Section 6 not applicable 12
                   6. Letters through ordinary post 20

                  1. General 22
                   2. Post office not a common carrier 22
                   3. Presumption of fraud 24
                   4. Presumption of wilful default 24
                   5. No immunity under S. 6, Post Office Act 25
                   6. Immunity under S. 6, Post Office Act 28
                   7. Liability under S. 6 not examined 33
                   8. Letter delivered to wrong person 34
                   9. Letter not delivered to family member 35
                   10. Attempt to defraud the department 37
                   11. Ex gratia payment to complainant 37

                   1. General 39
                   2. No Immunity under S. 6, Post Office Act 40
                   3. Period for delivery of speed post articles 48
                   4. Delay due to unavoidable reasons 48
                   5. Delay/Non-Delivery of Speed Post Articles 49
                   6. S. 6, Post Office Act applicable 50
                   7. Postal article includes speed post 51

                   1. General 54
                   2. Immunity under S. 6 of Post Office Act not available 54
                   3. Complainant not entitled to insured amount 57
                   5. Post office working under statute 58
                   6. Delay not a serious lapse: When? 59
                   7. Open delivery 60
                   8. Finding of negligence necessary 61
                   9. Ordinary parcel not delivered 61
                   10. Parcel through speed post refused by addressee 62
                   11.Complainant not consumer 62

                   1. General 64
                   2. Delay in delivery of telegram 64
                   3. Non-delivery of telegram as address incomplete 65
                   4. Late refund of telegram charges 66
                   5. Late delivery of telegram 66
                   6. Who can file complaint? 67
                   7. Immunity under S. 9, Telegraph Act 69
                   8. No immunity under S. 9, Telegraph Act 70
                   9. Addressee residing beyond delivery area 71

                   1. General 73
                   2. Payment to wrong person 73
                   3. Delayed payment of money: Protection under S. 48 available 74
                   4. Delayed payment of money: Protection under S. 48 not available 76
                   5. Circumstantial evidence of default 79
                   6. Non-delivery of money order: No immunity under S. 48 79
                   7. Telegraphic Money Order: Department not liable 83
                   8. Telegraphic Money Order: Department is liable 86

                   1. General 89
                   2. Fake entries in passbook: Effect? 89
                   3. Cheque not credited 90

                   1. General 91
                   2. Request for change of maturity year 92
                   3. Payment not made 92
                   4. Delay in payment 93
                   5. Policy not lapsed 94
                   6. Unilateral rejection of proposal 95
                   7. Alleged suppression of fact 96
                   8. Death while grace period of premium was running 98
                      Leaky cylinders 57

                   1. General 100
                   2. Need for specimen signature 100
                   3. Certificates issued contrary to rules 101
                   4. Rate of interest reduced : Effect ? 111
                   5. Payment to holder of power of attorney 113
                   6. Maturity value not paid 113
                   7. Collusion between agent of NSCs and Post Master 115
                   8. Endorsement of pledge on NSCs not deleted by Bank 116
                   9. Payment of NSCs delayed 116
                   10. National Savings Certificates stolen: Effect ? 118
                   11. Not a consumer dispute: When ? 119
                   12. Irregular issue of Kisan Vikas Patras: Effect ? 120
                   13. Indira Vikas Patra lost: Effect ? 120
                   14. Receipt of IVP stolen: Effect ? 124 

                  1. General 127
                  2. Account opened against Rule 4, NSS Rules: Effect? 127
                  3. Account in minor's name: Interest denied 133
                  4. Transfer of account delayed 134
                  5. Nomination in NSS account 134
                  6. Wrong entry in ledger: Money embezzled 135
                  7. Alleged wrong withdrawal from NSS account 136
                  8. Deposits under Monthly Income Scheme 137
                  9. Term deposit account: Maturity value not paid 141
                  10. Delay in opening MIS account 141

                   1. General 148
                   2. Deficiency in service 149
                   3. Consignment should be insured 152
                   4. Disclosure of nature of documents 153
                   5. Value of consignment should be disclosed 154
                   6. Jurisdiction: Whether in India or abroad? 154
                   7. Consignment delivered to neighbour: Effect? 155
                   8. Limited liability of courier: Effect? 155
                   9. Deficiency in service not proved 167
                   10. No privity of contract between complainant & courier: Effect?  168
                   11. Maintainability of complaint 169
                   12. Special and general damages 169
                   13. Award of compensation 170
                   14. Complaint filed by the husband: Whether maintainable? 171
                   15. Complainant directed to approach civil court	171

                  1. Money Order not a postal article 173
                  2. The Post Office Act almost a century old 173
                  3. If IVP lost, complainant not a consumer 174
                  4. Value of entries in Savings Bank passbook 174
                  5. Nature of relationship between sender of letter and the post office 174
                  6. Value Payable Post (VPP) 174
                  7. Finding of negligence is necessary 176
                  8. Non-delivery of money order 176
                  9. Departmental instructions have no statutory force 176
                  10. S. 6 not to apply for speed post articles 176
                  11. Nature of postal service 176
                  12. Validity of power of attorney 176
                  13. Postal authorities agent of Telephone Department 177
                  14. NSCs can be encashed anywhere 178
                  15. Cancellation of post box 178
                  16. Who can file the complaint 178
                  17. Nature of National Savings Certificates 178
                  18. Two remedies cannot be availed of simultaneously 179
                  19. Both, interest and compensation,  could not be awarded 179
                  20. Principles governing consumer cases 179
                  21. Letter posted Under Postal Certificate (UPC): Effect? 179

 
               I. The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 180 
               II. Extracts from the Indian Post Office Rules, 1933 212 
               III. The Post Office Savings Banks (Nomination) Rules, 1960 221 
               IV. The Post Office Savings Banks 
                  (Cumulative Time Deposits) Rules, 1959 223 
               V. National Savings Scheme, 1987 228
               VI. Post Office Guide Part I 231 
            SUBJECT INDEX 257