Plans by the Royal Mail to introduce a new ‘Delivered by Royal Mail’ mark from mid-September has alarmed businesses, because the mark will be placed on the area where the company logo is usually shown on envelopes.

The proposed positioning of the mark also appears to conflict with existing Royal Mail specifications such as where to print return addresses and Advanced Cleanmail.

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has warned that this will mean Royal Mail customers will have less than two months to comply with this change and many could be left holding stocks of pre-printed envelopes that won’t comply with the new requirements. 

Alex Walsh, head of postal and environmental affairs at the DMA, said: “We’re disappointed that Royal Mail has chosen not to consult the industry ahead of this announcement to understand the problems this would cause its business customers.

“It’s already causing a lot of concern within the direct marketing industry and we’re consulting with the regulator, other trade associations and postal user groups to decide on the next course of action.

“This is different to previous changes that have been introduced for operational reasons. If this isn’t challenged, then it could set a dangerous precedent where Royal Mail can overprint envelopes with whatever they choose.”