The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has invited submissions from users of Australia Post's Ad Post service - the reduced rate service for advertising mail.
In November 2001 Australia Post lodged a draft notification with the ACCC proposing changes to the pricing of its Ad Post service in accordance with the Prices Surveillance Act 1983 and after procedural advice from the ACCC.
This is a revised form of an earlier draft notification lodged with the ACCC in June 2001. The proposed changes would phase out the current content-based Ad Post discount for all customers except charities.
The Ad Post service commenced in 1976 as a discounted price incentive for advertising mail. Its purpose is to foster the use of direct mail advertising. The discontinuation of the Ad Post service will see customers migrate to the equivalent Barcode Pre-sort service. The phase out is proposed in two stages:
- a 10 per cent increase in Ad Post Prices from 1 July 2002; and
- the discontinuation of the Ad Post service in 1 January 2003, resulting in a further nine per cent price increase as customers migrate to the equivalent Barcode Pre-sort service.
To assist the ACCC's consideration of the draft notification, submissions or comments are being sought from interested parties. These submissions should reach the ACCC by the close of business, Wednesday 28 November 2001.
Australia Post intends to provide the ACCC with a formal notification at a later date after considering comments on its draft notification of the proposed changes in pricing for the Ad Post service.
MR 285/01
20 November 2001