BULK MAIL CLAIM

This website has been created to inform potential class members about the collective action brought by Bulk Mail Claim Limited against International Distribution Services Plc (formerly Royal Mail Plc) (“Royal Mail”) that has been approved by the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

Bulk Mail Claim Limited is the class representative, and represents all persons who it is alleged have suffered losses due to Royal Mail’s unlawful conduct in relation to the supply of bulk mail delivery services in the UK. The Claim seeks to recover damages on behalf of persons (including companies, LLPs, public bodies and charities) affected by Royal Mail’s unlawful conduct.

This website will be updated regularly throughout the claim.

The Claim against Royal Mail arises out of Ofcom’s 14 August 2018 decision titled “Discriminatory pricing in relation to the supply of bulk mail delivery services in the UK”.

The Ofcom Decision concluded that Royal Mail abused its dominant position in the market for bulk mail delivery services in the UK by attempting to introduce discriminatory prices via “Contract Change Notices” on 10 January 2014, contrary to both EU and UK competition law (the "Infringement”). The discriminatory prices penalised any party that sought to roll out bulk mail delivery services that were in competition with Royal Mail.

The Claim alleges that the Infringement:

1. prevented competition for bulk mail delivery services; and
2. led to higher prices (an “overcharge”) for end-customers of Bulk Mail Retail Services

The purpose of the Claim is to secure compensation for losses suffered by class members who were overcharged for bulk mail delivery services as a result of the Infringement. In particular, it will be argued that end-customers have paid more for Bulk Mail Retail Services as a result of Royal Mail’s unlawful conduct.

If you or your business, charity or other body based in the UK purchased or paid for Bulk Mail Retail Services in the UK at any time during the period 10 January 2014 to 29 May 2024, you may be eligible to participate in the Claim and benefit from any future award of damages. Register your interest here.

The Claim is against International Distribution Services Plc (formerly Royal Mail Plc) (“Royal Mail”).

This Claim is based on the Ofcom decision and alleges that businesses, charities or other bodies who purchased or paid for Bulk Mail Retail Services at any time in the UK during the period 10 January 2014 to 29 May 2024 suffered losses as a result of this misconduct.

For more information, please take a look at the Ofcom’s decision which can be accessed here.

The Claim is being brought in the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal. It is a specialist court based in London which hears and decides cases involving competition or economic regulatory issues. It publishes its Rules and Guidance, together with information about what it does, on its website.

Collective actions (or ‘collective proceedings’) in respect of a breach of competition law involve a claim being brought by a class representative on behalf of a group of persons who are alleged to have suffered loss as a result that breach of competition law. The group is known as a “class” and all those within the group are “class members.” Such proceedings can be ‘opt-in’ (where each potential class member must sign up in order to be part of the claim) or ‘opt-out’ (where each person that falls within the class or classes is automatically included in the proceedings unless they actively choose to opt out).

A person wishing to bring collective proceedings as a class representative must first obtain permission from the Competition Appeal Tribunal for the claim to proceed. This is known as obtaining a Collective Proceedings Order (CPO). The Competition Appeal Tribunal will decide whether to grant a CPO by considering whether: (a) the class representative is suitable to bring the claim; and (b) the claims are eligible to be included in collective proceedings.

On 6 March 2025, Bulk Mail Claim Limited was succesful in its application for a CPO. It has therfore been granted permission to bring proceedings on behalf of persons who it is alleged have suffered losses due to Royal Mail’s unlawful conduct in relation to the supply of bulk mail delivery services in the UK.

This Claim is brought on an opt-out basis for individuals and entities domiciled in the UK. Therefore, if you or your business were domiciled in the UK on 29 May 2024 and fall within the class definition, you will automatically be included in Bulk Mail Claim Limited’s collective action and will be bound by any judgment or settlement, unless you choose to opt out.

If you or your business are not resident or domiciled in the UK, and you wish to participate in Bulk Mail Claim Limited’s collective action, you will need to opt in to the claim. Opt-in to the Claim here before 5 June 2025.

On 6 March 2025, Bulk Mail Claim Limited was successful in its application for a collective proceedings order (“CPO”). It has therefore been authorised to bring proceedings on behalf of persons who it is alleged have suffered losses due to Royal Mail’s unlawful conduct in relation to the supply of bulk mail delivery services in the UK.

The Claim will now proceed towards the second Case Management Conference (“CMC”) to be held on 23 September 2025 at the Competition Appeal Tribunal, Salisbury Square House, 8 Salisbury Square, London, EC4Y 8AP.

Please check this website for further updates.

Bulk Mail Claim Limited is the class representative.

Bulk Mail Claim Limited was incorporated for the purpose of acting as the class representative in these proceedings. The class representative’s duty is to act fairly and adequately in the interests of all members.

Mr Robin Aaronson is the sole director and sole member of Bulk Mail Claim Limited.

As the sole director and member of Bulk Mail Claim Limited, Mr Aaronson will have oversight of the Claim and will make decisions on behalf of the company and the class.

Over the course of his career, Mr Aaronson has held senior roles (including in public bodies) in which he has promoted competitive markets and tackled anti-competitive conduct. In particular:

• in 2000, Mr Aaronson was appointed by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry as a member of the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm, the regulator of the postal industry at that time), initially for a term of five years. In 2005, his term was extended by a further 18 months; and
• from 2009 to 2017, Mr Aaronson served as a Member of the Competition Commission (later the Competition and Markets Authority).

In these roles, Mr Aaronson was deeply involved in regulating and remedying market structures and conduct which prevented, restricted or distorted competition.

Bulk Mail Claim Limited will be assisted by a consultative panel and a Class Member Customer Group. If you would like to learn more about the consulative panel and/or the Customer Group (please click here).

Bulk Mail Claim Limited has instructed Lewis Silkin LLP, a leading law firm with a wealth of expertise in litigation. Bulk Mail Claim Limited has also instructed an experienced team of specialist competition law barristers at Monckton Chambers.

Bulk Mail Claim Limited has also instructed an expert competition economist. The expert will be responsible for providing evidence in relation to the losses that have been caused by Royal Mail’s unlawful behaviour.

The costs of bringing the Claim are being funded by a highly experienced commercial litigation funder who is a member of the Association of Litigation Funders of England and Wales and abides by its Code of Conduct.

As the class representative, Bulk Mail Claim Limited, acting through Mr Aaronson, will conduct the Claim against Royal Mail on behalf of all class members, except for those who choose to opt-out. The class representative’s duty is to act fairly and adequately in the interests of all members.

During the proceedings, Bulk Mail Claim Limited will be responsible for communicating with the class and for issuing formal notices. Communication will occur via updates and announcements on this website, email correspondence, and written notices. If you would like to be kept up to date on developments in the claim, please register your interest here.

At a hearing on 3-4 March 2025, the Competition Appeal Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) considered whether: (a) Bulk Mail Claim Limited is a suitable class representative to bring the claim; and (b) the claims are eligible for inclusion in collective proceedings. The Tribunal concluded that Bulk Mail Claim Limited is a suitable class representative, and that the claims were eligible for collective proceedings.

The full class definition can be found here and should be read carefully. To summarise, the class will encompass businesses, charities or other bodies who purchased or paid for bulk mail services (such as collection/sortation/delivery of bulk mail) in the UK at any time during period 10 January 2014 to 29 May 2024.

It is important to note that certain persons (known as “Excluded Persons”) do not fall within the claim. For further details, please see the full class definition here.

If you or your business are domiciled in the UK and fall within the class, you will automatically be included in the collective action and will be bound by any judgment or settlement, unless you choose to opt out.

If your business was not domiciled in the UK on 29 May 2024, you may participate in the Claim if you meet the requirements in the class definition but you must opt-in here before 5 June 2025.

If you are in this category and do not opt in, you will not be eligible to claim a share of any compensation that might be recovered in this collective action.

If you or your business were domiciled in the UK on 29 May 2024, then you are automatically included in the class and will be included in the Claim. At this point you do not need to do anything, but you are encouraged to register your interest on this webpage. Registering your interest will allow you to remain informed about case developments. Please see FAQ 20 regarding confidentiality issues relating to registering your interest.

If you or your business were not domiciled in the UK on 29 May 2024 and you wish to participate in the collective action, then you need to opt-in to the Claim here before 5 June 2025.

If the Claim is successful, you will be entitled to your share of any damages, whether awarded at trial or if the Competition Appeal Tribunal approves a settlement between the class representative and Royal Mail.

Unlike pursuing individual litigation, there is no cost to you and no risk that you will be liable to pay Royal Mail’s costs in the event the Claim is unsuccessful.

There is no guarantee that any money will be received as Bulk Mail Claim Limited will need to prove its case at trial (unless a settlement is reached beforehand).

In the event that the Claim is successful and damages are awarded, or a settlement is agreed with Royal Mail, the damages or settlement sum will be divided between the members of the class in accordance with directions from the Competition Appeal Tribunal. The amount that each member receives may depend upon the volume of bulk mail services that it purchased. We recommend that you keep all records of bulk mail purchases during the period 10 January 2014 to 29 May 2024, as this information may be needed as part of claiming your share of any damages or settlement sum.

Class members domiciled in the UK on 29 May 2024 do not need to do anything in order to be included in the Claim (see FAQ 14 above). However, if the Claim is successful, class members will need to provide certain information in order to receive their compensation. We will update this website and make it publicly known if and how we require this information from class members.

Class members that were not domiciled in the UK on 29 May 2024 need to opt-in to the Claim here before 5 June 2025.

If you would like further information about the legal process or how to claim if the case is successful, please click here to register and we will keep you up to date with what is happening. However, you do not need to register in order to be eligible for compensation.

Register your interest to receive updates and any future notices via email. This website will also be updated with further information as the Claim progresses.

We intend to keep the identities of those who register their interest confidential and they will only be shared with the class representative and those it has instructed, including its legal team and expert advisors, as is necessary to pursue the Claim. In addition, it may be necessary to share the numbers of persons that have registered their interest, and their location(s), with the Competition Appeal Tribunal during the Claim.

In the unlikely event that you register and the Competition Appeal Tribunal orders the identities of those who register their interest to be disclosed to Royal Mail, we will endeavour to contact you to give you an opportunity to de-register before such disclosure is made.

Bulk Mail Claim Limited, the class representative, is working with a specialist litigation funder to bring the Claim and has obtained funding for the Claim. In addition, Bulk Mail Claim Limited has put in place after the event ("ATE") insurance to cover its liability to pay Royal Mail’s costs if the Claim is unsuccessful.

Therefore, joining the Claim costs nothing. All costs will be met by Bulk Mail Claim Limited’s funding and ATE insurance arrangements.

For UK domiciled persons, the Claim is proceeding as an opt-out claim. In simple terms, if a party does not opt out, it will remain part of the Claim. This means that a party that is domiciled in the UK, as of 29 May 2024, which is known as the “domicile date”, and falls within the class definition, is automatically included in the class (and does not need to do anything) unless it asks to be excluded. Asking to be excluded is also called “opting out” of the Claim.

If a party is not domiciled in the UK, as of 29 May 2024, but meets the criteria to be in the class, and wants to participate in this Claim, it must take steps to say that it wants to be included. Asking to be included in the Claim is called “opting in”.

All class members who remain in the class or opt-in to the class will be bound by any Tribunal judgment. If money becomes available following a trial or settlement, class members will be eligible to claim a share of the money. A class member, however, will not be able to bring an individual claim against Royal Mail raising the same issues included in this claim.

Class members domiciled in the UK as at 29 May 2024 who want to be removed from the Claim may opt out by emailing info@BulkMailClaim.co.uk or sending a letter to:

Bulk Mail Claim Limited
P.O. Box 1435
Sunderland
United Kingdom SR5 9UD

Please include the following statement in your email or letter “I, [insert full name] on behalf of [insert full name of business or other entity] wish to opt out of the collective claim against International Distribution Services Plc, Case No. 1639/7/7/24 (Bulk Mail Claim Limited v International Distribution Services Plc)” and include your postal address, email address and telephone number.

Sign and date the opt-out letter. It is not necessary to give any reason for opting out.

A template opt-out letter is available here.

To be considered, the opt-out request must be received or postmarked by 5 June 2025.

A party that opts-out will not be able to claim a share of any compensation that becomes available as a result of this Claim.

Class members that were not domiciled in the UK as at 29 May 2024 (even if they were before that date), must take steps to opt in to the class to be part of the Claim and be eligible to receive a payment in the future.

To opt-in to the claim, please complete the opt-in form here.

To be considered, the opt-in request must be received by 5 June 2025.

Under the rules of the Tribunal, class members who were not domiciled in the UK as of 29 May 2024 must submit an opt-in request by 5 June 2025 (see previous question) to be part of the class. If a class member does not opt in by 5 June 2025 and money later becomes available, the only way for a class member to be eligible to receive a payment is for the Tribunal to give it permission to opt in at a later time. There is no guarantee that this permission will be given, so class members must opt in by 5 June 2025 if they want to ensure they are eligible to receive a payment.

If you are not sure whether you are included in the class, please check here. You can also view the Tribunal’s Order and other documents which can help you to determine whether you are a part of the class. If you have any questions, you can contact us for help.

The costs of bringing the Claim are being funded by a highly experienced commercial litigation funder who is a member of the Association of Litigation Funders of England and Wales and abides by its Code of Conduct.

Class members will not bear any costs of pursuing the Claim, nor will they be liable to Royal Mail for its costs should the Claim be unsuccessful.

If the Claim is successful, Bulk Mail Claim Limited will seek permission from the Tribunal for the funder of the Claim to be remunerated to reflect the investment it has made to help bring the case to court. The amount of any remuneration that may be payable to the funder is subject to the approval of the Tribunal. If the Claim is successful, Bulk Mail Claim Limited will also seek to recover its legal costs directly from Royal Mail.

A redacted version of the Litigation Funding Agreement between BMCL and Asertis is provided here.

Any class member may, upon request, inspect the following documents at the offices of Lewis Silkin LLP (Bulk Mail Claim Limited’s solicitors): the unredacted Litigation Funding Agreement, Bulk Mail Claim Limited’s budget for the claim and a document setting out estimates of the success fee payable to the funder under different outcomes

Bulk Mail Claim Limited has set up a Class Members Customer Group to assist it by providing its views on the questions and issues raised by the Proposed Collective Proceedings. To learn more about the Customer Group and how to apply to join please click here.