Everyday Economic Journal reporters Chen Shijun and Wang Xia (intern) reporting from Shanghai. The recent bomb in a delivery package in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, has once again exposed the security loopholes in courier services, and attention to delivery safety has continued to increase. Currently, Zhejiang Shaoxing has piloted a real-name system for express delivery. Whether or not this will be promoted nationwide in the express delivery industry, and the timetable for its ultimate implementation, have all become topics of interest both inside and outside the industry. Yesterday (February 23), Wang Jiahong, the daily affairs manager of the Yangpu branch of YTO Express (Weibo) in Shanghai, told the Everyday Economic Journal that he had indeed seen relevant information about the implementation of the real-name system on the company's internal network.
YTO Express stated that for first-time customers sending packages and customers without fixed locations sending packages, they must first show their ID cards. After the courier verifies their identity and inspects the items in the package, they will then accept the delivery.
The company’s internal network has received notification from headquarters.
On February 6, a sudden explosion occurred after a citizen in Tianhe District, Guangzhou, received a delivery package. This incident seems to have become the engine driving the nationwide promotion of the real-name system for express delivery.
It is understood that since April 2011, the State Postal Bureau and the public security department have designated Shaoxing as a pilot city for the real-name system in express delivery. Before mailing each parcel, customers must go through the procedures of "showing ID, opening the package for inspection, verifying the contents of the mail, and registering information" before they can complete the sending of the parcel. The Shaoxing side has publicly stated that this measure was quickly implemented by all 25 express delivery companies in Shaoxing County, with significant results.
According to a previous report by the Xiangtan Morning Post, starting from February 20, Hunan STO Express (Weibo) required couriers to add the step of "the sender showing ID or other valid documents, confirming the completeness and authenticity of the sender's filled-in information" when collecting parcels.
Wang Jiahong introduced to the reporter of the Everyday Economic Journal that they had already received notification from the company headquarters on the company's internal network. When collecting parcels, it is not only necessary to check the items in the parcels but also to verify the ID documents. This is another measure taken after YTO Express announced on its official website on February 17 that every piece sent would be inspected, strictly enforcing the "open-box inspection" system.
It is understood that YTO Express does not seem to implement the real-name system for all senders in specific execution steps.
"For the ID documents of customers, it is not checked one hundred percent. Mainly, it targets individual customers to verify whether the sender information on the waybill matches the ID information. For monthly settlement customers and group customers, because contracts are signed beforehand, there is no requirement to check the ID," Wang Jiahong said.
Regarding the impact of the real-name system for express delivery on courier companies, Wang Jiahong said that due to the cumbersome work procedures, the time for collecting and delivering each ticket has increased, and the company has also increased labor force, thereby increasing operational costs.
Wang Jiahong introduced, "Our point has more than 20 business personnel, and each person collects and delivers more than 100 pieces a day. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes longer per piece now, some taking around 10 minutes longer. Recently, our business personnel usually work until 9 p.m., so we have been continuously recruiting people."
Experts say the implementation effect will be discounted.
In fact, the current promotion of the real-name system for express delivery seems to be experiencing some "resistance" from enterprises.
Previously, media reports claimed that "starting from March 1, ZTO Express will be the first to implement the real-name system." However, ZTO Express soon denied this through its official Weibo account. At the same time, ZTO also posted on Weibo requiring all outlets to conduct on-site inspections of the contents of the parcels when collecting them. If users refuse inspection, the parcels may not be accepted.
In response to this, Xu Yong, the chief advisor of China Express Consulting Network, told the Everyday Economic Journal that in a buyer's market, various courier companies find it difficult to fully implement the real-name system in actual operations in order to gain market share, making it hard for the real-name system to become routine.
Yesterday, the Everyday Economic Journal reporter called YTO Express as a consumer and asked if the company would collect deliveries if the sender could not temporarily provide an ID card. A staff member from the Xuhui District replied, "Under normal circumstances, we cannot collect it, but sometimes it depends on what it is. For example, if the content is a document or the sender is a student, showing a student ID will allow the process to proceed."
Xu Yong introduced that the main purpose of implementing the real-name system for express delivery is to prevent the mailing of dangerous goods. Compared to other criminal methods, express delivery-related crimes are rare. A choice needs to be made between safety and efficiency. The real-name system "makes the whole society pay when difficulties arise, which comes at a high cost."
Statistics show that China currently has approximately 13 million single pieces per day. Calculating that 10 million people need to have their information verified and registered daily, the workload would be enormous, making it very weak in terms of operability.
Xu Yong believes that the measures of the real-name system for express delivery cannot fundamentally eliminate security loopholes in express delivery. Many times, couriers cannot judge dangerous goods like drugs or explosives with the naked eye, and criminals may use forged documents.
Wang Jiahong also frankly admitted to the reporter that couriers almost cannot distinguish fake IDs, and consumers are also concerned about the safety of personal information.