The U.S. Postal Service’s inspector general criticized the service for its unfair treatment of mailers in both the administration and enforcement of its Revenue Assurance Program (RAP). The program is designed to verify that correct postage has been paid on mailings and to collect payment shortages.
An audit uncovered the problems which were reported to Congress in a lengthy report by USPS Inspector General Karla Corcoran. The report was submitted to Rep. John McHugh, House postal subcommittee chairman.
Issues raised by mailers included unclear demands for back postage on mailings and alleged minor violations of postal regulations after a mailing had been previously approved by another postal service representative.
The report also noted: untimely assessments for inadequate postage payments; no advance notification of alleged postage deficiencies; that some assessments were attributed to incorrect information from postal service personnel at the time the mailing was accepted, and that the appeals process available to mailers was both confusing and unevenly applied.
The report notes that postal officials have taken some steps to improve the program but said they were not enough to “fully address all of the issues” raised by mailers. A recommendation in the report for a clear, concise national policy was heartily endorsed by Gene A. Del Polito, Association for Postal Commerce president.
“There is a need for a coherent and nationwide policy that can and should be uniformly enforced,” he said. “That policy should be clearly understandable to both postal service personnel and their customers.”
McHugh asked Corcoran last January to investigate the program in response to increased mailer complaints. The report is expected to play a key role in next year’s congressional oversight hearings in to USPS operations.
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