Qawra post office, a Friday morning

I had two parcels to send to England, one weighing 2.5 kilos and the other 850 grammes. Customs forms made out, only one person in the queue, money prepared, straight in and out? No!

The "gentleman" "serving" the customers declares that the customs forms are the wrong ones. I have been using these for years and told him so. "They have been changed," he declared. Then he told me that the 850 g packet could not go parcel post.

By now I was starting to get annoyed. I'd had a 20-minute walk from the other side of Buġibba, in the noon heat, carrying over five kilos (I had other things to post). I had also promised to send the tracking number as proof that I had posted one of the parcels.

I had confirmed on the Maltapost website that the customs forms were the correct ones. He wouldn't listen. Asking about the 850-gramme parcel he explained, in the patronising tone that you might use on a simpleton if you had no manners, that parcels must weigh one kilo or more.

A package weighing 999 g is not a parcel, but weighing 1.001 kilos it will be charged as 1.5 kilos. How many people have kept within those limits?

Talking to a brick wall is not one of my favourite pastimes, so I took the parcels back. He told me that if I was not satisfied I could always complain. So here I am!

Now the fun begins.

Rang customer care and explained the situation to the man there. His first comment was that the parcel rate started at 2.5 kilos. After some minutes of meaningless talk he put me through to someone who could deal with my problem. About time!

The number that he put me through to rang twice and was then disconnected.

By this time there was steam coming out of my ears.

Rang customer care again. After five minutes, got through and asked if he thought that was funny. He then gave me two numbers to ring. Guess what?

No reply from either of them.

Rang customer care (funny title, that) again and complained about the service and asked to speak to his supervisor.

He then put me through to a gentleman called Carlo(s) and at last I had someone who wanted to help. After explaining the situation to him, he took my number and promised to ring back after checking up. God bless people like Carlo(s). He was true to his word.

It seems that Maltapost have a policy that any parcel under one kilo is classified as bulky mail but it can be sent as parcel post if the customer wishes to pay the rate for 1 kilo. Hallelujah!

I have two questions for Maltapost. Where on its site is bulky mail mentioned and why is it policy that the most expensive choice is pushed at the customer?

By the way, my customs forms were correct and all of the nonsense that I went through at Qawra was just that, nonsense!

I have made an official complaint and may have also lost the trust of a valued client.

PS. Many thanks to Carlo(s). At least one person at Maltpost was helpful.

Prosit.