Royal Mail loses Cumbrian plumber's wages and gives him six

[johnnyp]

http://www.cumberland-news.co.uk/news/1.503446" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Royal Mail loses Cumbrian plumber's wages and gives him six stamps compensation
By Thom Kennedy

Last updated 08:20, Friday, 23 January 2009

A plumber whose wages went missing in the post has received a shock compensation from Royal Mail . . . a book of stamps.

Joseph Gouge had replaced a siphon on a customer’s toilet, and received a card on his doormat thanking him for a job well done.

But the envelope was open, and £30 that was supposed to be inside was missing.

When self-employed Joseph from Wetheral complained to Royal Mail he ended up on the phone to a call centre in Plymouth, who sent him a complaints form to fill in.

Later he received a letter from Royal Mail apologising for the loss and containing a book of six first class stamps, worth just £2.16 by way of compensation.

Mr Gouge, who has run a plumbing service for 28 years and whose brother recently retired from work with Royal Mail, said: “The mail came and I could see straight away that the envelope was open.

“When I read the card the lady I did the work for had written ‘here is your £30 as promised, many thanks for a job well done’.

“I got a letter last week saying they were very sorry, and they sent me a book of six first class stamps. I thought it was a fiasco from the start, what with having to phone Plymouth when the money had gone missing in Carlisle, but you have to go through the Royal Mail’s police department.”

Royal Mail guidelines recommend that people should send cash only using recorded delivery, and that stamps are a usual form of compensation when problems arise with first class post.

Mr Gouge said: “It’s not the £30 that I’m bothered about, it is that you can’t report it in your own city.”

A Royal Mail spokesman told The Cumberland News: “We are very sorry that Mr Gouge has had a problem with our service.

“We recommend that customers use special delivery to post any item of value, as it is a guaranteed service with compensation for loss of up to £500.

“In this instance the customer sent the item by standard first class and although proof of posting was provided, we didn’t receive proof of value for the lost item.

“In such cases the customer is entitled to compensation of six first class stamps, which we provided.”

[fmrPOSTIE]

Why is this guy going on about Royal Mail's customer service? Doesn't matter where the complaint gets logged really does it.

Anyway why do people never learn? Cash should never be sent through the post. LOL.

[johnnyp]

Why is this guy going on about Royal Mail's customer service? Doesn't matter where the complaint gets logged really does it.

Anyway why do people never learn? Cash should never be sent through the post. LOL.

Unless they use Special Delivery

[Lounge Lizard]

And can he be sure the woman actually put the £30 in the envelope in the first place ?
No, of course not.
Postman thieving makes the news, a deceiptful customer of a plumber wouldn't.

[ar26]

Very good point Lounge Lizard, Maybe I'll try that with my next bill, stick a little note in it leave the envelope open or seal it then open it again and then stick it in the post box.

Truth is as a certificate of posting was obtained we should really accept that it was sealed at point of posting and if it's been burst open then chances are there was cash in it.
The last week or so I've had a huge amount of open or burst mail, and parcels that would seem to have been damaged ( one customer had 3 parcels bigger than a shoebox from play.com on one day, two had been opened and sealed with brown parcel tape, the other had a hole in the side, I checked with the customer the next day and all items were there thankfully ). I've reported it to my manager as it seems too many to be accidental, all I got was a shrug of the shoulders. What can you do ?

[stokes11eg]

And can he be sure the woman actually put the £30 in the envelope in the first place ?
No, of course not.
Postman thieving makes the news, a deceiptful customer of a plumber wouldn't.

I agree. We have to trust the customeres as well as them trusting us.I deliver to a lot of old folks, and heard tale of one adult son visiting his mother who was blind. He used to open her Christmas/birthday cards etc, filch the mail
and reseal the envelopes.And there are some people who steal money from their own childrens birthday card etc.
And thank god very few Giros are sent through the post now--no more blaming the postie for the 'missing ' Giros.
Even worse are the companies whe claim to the customers thay have sent mail, but haven't and blame us.