Dear Editor,
Last month, on my way to the UK, I read in one of the letters section about parcels missing or as the writer stated, not being delivered and sent back to the UK as address unknown.
I could not believe what I was reading as I had a parcel missing at the time. In fact, that parcel was returned to the UK as address unknown.
That I would accept if such parcel was sent to my own residence in the countryside but, in this case, the address was Zona Industrial de Olhão, a well known address to any courier firm.
The writer stated that the courier firm was in Boliqueime but I failed to record its name.
At present I had a parcel posted on December 30 and to date have not received it. It looks like the same is going to happen and was wondering if you could investigate the matter so the company can be reported to the Royal Mail or Parcel force or if you can find the name of the courier in cause or the contact of the writer so I could ask him.
Best regards and congrats on your paper, that is also read by non-British.
Jorge Vairinhos, by email
Dear Editor,
We wrote to the Algarve Resident about this time last year about the poor postal services we were experiencing in Portugal. We sent a Christmas present early to the UK
and once again it did not arrive. We thought that after our complaints to CTT the situation might have improved.
I feel that we are back at square one and nothing has been done to improve the service. When we complained to the counter clerk, he just shrugged his shoulders and said “It’s difficult” and offered no other advice.
It seems nobody is accountable. You would have thought the “system” would log any losses and try and improve their performance.
Has anyone had similar experiences using this postal system?
David Atkinson, Olhão
Editor’s notes:
Dear readers, this seems to be an ongoing problem with little having been done to solve it. News in national and local newspapers, like the Algarve Resident, have tried to bring this situation to light (see editions February 15, 2008 and March 14, 2008 by clicking on the links on the right). Readers are strongly advised to complain to the Portuguese consumer watchdog DECO on 800 200 145 or by clicking on the link on the right.
