Courier firms in Shanghai are ignoring China's state postal bureau's directive to only accept packages with real names and ID for deliveries even as a survey found that most people were hesitant in releasing their personal details.
The new measure is aimed at ensuring the sender is traceable, and enhancing security, particularly for packages and mails sent from public places like roadside, public transport stations, hotels, etc.
It came into effect yesterday but Shanghai Daily found that most delivery firms were unaware of the ruling, or just simply ignored it.
This reporter used the services of four major courier firms in the city — S.F. Express, YTO Express, STO Express and Yunda Express — to send out packages, but none of them asked for the sender's identity card.
Told that there was a directive in place for delivery firms, the answers of all of them were more or less the same: "Name and mobile phone numbers are enough. I haven't been asked to check the sender's identity."
An unnamed official with YTO Express told Shanghai Daily that they were still waiting to learn more about the rules.
She suggested that the major obstacle in carrying out the notice might come from individual clients, who may be worried about releasing their personal information.
An online survey by sina.com.cn also showed that some 85 percent of the 1,119 surveyed had concerns about giving out their information to couriers.
"I heard that courier firms sell people's personal data for profit. Anyone can see my information during the delivery," said Lu Min, a frequent online shopper. "It's very sensitive."
A senior partner with Shanghai Lan Feng Law Firm, Adonis Wang, said besides the reluctance of customers to reveal their identity, courier firms would continue to ignore any directive that comes without any specified rules.
Following the directive would also slow down their business, Wang said, as the firms would be forced to spend more time on checking the details.
"It will also be a herculean task for authorities to check every package for the sender's real name," he said.
The unnamed official with YTO Express told Shanghai Daily that personally she thought it was a good move, as the responsibility of the parcel would be split between the firms and senders.
"If anything happened to a package, we usually took the blame. Yet, it is hard to guarantee that every delivery man would be able to identify dangerous goods."
A similar measure was introduced on packages being sent to Beijing around the beginning of September, when the capital hosted a series of events to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan in World War II.
A courier, surnamed Li, with YTO Express said it took more time to check people's identity but most people cooperated during that period. "Otherwise they could not have sent their packages," Li said.
He said the ID number was usually marked on the information page attached on the package.
The same official with YTO Express said the new measure would not affect the upcoming Single's Day week — the busiest online shopping period in China — as most e-commerce senders had security agreement with courier firms.
The notice also insisted that couriers must check goods before packaging.
And all of them had to be scanned with an X-ray machine before delivery.
On September 30 and October 1, there were multiple blasts in different places in Liucheng County in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Seven people died in the blasts. The explosions were all caused by letter bombs.
