Is this organisation (and SAPO) perpetrating deliberate misrepresentation about their services on their clients?
Sequence of events:
1) In the immediate past, the cutoff time for acceptance of overnight Speed Services deliveries to main centres in South Africa was 3:30pm each day except weekends. After enquiries this week at my local post office, I was informed the SAPO uses private contractors (I have seen open bakkies loading mailbags outside my post office). Cutoff time weekdays is no longer 3:30pm but all mail is now lifted at 8:00am each weekday.
In other words, as I was informed - Speed Services mail can now be handed in up until the post office closing time which is 5:00pm and uplifted at 8:00pm the next morning, presumably for delivery to the parcel's destination post office counter the following day.
I consider this as still a reasonable transit time for what Speed Services Couriers charge their customers
2) But, is this true and can Speed Services' clients depend on this fairytale? I don't think so. I posted a Speed Services item at +- 4:00pm on Wednesday the 27th January at my local post office and paid the premium cost for 'overnight' delivery and my parcel should 'theoretically' have been at the counter of its destination post office on the morning of Friday, the 29th January.
3) More than a day after posting, I wanted to 'track' my item by telephoning 0860 023 133 which turned out to be a serious timewasting experience. The number rings and you either get cut off or have to listen to smarmy selfpromoting babble.
4) Eventually, after calling Speed Services' local landline, I was informed the item would be at its destination post office counter from 10:00am on Friday morning the 29th. I informed my client accordingly but this turned out to be a deliberate lie. He personally wasted his time at 3:00pm and there was no parcel.
5) Also on Friday the 29th, I wanted to confirm for myself (before sending false information to my client) if his parcel had indeed arrived at his post office. Using Telkom's directory enquiries number 1023, I eventually got the destination post office telephone number and tried phoning this number which repeatedly went unanswered or cut off.
So, it seems post offices don't answer their telephones, SAPO's 'overnight' delivery services are a fraud perpetrated on their clients and their 0860 023 133 tracking service is non-functional.
BTW, I have read the almost illegible fine print on the back of their waybills and there are no exclusions or conditions stated covering them in cases on non-performance of 'overnight' deliveries.
Great! Another essential service in this country run into the ground.
I must add my customer's preferred delivery choice was not Speed Services but he graciously allowed me to use them as other courier services such as PostNet is located far away from here and has severe parking problems.
skollie
Sequence of events:
1) In the immediate past, the cutoff time for acceptance of overnight Speed Services deliveries to main centres in South Africa was 3:30pm each day except weekends. After enquiries this week at my local post office, I was informed the SAPO uses private contractors (I have seen open bakkies loading mailbags outside my post office). Cutoff time weekdays is no longer 3:30pm but all mail is now lifted at 8:00am each weekday.
In other words, as I was informed - Speed Services mail can now be handed in up until the post office closing time which is 5:00pm and uplifted at 8:00pm the next morning, presumably for delivery to the parcel's destination post office counter the following day.
I consider this as still a reasonable transit time for what Speed Services Couriers charge their customers
2) But, is this true and can Speed Services' clients depend on this fairytale? I don't think so. I posted a Speed Services item at +- 4:00pm on Wednesday the 27th January at my local post office and paid the premium cost for 'overnight' delivery and my parcel should 'theoretically' have been at the counter of its destination post office on the morning of Friday, the 29th January.
3) More than a day after posting, I wanted to 'track' my item by telephoning 0860 023 133 which turned out to be a serious timewasting experience. The number rings and you either get cut off or have to listen to smarmy selfpromoting babble.
4) Eventually, after calling Speed Services' local landline, I was informed the item would be at its destination post office counter from 10:00am on Friday morning the 29th. I informed my client accordingly but this turned out to be a deliberate lie. He personally wasted his time at 3:00pm and there was no parcel.
5) Also on Friday the 29th, I wanted to confirm for myself (before sending false information to my client) if his parcel had indeed arrived at his post office. Using Telkom's directory enquiries number 1023, I eventually got the destination post office telephone number and tried phoning this number which repeatedly went unanswered or cut off.
So, it seems post offices don't answer their telephones, SAPO's 'overnight' delivery services are a fraud perpetrated on their clients and their 0860 023 133 tracking service is non-functional.
BTW, I have read the almost illegible fine print on the back of their waybills and there are no exclusions or conditions stated covering them in cases on non-performance of 'overnight' deliveries.
Great! Another essential service in this country run into the ground.
I must add my customer's preferred delivery choice was not Speed Services but he graciously allowed me to use them as other courier services such as PostNet is located far away from here and has severe parking problems.
skollie
