Postal administration backs consumers in smart locker controversy

The State Post Bureau arranged a talk with Shenzhen Hive Box Technology Co Ltd to discuss adjusting its fees after members of the public complained about them being unreasonable, according to the administration's official WeChat account.

Officials with Hive Box said they will take it seriously and uphold their social responsibility. The company will solve the problem immediately and cooperate with the administration.

Hive Box provides smart lockers used to store delivery packages. Many of their lockers can be found within housing compounds.

The move by the postal administration comes after some residential communities in Shanghai refused to use Hive Box due to new charges which were introduced in May.

The company earlier announced that it would charge non-members 0.5 yuan every 12 hours if they do not retrieve their packages from smart lockers within 12 hours of delivery. This extra charge will be capped at 3 yuan.

Those who purchase the 5-yuan monthly membership or 12-yuan seasonal membership will be able to leave their packages in lockers for up to seven days without incurring a charge.

The new policy immediately sparked outrage among netizens, many of whom said their packages should be delivered to their doorsteps and not the smart lockers in the first place.

Some residential communities across the country, including in Shanghai, Beijing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, took to Mocking-j, an online platform for neighborhood committees, to express their dissatisfaction. Members of residential communities claimed deliverymen should seek a recipient's permission before depositing parcels into these smart lockers. They also demanded the free storage period be extended from 12 hours to 48.

Some neighborhoods have already suspended operations of these smart lockers.

In response to people's complaints, the postal administration in Shanghai said it will enhance regulation and supervision of such services and unveil more policy support regarding the planning, construction and operation of smart express lockers and package storage service stations.

It also noted the Provisional Regulations for Express Delivery in China stipulate that recipients have the right to examine and receive their packages in-person, as well as choose if they want their packages to be deposited in such lockers.

The administration added consumers can notify the authorities if their packages are deposited into smart lockers without their permission, and express delivery companies must fully respect the consumer's decision.