Legal

Communications and Information Technology Commission issued these binding regulations, provisions, and requirements to protect the rights of postal service beneficiaries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, based on its powers in accordance with Cabinet Resolution No. (403) dated 12.07.1440 AH, which stipulates that the Commission shall assume the regulatory and supervisory powers of the postal sector.

The following words terms or expressions, wherever they are mentioned therein, shall have the meanings ascribed thereto hereunder unless the context indicates otherwise:

 

1. Commission: The Communications and Information Technology Commission.
2. License: A document issued by the Commission to a legal person to provide postal services in accordance with the regulations and resolutions issued in this regard.
3. Service Provider: A person who provides postal services based on a License, Registration, or Exemption.
4. Registration: Registering the Service Provider's data and the type of service it provides with the Commission.Exemption: A document issued by the Commission to the Service Provider to provide some postal services without obtaining a license or for exemption from one or more of the license requirements.
5. Beneficiary: Any natural or legal person who benefits from postal services.
6. Service Contract: the agreement between the Service Provider and the Beneficiary to provide the service and to determine the provisions, obligations, and prices for that service, in accordance with the regulations and resolutions issued in this regard.
7. Postal Correspondences: It includes letters and postcards, publications, blind publications and writings, and postal packets sent by post.
8. Parcels: Every postal packet, carton, bag, box, wrapped item, or other that contains goods or things that do not have the nature of messages, and they are in accordance with the conditions and requirements set by the Commission.
9. Postal Packets: Small files that may include objects, papers, or documents that have the nature of the personal correspondence and are packaged in a way that enables viewing of their contents.
10. Postal Items: Parcels, Postal Correspondences, and the like
11. Postal Services: All postal services and activities, including the following:
    1. Receipt, transport, distribution, and delivery of Postal Items, including express mail.
    2. Postal Financial Services.
    3. Postal Box Service.
    4. Postal Advertising Service.
    5. Providing Prepaid Cards or Vouchers Service.
    6. Parcel Stations.
    7. Any service or activity that the Commission deems to be within the scope of Postal Services.
12. Sender: A person who sends a postal item through the Service Provider.
13. Addressee: The person to whom the Postal Item is sent.

1. The provisions thereof shall apply to all Postal Service Providers who have obtained a License, Registration, or Exemption from the Communications and Information Technology Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 
2. The Commission shall periodically review this document. It may make any amendment or update thereto by a resolution of the Governor.
3. The Service Provider shall not carry out any practices that violate this document.
4. When this document requires the execution of any written procedure, it can be executed electronically or automatically by automated systems, taking into account the rules, regulations, and resolutions regulating electronic transactions and what is issued by the Commission in this regard.
5. This document does not restrict any rights of the Beneficiary stated in the Service Contract between the Beneficiary and the Service Provider, nor in any other laws, regulations, resolutions, agreements, or documents in force in the Kingdom.
6. Service Provider contracts must be compatible with this document and in a manner that does not conflict with any rights of the Beneficiary contained in any laws, regulations, decisions, agreements, or other documents in force in the Kingdom.
7. The Beneficiary has the right to communicate with the Service Provider, and the Service Provider must provide multiple, easy and free telephone and electronic communication channels that enable the Beneficiary to communicate with it and keep track of the Postal Items sent. Taking into account the provision of appropriate means of communication for persons with disabilities.
8. The Service Provider shall implement the provisions contained therein, and in the event of non-compliance, the Commission has the right to take what it deems appropriate at its discretion; to protect the Beneficiary.
9. The Service Provider shall publish this document and its amendments on its website.

This Article includes the minimum Provisions and Requirements for the Protection of Beneficiaries’ Rights that the Service Provider must abide by, all of which are the following:

 

A. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain the requested Service.

B. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain the correct information.

C. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain the Service at the advertised price.

D. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain a guarantee of the quality of Service and quality of experience.

E. The Beneficiary’s right to have its privacy and confidentiality of its information preserved.

F. The Beneficiary’s right to have its complaint addressed.

G. The Beneficiary's right to raise awareness.

 

The Service Provider shall do everything that protects these rights according to the following as a minimum:

 

A. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain the Service:

 

1. The Service Provider shall provide the Service to the requester, without any kind of discrimination between the Beneficiaries, unless the requested service is not within its obligations authorized to provide it, or if there are legal reasons preventing from providing it.

2. The Service Provider shall provide the Service according to what was agreed upon in the Service Contract.

3. The Service Provider shall provide sufficient channels to provide its services, taking into account the beneficiaries spread and geographical distribution, and it has the right to contract with others to perform the service of delivering postal items, in accordance with the regulations and resolutions issued by the Commission in this regard.

4. The Service Provider shall clarify the mechanism of work during the seasons and Eid holidays and ensure that the Beneficiaries receive the Service during these periods, according to the following:

 

a. The Service Provider’s branches and services will be suspended during the National Day holiday for one day only.

b. The suspension of the Service Provider’s branches and services during the Eid holidays - Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha - (3) days starting from the first day of Eid.

c. The Customer Service Centers shall continue its work during the Eid holidays continuously without suspension.

d. It is excluded from paragraph (a) and paragraph (b) above. Express Parcel agreements between the Service Provider and the Beneficiary, which provide for the provision of the service at a specified time.

e. The Service Provider has the right to continue providing services in its desire to work during the mentioned periods, provided that it is committed to delivering the postal items within the agreed period.

 

B. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain correct information:

 

1. The Service Provider must publish the company's information, all information related to providing its services to the public through its electronic platforms and at the service provision outlets, and providing the Commission with a copy of it, provided that this information includes at least the following:

 

a. The name of the company, the address of its head office, its branches, and its contact

b. Details of the services provided to the Beneficiary.

c. Details of services prices, including the service tariff, the insurance value of the consignment - if any - and any payment required to be paid by the Beneficiary.

d. The agreed date and time for performing the service.

e. Details of the terms and obligations of the Service Provider and the Beneficiary.

f. Rules and procedures for compensation and return of the financial consideration in case of breach of one of the obligations.

g. The consequences of a breach; or the failure of the Service Provider or the Beneficiary to fulfill its obligations.

h. Procedures for dealing with Beneficiaries' complaints.

i. Standards for the quality of services according to what the Commission issues in this regard.

j. Rules and procedures for handling undeliverable items.

k. Details of any discounts or offers - if any.

l. Details of any limitations or exclusions on the Service, and any fees that will apply when such limitations or exclusions, if any, are exceeded.

m. Rules and procedures for requesting the return of postal items or modify the address sent to them, determining the cost of return and who bears it.

n. Postal items tracking, communicating with the Service Provider and the outlets for providing its services and working times.

o. Postal Items tracking status update.

p. Frequently asked questions and answers.

 

2. All information referred to in the above paragraph must be published in clear and easy terms, in a way that is easily accessible and understood by the Beneficiaries, and be available in both Arabic and English.

3. The Service Provider shall not describe, advertise or display the service in a manner that contains misleading or incorrect data.

 

C. The Beneficiary’s right to obtain the Service at the advertised price:

 

1. The Service Provider may not charge any money except for the services requested by the Beneficiary or agreed to be submitted.

2. The Service Provider may not charge any financial compensation in violation of what is announced and clearly approved by the Beneficiary in the Service Contract.

3. The Service Provider may collect the financial compensation that is paid on behalf of the Beneficiary to government agencies related to the service subject of the contract, after obtaining the prior consent of the Beneficiary on this, and provide proof of payment of the amount to government agencies.

4. The Service Provider shall provide the Beneficiary with a clear and correct invoice in Arabic or English - according to the Beneficiary's choice - containing details of any financial compensation required to be paid by the Beneficiary.

 

D. The Beneficiary's right to obtain a guarantee of the quality of Service and quality of experience.

 

1. The Service Provider shall ensure the quality of the service offered by it, provided that it is in compliance with the regulations and resolutions issued by the Commission or any competent Commission and included it in the Service Contract.

2. The Service Provider shall provide an electronic means to track Postal Items, clarify their status, and notify the Beneficiary of any update that occurs to them via a text (SMS) or electronic message.

3. The Service Provider shall provide an organizing waiting mechanism for the Beneficiaries at the service delivery outlets.

4. The Service Provider shall apply the rules and procedures for compensation and return the financial compensation that is announced, including, but not limited to, in the event of delay in the delivery of Postal Items, or if they exposure to damage, shortage, or loss.

5. The Service Provider shall set standards for the quality of the Beneficiary's experience, measure it, and raise its level based on the measurement results.

 

E. The Beneficiary’s right to have its privacy and confidentiality of its information preserved.

 

1. The Service Provider shall adhere to the general rules document to preserve the privacy of personal data of users issued by the Commission and the regulations and decisions issued by government agencies related to preserving the privacy of the Beneficiaries’ data.

2. The Service Provider shall preserve the confidentiality of the Beneficiaries’ information, protect it from infringement by any means, and take all necessary measures to prevent access to it, view it, disclose it, publish it, use it or modify it in violation of the regulations.

3. The Service Provider may not disclose the information of the Beneficiaries unless such disclosure is permitted under a legal justification in accordance with the regulations in force in the Kingdom or based on the express consent of the Beneficiary, or its official representative or at the instructions of the Commission.

4. The Service Provider shall set clear policies that restrict access to the information of its Beneficiaries and document any access to its information.

5. The Service Provider shall disclose the privacy policy, specifying and defining the purposes of requesting and collecting, and preserving the information of the Beneficiaries. It is prohibited to use such information for purposes other than disclosed.

6. The Service Provider shall preserve the content of the Postal Items and not allow unauthorized persons to view them.

 

F. The Beneficiary’s right to have its complaint addressed.

 

1. The Service Provider shall establish a special department to receive, manage and address Beneficiary complaints.

2. The Beneficiary has the right to submit its complaint to the Service Provider, provided that the date of submitting the complaint does not exceed (30) days from the date of the end of the agreed period for the performing the Service.

3. The Service Provider shall establish and develop specific and clear procedures for addressing Beneficiaries' complaints, provided that the period for addressing the complaint does not exceed (10) ten days from the date of submitting the complaint, taking into account the following:

 

a. The complaint should be free and available through all possible means, whether electronically, over the phone, or in-person, and not obligating the Beneficiary to one means to submit its complaint, and that access to this means is clear and easy.

b. The complaint addressing procedures should be with the Service Provider through an electronic system, provided that the complaint addressing procedures are preserved and documented from the beginning of its submission until its closure.

c. Providing the Beneficiary with a reference number for its complaint and the expected period of addressing via a text message (SMS), electronic or paper. In the event that the expected period ends before the complaint is addressed, the Beneficiary shall be notified of the developments in the addressing of its complaint and the new expected period for its termination, taking into account the period specified for addressing the complaint referred to in Paragraph No. (3).

d. Providing the Beneficiary with a clear written response to the outcome of its complaint via text (SMS), electronic, or paper message. Short phrases such as (the complaint has been addressed) are not sufficient without clarifying the action taken.

e. The Service Provider shall work on linking the electronic systems for addressing the complaints of its Beneficiaries with the electronic systems of the Commission.

 

4. The Service Provider must keep the complaint submitted by the Beneficiary and all the procedures taken on it for a period of no less than one calendar year from the date of closing the complaint.

5. The Commission is responsible for addressing the Beneficiary's complaint against the Service Provider if the subject of the dispute is related to the service licensed to be provided, or the contract concluded regarding the provision of the Postal Service, including, for example, the following matters:

 

a. Postal Items missing or damaged content.

b. The delivery of Postal Items is late than the agreed time.

c. Returned Postal Items.

d. Wrongly delivered Postal Items.

e. The rights of the Beneficiary contained therein.

 

6. The Beneficiary may escalate its complaint to the Commission after the end of the statutory period granted to the Service Provider to address the complaint without responding or closing it without addressing it, provided that the foregoing is within a period not exceeding (30) days from the date of closing the complaint by the Service Provider or the expiry of the statutory period granted for it. The Commission may exceed this period in cases where it becomes clear that there are real reasons that prevented the Beneficiary from submitting its complaint to the Commission during that period.

7. The Commission may not accept the complaint immediately if it deems that it is unrealistic or not based on strong or incomplete arguments, or the request is unfair, or the nature of the complaint or request is outside the Commission’s jurisdiction, or that the complaint is repeated, or contains obscene phrases, with informing the Beneficiary of the reason rejection.

8. The Beneficiary shall, when submitting its complaint to the Commission, state its facts, specify requests and provide the Commission with the data or documents it requests related to the complaint.

9. In the event that the Beneficiary escalates its complaint before the Commission, then refer it to the Service Provider to report on it, the latter, within a period not exceeding (3) business days, do the following:

 

a. Communicating with the Beneficiary to resolve the complaint by mutual consent within the specified period.

b. Providing the Commission with a copy of the complaint record, including the details and procedures for addressing it and the Service Provider's position regarding them.

c. Providing the Commission with the information and documents required in the complaint.

 

10. In the event that the Service Provider did not inform the Commission of the details, information, and documents required within the specified period, or the complaint was not resolved by mutual consent, the Commission shall decide on the complaint and issue its decision according to the information available.

11. The Service Provider shall implement the Commission’s decision issued in the complaint as soon as it is notified of it, not exceeding (5) working days from the date of notification, and providing the Commission with evidence of implementation.

12. The Service Provider shall study the causes of repeated complaints and find radical solutions to them, and the Commission can - if it deems appropriate - set standards related to the number and type of repeated complaints and the procedures to be followed.

13. The Service Provider shall provide the Commission with detailed reports and statistics on the complaints received and the measures it takes in this regard on a regular basis, as required by the Commission.

14. The Commission shall set specific procedures for addressing the complaints submitted to it by the Beneficiaries, taking into account the following:

15. The period for addressing the complaint with the Commission shall not exceed (30) working days from the date of submitting the complaint until issuing a decision regarding it. In some exceptional cases that require a longer period, the Commission may extend it while notifying the complainant of that.

 

a. Classifying complaints and setting standards for addressing complaints according to the nature of the service in question.

b. The Service Provider shall make all of their resources available to inspection, follow-up, or enforcement teams related to addressing complaints.

 

 

G. The Beneficiary's right to raise awareness.

 

1. The Service Provider shall publish the rights and obligations of the Beneficiaries on its website and the outlets for providing the service according to the requirements set by the Commission.

2. The Service Provider shall develop and implement plans and programs to raise the awareness of the Beneficiaries, measure their satisfaction, and follow up their opinions and requirements regarding the services provided and their quality.

 

1. The Service Provider may not carry out the communication marketing of its services for the purpose of offering the provision of its services or selling its products to the Beneficiary except after the Beneficiary's prior consent to receive such communications and that the Service Provider adheres to the following:

 

2. The Beneficiary should be contacted through the official communication channels of the Service Provider announced on its website.

 

3. The representative of the Service Provider, at the beginning of the call, discloses its name, the name of the Service Provider that represents the reason for the call, and the Beneficiary’s desire to continue the call or not.

 

4. Clearly explain the offered service, its advantages, and obligations.

 

5. Disclosing during the call the full price of any product or service subject of the communication.

 

6. Not making any marketing call from (10) PM until (9) AM.

 

7. Not making any marketing call during Friday.

The Service Provider shall issue a Service Contract to the Beneficiary, in paper or electronic copy, in Arabic or English - according to the Beneficiary's choice - provided that it includes at least the following:

1. Details of the contracted service, the financial compensation, the insurance value of the consignment - if any - and the agreed period to implement the service.
2. The price and details of the content and condition of the Postal Items subject to the contract.
3. Sender's data (name, ID number/residence number/commercial register, contact number, address)
4. Addressee's data (full name, contact number, and address - delivery place)
5. Rules and procedures for compensation and return of the financial consideration, in the event of a breach of one of the obligations.
6. The Beneficiary Signing on the Service Contract and writing its name, or obtaining its consent electronically in a documented manner.
7. The Date of the Service Contract.
8. Service Provider employee data and signature.
9. Acknowledgment of the Service Provider employee to see and verify the origin of the identity of the Sender.
10. The policy number in the event that the Service Provider's contract is with a Beneficiary of the individuals' category.
11. The Service Provider shall maintain the Service Contract for a period of no less than one calendar year from the date of concluding the contract. The Service Provider shall prove the consent of the Beneficiary in the event of any dispute.
12. The Service Provider shall provide the Beneficiary with a paper or electronic copy of the Service Contract.
13. The Service Provider shall provide the option to pay the financial consideration to the Beneficiary through more than one means, such as cash and electronic payment, and providing it with a receipt voucher for any amount it pays that includes the amount, the service provided, and the fees, if any, and the date of receipt. The Service Provider shall keep this voucher for a period of no less than a calendar year from the date of receiving the amount.
14. The service provider must return to the Beneficiary any overpaid amounts. This is within (10) business days at most from the date of becoming aware of it.

 

1. The Service Provider shall deliver the Postal Items to the addressee's address, written in the Service Contract. It is deemed responsible for any loss, delay, or error in delivery that occurs because of it.

 

2. The Postal Items shall be delivered to the addressee or its authorized representative. The Service Provider shall establish procedures to verify the identity of the recipient and to prove receiving it.

 

3. The Service Provider shall return any Postal Items that were erroneously delivered due to it and shall bear before the Beneficiary any consequences arising therefrom.

 

4. If the Postal Items cannot be delivered, as the Addressee refused to receive them or for any other reason by the Beneficiary. The Service Provider shall apply the rules and procedures for dealing with undeliverable items announced on its platforms and service delivery outlets, provided that these rules take into account the number of attempts agreed upon in the service contract to complete the delivery procedure.

 

5. The Service Provider shall keep the procedures taken to deal with Postal Items that could not be delivered in a special documented register established for this purpose. This is for a period of no less than one calendar year from the date of the action taken.

1. The Beneficiary shall pay the financial consideration to the Service Provider as agreed in the Service Contract.

 

2. The Beneficiary shall pay the financial consideration that it agreed to be paid by the Service Provider to government agencies related to the service subject of the contract. Proof of this financial compensation was submitted to government agencies.

 

3. The Beneficiary (the Addressee) must verify the integrity of the Postal Items before signing their receipt.

 

4. Any Beneficiary to whom Postal Items that do not belong to it have been delivered, or found, must inform the Service Provider through one of the approved means of communication.

 

1. Postal Item, before it is delivered to the Addressee, is considered the property of the Sender. The Sender may request to return it or to correct or modify the address of the Addressee. The Service Provider shall apply the rules and procedures for requesting to return Postal Items or modify the address of the Addressee and which are announced on its platforms and service delivery outlets, and the consequent fees that may be requested from the Beneficiary.

 

2. The Sender has the right to ask the Service Provider to return the Postal Item, which has not been delivered to the Service Provider more than 3 hours ago. In the event that this period is exceeded, the Service Provider may claim the full wage.