Reply to topic  [ 19 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Royal Mail is to be privatised, government confirms 
Author Message
Legend
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:02 am
Posts: 29240
Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
Reply with quote
It is monopoly in that it would be very expensive to set up a competitor. It has very high barriers to entry. Sure a company can cherry pick deals to get started but to provide a universal postal service would cost far more than the ability of any company to set up. Why are almost every postal services state owned? Because of the cost.

_________________
Do concentrate, 007...

"You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds."

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTk

http://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21


Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:21 am
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:36 pm
Posts: 5161
Location: /dev/tty0
Reply with quote
I can see this going two ways:

A small group of large companies will buy up Royal Mail and work relatively well together and push each others prices down.

Or, many small companies buy up parts of Roay Mail - The "Mid-Wales Postal Company" (let's say) will do all mail for mid-Wales. This could mean that anything I send to my parents in Wiltshire could be extortionate as the MWPC would either have to arrange a van to specially go to Wiltshire, or get the letter so far and pass it to another company who would probably charge for the transaction as well as delivering it as far as they could where it might be passed to another company again...

What happens to the Post Office? My landline and internet are with them and I'd rather not have the hassle of being shunted over to someone else...

If I move will the local post office offer the same services that I currently get here? Or will the company who runs that office choose different services, or fewer services, or the same services with different names or different conditions?

I think that if privatisation was feasible, we'd see the likes of UPS/CityLink/TNT/etc. doing domestic mail a bit more now.


Sun Sep 12, 2010 9:57 am
Profile WWW
Legend
User avatar

Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:02 am
Posts: 29240
Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
Reply with quote
The post office is safe for now. Though if the private companies were to offer domestic mail deliveries they would want higher rates and it will be run into the ground.

_________________
Do concentrate, 007...

"You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds."

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTk

http://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21


Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:56 am
Profile
I haven't seen my friends in so long
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:58 pm
Posts: 8767
Location: behind the sofa
Reply with quote
I imagine it will be similar to mobile phone companies. Sending mail to Wales will be like calling cross-network, with "termination charges" being passed back to the sender. Alternatively, it could be like the US model where the termination charge is paid by the receiver, but I can't see Brits swallowing that...

_________________
jonbwfc's law: "In any forum thread someone will, no matter what the subject, mention Firefly."

When you're feeling too silly for x404, youRwired.net


Sun Sep 12, 2010 7:39 pm
Profile WWW
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 19 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software.