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Insurance services
may be insured for a nominal sum in order to obtain the safeguards of the system. An insured letter containing documents which are of value because of the cost of preparation, for example, plans, estimates or contracts, may not be insured for an amount exceeding the cost of replacing them in case of loss. Over-insurance is an obstacle to compensation.
ADVICE OF DELIVERY
The sender of an insured letter, box or parcel may obtain an advice of its delivery on application at the office of posting, either at the time of posting or subsequently within a year of the date of posting, on payment of a fee of 40c. A further fee of 50c. for each air transmission (except the outward air transmission of an advice of delivery applied for at the time of posting for a packet to be sent by air, which is free of charge) is payable if the sender requires the advice of delivery form to be sent and/or returned by air. In such cases a blue air mail label should be affixed to the form C5 and it should also be conspicuously marked "Renvoi par Avion". The advice of delivery fee and, where appropriate, the special air fee must be paid by the sender affixing stamps to the advice of delivery form. When the application is made at the time of posting, the sender must indicate his name and address on the outside of the packet. The weight of the form is not taken into account in assessing the postage on the packet.
INQUIRIES ABOUT LOSS OR NON-DELIVERY
Inquiry about the loss or non-delivery of an insured letier, box or parcel, made after posting, must also be accompanied by a fee of 40c. unless the sender has already paid the special fee for an advice of delivery, and if possible by a facsimile of the envelope or of the address of the packet. If it is found that the postal service is in fault, the inquiry fee is refunded. One fee of 40c, covers inquiries concerning several packets of the same category (insured letter, box or parcel) posted at the same time by the same sender to the same addressee. As a general rule, if the inquiry has to be pursued abroad it will be sent by air. The reply from abroad, however, will be sent by surface mail unless a 50 cent stamp is affixed to the form C5 together with a blue air mail label and the form is endorsed "Renvoi par Avion". If it proves unnecessary to pursue the inquiry abroad or if it is found that the postal service is at fault, the special air fee will be refunded.
INSURED LETTERS: SPECIAL CONDITIONS
Insured letters may be sent to the countries shown as participating in the service, see under country of destination in Section II of this Guide, up to the maximum indicated,
In addition to ordinary correspondence, they may contain paper valuables such as bank-notes, currency notes, bonds and securities (provided permission, where necessary. has been obtained for the exportation, valuable documents of any kind such as plans. estimates and so on: but if the contents are dutiable in the country of destination they can only be sent to countries which admit dutiable articles by letter post, see Section II. Letters containing articles other than those mentioned above, postcards, Small Packets, printed papers, commercial papers and samples cannot be insured.
Before posting bank notes, currency notes and so on, the sender should make sure that the Exchange Control Regulations are complied with, as failure to do so in this respect may lead to a return or confiscation of the article.
MAKE-UP
An insured letter must be enclosed in a strong cover made up in one piece, which must be securely fastened by means of identical seals in fine wax, with spaces between, reproducing a private mark of the sender, and affixed in sufficient number to hold down all the folds of the envelope. An envelope with a black or coloured border or a transparent panel must not be used. The make-up of every letter must be such that its contents cannot be got at without external and visible damage to the envelope or the seals.
Space must be left between the postage stamps on it and between the postal labels. if any, so that they cannot serve to hide injuries to the envelope. They must not be folded over the two sides of the envelope so as to cover the edge.
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