Mail handling questions

We process mail promptly. Mail delivered to some business centres may need to be transferred internally to our mail processing team before it can be scanned.

We aim for this internal transfer to take no more than 24 hours during normal working arrangements. This is not a guaranteed service level, and processing may take longer at weekends, on bank holidays or due to circumstances outside our reasonable control.

Delivery to a business centre does not guarantee immediate scanning, notification or onward dispatch.

No, not necessarily.

A postmark, franking mark or other postal marking relates to the item’s journey through the postal system. It does not establish the date the item was received by The Workstation.

Postal transit times before an item reaches us are outside our control, and there can sometimes be a significant gap between the date shown on an envelope and the date it reaches your chosen business centre.

For time-sensitive correspondence, you should not rely on the postmark to determine when we received or processed an item.

With Scan & Email, we retain your original mail for at least 30 days. After the applicable retention period, we reserve the right to securely dispose of it as confidential waste.

With Scan & Email + Postal Mail, your originals are retained for your next scheduled quarterly dispatch.

Yes.

If you need a physical original that has already been scanned and provided to you digitally, contact us and we’ll arrange forwarding.

A nominal handling charge plus postage and packing will apply.

Some items, such as bank cards, cannot reasonably or securely be provided digitally.

If you’re using Scan & Email, we’ll automatically forward these items to your nominated UK address at no extra charge.

International forwarding is available, although additional postage charges may apply.

If an item can be scanned, we’ll process it in the normal way. This includes correspondence from organisations such as HMRC, Companies House, courts and other public authorities.

We don’t assess individual correspondence to determine its urgency, legal significance or whether you might need the physical original.

You are responsible for monitoring your scanned correspondence and acting on any deadlines or actions required.

With Scan & Email + Postal Mail, original mail is retained for scheduled quarterly dispatches.

With Postal Mail Only, mail is forwarded as part of our regular weekday mail dispatches.

These schedules describe the normal operation of the service and are not guaranteed dispatch dates for individual items.

Operational processing or dispatch schedules may reasonably change without materially altering the underlying service.

It depends on your chosen mail handling option.

• Scan & Email: UK forwarding of items that cannot reasonably be provided digitally is included. Physical originals requested after digital delivery are subject to applicable handling, postage and packing charges.
• Scan & Email + Postal Mail: UK postage for scheduled quarterly dispatches is included.
• Postal Mail Only: UK postage for regular postal forwarding is included.
• Collect My Mail: No postage is required because you collect your mail from your chosen location.

UK postage is only included where expressly stated. International postage and services outside the normal included service remain chargeable.

Yes.

International forwarding is available where appropriate. Additional international postage charges will apply.

International delivery times, postal services, customs requirements and other matters outside our control may affect delivery.

Postal and courier delivery times after an item leaves The Workstation are outside our control.

Our virtual office services are primarily designed for normal business correspondence.

Parcels are accepted at the discretion of each business centre. If we accept a parcel for you, we’ll let you know so you can collect it. Uncollected parcels may be returned to the sender after one month.

We may be unable to accept particularly large, heavy, valuable or unsuitable items.

At participating locations, you can add Direct Intercom.

This allows a courier to contact you directly from the building entrance using your programmed contact details. You can speak to the courier and manage the delivery remotely, including providing appropriate delivery instructions.

Direct Intercom is an optional additional service and is available at participating locations.

No.

The Workstation does not provide a signature-on-behalf service.

Where a courier is able to complete delivery without a signature, they can do so in accordance with their normal delivery procedures.

If a delivery genuinely requires someone to be physically present to sign for it, you’ll need to make alternative arrangements with the sender or courier.

Direct Intercom does not enable us to sign for a delivery on your behalf.

Courier deliveries remain subject to the courier’s own delivery requirements and procedures.

We apply a sensible filter to items that are clearly identifiable as unsolicited or junk mail and may dispose of these rather than scan, store or forward them.

We won’t deliberately discard ordinary business correspondence based on its contents.

Our mail handling options are designed for reasonable volumes of ordinary business correspondence.

Occasional periods of heavier mail won’t normally be a problem.

If the volume, size or nature of mail received is substantially greater than would normally be expected, we may contact you to discuss an appropriate mail handling arrangement or additional charges.

The service is subject to fair use.

Yes.

We may refuse items that are unsafe, unlawful, perishable, inadequately addressed, exceptionally valuable, unsuitable for storage or otherwise outside the reasonable scope of the service.

Additional charges may also apply for unusually high volumes, oversized or heavy items, exceptional storage, special handling, courier services, parcel forwarding or other requirements outside the normal scope of the service.

With Collect My Mail, your dedicated physical mailbox is accessible 7 days a week, between 6am and 10pm.

Your mail will be kept unopened and placed in your dedicated mailbox ready for collection.

Usually, no.

• Scan & Email: You only need to contact us if you want a physical original that has already been scanned. Items that cannot reasonably be provided digitally will be dealt with automatically.
• Scan & Email + Postal Mail: Originals are automatically included in scheduled quarterly dispatches.
• Postal Mail Only: Mail is automatically included in regular weekday mail dispatches.
• Collect My Mail: Mail is placed in your dedicated mailbox ready for collection.

You are responsible for maintaining a current email address and, where applicable, a valid forwarding address.

You are also responsible for monitoring scanned correspondence and acting on any deadlines or actions required.

The Workstation does not undertake to determine the legal, financial or time-sensitive significance of individual correspondence.

Some services fall outside the standard inclusions of your chosen mail handling option.

These can include:

• Ad-hoc forwarding of an original already scanned
• International forwarding
• Courier services
• Additional packing or special handling
• Exceptional storage requirements
• Direct Intercom
• Unusually high mail volumes or exceptional requirements

Applicable charges will be made clear before an optional service is provided.

Our current Additional Services & Charges schedule is maintained separately and may be updated from time to time.