updated 21/9/01

Proof of posting

IT’S NOT uncommon for a competitor to telephone the Secretary of an event a day or two beforehand to advise that passes have not been received. Sometimes competitors make such a report at the event and it is discovered that entries do not appear in the catalogue. There seems to be some doubt as to the best way of dealing with these cases, therefore the following procedure should be followed.

As it is not possible for the Secretary to carry out an “on the spot” investigation the Secretary should allow the exhibitor to exhibit but only after an entry form has been completed and the appropriate fees paid.

A full report must be made to The Kennel Club immediately after the event and The Kennel Club will then write to the exhibitor asking him to provide proof of posting for the original “lost” entry. The only acceptable proof of posting for entries which are not delivered is certified post e.g. Recorded Delivery, Special Delivery, Registered Post, Post Office Certificate. (It should be noted that only the original of such a certificate is acceptable - a copy is not sufficient.) The Kennel Club then examines the information and decides whether the original entry was correctly made. If this is agreed then awards gained at the Show will stand. However, if satisfactory proof of posting is not provided, awards gained may be disqualified.

Secretaries should appreciate that this procedure is intended to protect and assist them as entries may have been sent by registered post or recorded delivery and mislaid in the Show Office. The exhibitor could, in such cases, prove delivery of entries and if he/she had not been allowed to exhibit, the Society might find that a claim for expenses is made against it. The missing entry may be the fault of the exhibitor, a Show Official or the Post Office and the correct course is to allow the dogs to be exhibited and then let The Kennel Club deal with the matter afterwards.

During the course of the last year, while investigating reports from Societies on the non receipt of show entries, it became apparent that in some cases the Certificate of Posting issued by the Post Office had not been clearly completed.

Therefore, when using this form of proof of posting exhibitors are requested to complete the box on the certificate indicating the number of items (letters) being posted using words rather than figures. This will then assist The Kennel Club in validating proof of posting reports.