Untimely delivery

When I had to send some important letters to Europe, I decided to use the services of Fedex, as I believed in their advertisements promising a fast and reliable delivery. It was not easy to find their office on Jl. Paku Buwono as no sign or name plate was visible. Actually this should have warned me to be cautious, but lured by a 10 percent credit card discount and even a 15 percent for cash payment, I trusted my envelope to this company. They promised to have the delivery made within a week.

I was therefore very surprised to receive a phone call a week later from the addressee in Europe asking me what happened to the letters. I phoned the Fedex office and after a while they informed me that my envelope was lost between Singapore and London. The person who gave me this information advised me not to worry as Fedex would refund me the delivery charges!

What an easy way out of a responsibility. After almost two weeks, and many expensive overseas phone calls, the envelope was found somewhere. I told the Fedex employee that I could have sent the letter by ordinary airmail and it would have arrived earlier and cheaper, she told me that the company is considering a refund in due course as the head office in Europe has to make this "important" decision. I have not heard anything since.

The best thing is to forget this bad experience and not be as easily lured by something that sounds good.

P. SCHMUTZER

Jakarta