Retailers take PostNL to court over higher fees for parcel points

A number of retailers who manage a PostNL parcel point filed a lawsuit against the postal service's decision to reduce their fees, retail association VVP said to broadcaster NOS. According to the association, the fee cut costs a shopkeeper an average of 9 thousand euros per year. "The fees are reduced with 25 to 40 percent. This is disproportionate and does not do justice to the work the retailers puts in", Gert Koudijs of the VVP said to the broadcaster. According to the VVP, something that already did not bring in much money, now just got worst. Retailers now get less than 20 cents for accepting and handling a package, compared to 30 cents before the cut. The shopkeepers also earn next to nothing from people buying stuff when they come to collect a package. "Research shows that it is negligible. It is a rate of zero point zero and then some. You know the drill: people are in a hurry, quickly pick up the package and then be on your way." The association thinks that it is no longer attractive for retailers to keep a package point and many are considering getting rid of it. "There is a lot of anger and emotion on the shop floor. Many retailers say that they are going to do something else with the space if no good result comes from the lawsuit today."