***ardly and disreputable

The stats for DHL Inter in SA show that 63% of customers rated it as 1* and 24% as 2*, so nearly all of us rate it as *********** and *******. Let me add to it. Towards the end of the day on which our package from the UK was due for delivery, we contacted the CT office and were told it will not be delivered as the CT office considered it not essential. They could not answer our reasonable question as to who decided that it was considered non-essential. We used a courier service because the item sent was essential and urgently required by us. To cut a long story short, it was delivered FOUR days late. We spent nearly R 700 for a speedy delivery. Following receipt off the package we lodged a complaint with the Complaints Manager at the CT depot whose name is given on the DHL website as the named person to contact and we asked for a refund because of the delayed delivery. Of course, no response. Our second email to the same manager met with the same fate. To generate some action we approached DHL in the UK who arranged the dispatch and collected the fee for it. They responded by saying it should be addressed by the CT office, it is not their responsibility but they would forward our email to South Africa for a reaction. An email arrived from J'burg, very badly composed and referring to the client by his christian name, no Mr or Sir, this emanating from a Network Tracing Executive. We responded by return but to date, absolute silence. When telephoning, the said executive is never available and our requests for a return call are ignored. So we are subjected to the silent treatment with the hope that we will go away. Their ***ardice is shocking. It is unbelievable that a German owned company resorts to such cheap tactics unless they believe that Africa should be treated to such a discriminatory way as in Europe they would need to account for such inadequate and shabby way of conducting business. Perhaps the creation of an Action Group to drive out DHL from SA may be the way forward. After all, there are many good and honest courier companies about.