The postman only tried once

I refer to the article (December 15) "Top postal officials get back to basics". I am therefore recounting my personal experience regarding a registered letter - registration number 783710 - for your attention and look forward to an early satisfactory reply.

December 5: The postman leaves a notice that a registered letter could not be delivered due to our absence. This notice read: "Today we tried to deliver a registered item to your address but no one answered. Three more delivery attempts will be effected by your postal operator. After the fourth attempt the item will be returned to sender. If you wish to collect the item from your nearest retail branch please phone 2596 1600 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. and leave a message with your name, surname, the registered number above and the locality above. The item will be sent the next day to the retail branch for collection, between 11 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. If the item is not collected within two days, the item will be returned to sender."

December 6: The postman delivers ordinary mail in the letter-box but did not ring the bell to deliver the registered letter. Both my wife and I were at home at the time of delivery.

December 7 and 8: Being public holidays no deliveries were made.

December 9: My wife calls at the Sliema branch at 7.30 a.m. for the letter. She was told to ring up the number shown on the advice which had been left originally by our postman and at the indicated time. I duly rang up this number at about 12.45 p.m. and gave the details as set out in the notice. I also rang up the freephone customer care number given to my wife at Sliema but no reply was forthcoming. Meanwhile, the postman had delivered the ordinary mail but did not ring the bell (as on December 6).

December 10: We had errands to do so we could not call at the Sliema branch.

December 11: As there were long queues at Sliema I called at the Gzira branch and the counter clerk there checked with Sliema whether they had the letter or not. A negative reply was received and I was directed to the former offices of Melita Cable. The officer in charge there made the necessary investigations and he informed me that, in all probability, the letter had been sent back to where it originally came from. He recommended that I call at the Maltapost office in Marsa.

So off I went to Marsa where the customer care lady contacted the registered letters section as the letter was not scanned on the computer as having been sent back (unknown). She was told that as the sacks of returned mail from branches had not yet been opened they would contact me by phone. I duly gave in my telephone numbers. Up to 12.10 p.m. I had not received any calls from them so I decided to call again at Marsa. I found a different customer care lady this time who informed me that mail sacks returned by branches are received at 1 p.m. so I had to wait for an answer until the afternoon. I waited with bated breath for this call but up to 4 p.m. this was not forthcoming.

December 12: At 8.15 a.m. I contacted the first customer care lady who was surprised I had not had any call from the registered section. She offered to take up the matter herself and phone me up when the section staff reported for work at 9.30 a.m. Not having received any call from her by 10.30 a.m. I called her again. She said she suspected the letter had been sent back but she was making further enquiries and would ring me back. At 1 p.m. she rang me up to say that, unfortunately, the letter had been sent back (unknown). She tendered her apologies and said she would be taking up my complaint with the manager.

I must thank this young lady for her very helpful attitude.

Notwithstanding, I have decided to bring the matter directly to your attention as the letter should never have been sent back as there was no fourth attempt involved.

Unless the whereabouts of the letter are found and the letter duly delivered to me, I will be holding Maltapost responsible for any damages I might suffer due to its non-delivery.