Undelivered parcels and bills are putting businesses under pressure.

Several companies fear going out of business if the Royal Mail postal strikes continue.

Various firms have contacted the BBC claiming they have had to refund customers whose parcels have not been delivered, while many have been unable to send goods or bills.

One such entrepreneur is web gift shop owner Kate Knight, who said she has had to turn down orders from potential customers because she could not guarantee that the items would arrive, possibly highlighting the need for alternative parcel delivery services.

"I'm spending several hours every day answering emails from customers asking where packages where. In the last couple of weeks alone I've had to refund £200 to customers who haven't received their order," she told the news provider.

The current postal strikes have seen the Royal Mail's reputation nosedive with the general public as well.

According to the YouGov BrandIndex, the company's Buzz, which measures whether people have heard positive or negative things about the brand, fell to a low of -14 recently.

Written by Rob Elliott


Article Added: 28/09/2009 09:32:41