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The long wait

Wednesday Mar 9, 2005

Two weeks have passed since the last email exchange from Patrick and the package has not arrived, so I sent him an update:

Patrick,

I have not received the pens yet. Did you ship on Feb 24th as planned?

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Eleven hours later, Patrick replies:

Hi Lih-Tah,

I shipped the pen set at the 24th as promised. I will have a look at my postal office tommorow morning and get back to you later tommorow and let you know where the pen are.

Best, Patrick

I reply with my thanks:

Thank you Patrick.

I am not worried since you sent it via registered mail. I do realize that this takes a bit longer because anyone who handles the package must sign for it.

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Friday Mar 18, 2005

After nine days without any news from Patrick, I wrote to him:

Hi Patrick,

I just wanted you to know that after three weeks since you sent it, still the package has not yet arrived. If this hold true by Thursday, March 24th I will let you know; that may be a good time to initiate a trace.

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Thursday Mar 24, 2005

Per my earlier email, I notify Patrick about the missing package:

Hello Patrick.

I still have not yet received this item, and it is now four weeks since you sent it.

Please initiate a trace.

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Friday Mar 25, 2005

Patrick replies:

Hello Lih-Tah,

I ordered a tracking by the german post yesterday and as they said, there are results within the beginning or middle of the week. No earlier because of the easter days. I`m sorry about that and I request to wait until thursday if this is allright for you!?

Anyway, have a nice easter weekend,

Patrick

My reply 5 minutes later:

Hi Patrick.

Thank you, that will be fine and I hope you have a nice Easter weekend too.

I am still hoping that it is just slow delivery and that I might get these pens next week. I will let you know if this happens.

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Tuesday Apr 5, 2005

After the Easter weekend, I notify Patrick:

Hi Patrick.

As of today, there is no package. By this Thursday, this would make it 6 weeks after your Feb 24th shipment.

It is very strange for delivery to take so long, don't you think? Did you get any results from asking your post office to conduct a trace of this package?

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Monday Apr 11, 2005

At this point it is too late for me to file a claim within the 45-day window that PayPal gives me.  Remember that I sent payment on Feb 23, 2005.

No reply from Patrick, so I emailed him:

Another update Patrick.

I have received nothing.

What worries me even more is your silence. Please respond.

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

Wednesday Apr 13, 2005

I finally hear from Patrick:

Hello Lih-Tah,

at first, sorry for my long time silence! I have had a car accident at the easter weekend and had to spend some days in hospital, that`s why the delay in responsing! 

I still have nothing heard from our postal office until today! I don`t understand why and I`m starting to be concerned now too. I will try to locate the parcel again today and I think I must have anything from them before the weekend. If there`s still nothing until sunday, I think I have to claim it as lost and refund you. What do you think??

Best, Patrick

Within 4 hours, I reply back:

Hello Patrick.

Thank you for your reply. While I am happy to hear from you, I am sorry to learn of your car accident. I hope your recovery continues quickly and fully.

Since you have the parcel registered number, they can trace it. I do realize that any governmental bureacracy may be quite slow but I am surprised that they have not given you any news almost 2 weeks since your Mar 24th request to investigate the matter.

Now that I heard from you, let us wait a bit longer. I really hope to get those pens from you and complete this transaction.

Let me know when you hear from the German postal authorities. Should the package arrive here, I will quickly email you the good news.

Regards, 
Lih-Tah

It turns out that Patrick's email today  was to be the very my I would ever receive from him.

Next chapter  - the long silence

 
 

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