Mail Call | Package Supposed to be FREE

06.18.2019 – Generally when you purchase a product anywhere in the world there would be some sort of warranty. Despite that, the only way to get the customer service you need is half a world away, and that is not available in the country where you actually bought the product that was supposed to cover the service. But not in the Philippines as I’ve been in the same experience that what supposed to be “Free of Charge” you still have to shell out money for that warranty service that was already paid for when it matters to the Philippine Postal Service. How can a convenience of service that was supposed to be “Free of Charge” become something more than a stressful burden than sis should be given already?

Well, this morning I just to happen to receive a Postal Claim card on the mailbox that says I have a package from someone and at first I thought it was from a friend who lives in Quezon that mentioned he had a souvenir with my name it.

Then I have to ruled out that it must be a friend from New South Wales in Australia that he once mentioned of thinking he would send something for me by postal, which I highly advised not to because I have a bad brush of experience when it comes to the Philippine Postal Office or terrible the Bureau of Customs.

Because more than a decade ago a friend sent me box of stuff he already paid for and even the postal that he shouldered, which ended up in the Bureau of Customs, where I PAID AGAIN for the exact amount of the contents of the package that was sent to me that was supposed to be FREE OF CHARGE, but at that time I was ignorant how corruption has been part of the Philippines since the colonization of Spain.





It’s NOT FREE in the Philippines

The word “FREE” is a dangerous thing to hear and if you mention it or use to market something it is not what it meant in the Philippines. Case in point McDonald’s Philippines as an example where they try to promote that they have a “Free Large Fries,” but under that poster says “For Every Purchase worth XXX” is already a borderline obvious scam.

When they can re-word it properly without using “FREE” to fool people from believing that it was when in McDonald’s Australia the word “FREE” is harmless and IT IS GIVEN WITH NO STRING ATTACHED.

The same goes with customer warranty with a broken product as recently I have purchased a Mega Construx TMNT set that was on clearance at a local Toys R’ US in Manila, where the figure that came with it had a broken piece. Of course, I have to go online to Mega Bloks website and proceed to Customer Service to report that one of their products has a quality issue, which they address that concern with replacing that broken piece for FREE with NO CHARGE.

I wasn’t expecting that Mega Bloks would go through the process and send the replacement figure by mail, which I also have the same experience with LEGO some two years ago that I also paid for that tiny plastic piece that supposed to go straight to the house mailbox and not to be hostage by the Makati City Post Office.

When I was in Australia I have a similar experience having one of the LEGO sets I got as a gift had a missing wheel and to report that quality issue the toy manufacturer sent me a replacement piece WITH NO CHARGE and Australia Post did not even hold against me to pay for extra due as it went straight to Greenock Drive for FREE.

But the concern is not with Mega Bloks about sending the replacement and I was not expecting they would have a top-notch quality service when it comes to replacement the concern here is the Philippine Central Post Office finding loopholes to what supposed to be a convenience that you still have to pay them a certain amount of fee that is obviously blatant corruption already.







It’s Always Stressful in the Philippines

The truth is it is not fun in the Philippines it is stressful every minute of everyday living in this country. The claiming of the package alone is an inconvenience filled with drama for most people who pick up their package at the post office.

It is inhumanly not convenient and they absolutely don’t trust anyone when they are already talking to the actual person picking up the mail for the reason this part of the government is slowly becoming extinct and still trying to squeeze money from people who just want to get their package from relatives or love ones.

To pick-up the little known package I got the claim card and had to present it with a government identification such as driver’s license, postal identification, or company identification. Plus, you have to give them a photocopy of the identification card you already presented in front of them and still being asked if you’re the person claiming to be and that is an absurd and downright reason that these people are just dead inside to even show courtesy to their customers.

If this is Australia Post you just get the package at the door or if it is an important document an identification card of any kind you show it in front of them you just sign the log book and that’s it! No drama and stress to find the nearest photocopy machine for you to give them a copy of your ID.

I have to go through a run around trying to find the nearest place that had a copy machine and it is indeed stressful as the couple beside me at the post office looks distressed that all their identification cards presented in front of the staff was declined and it was unsightly perspective in their facial expression not even getting an apology from that employee.





No Customer Service Applicable

Despite the government change, the Bureau of Customs will ALWAYS be CORRUPT no matter shape or form. They will squeeze out money on anyone and as obvious of the receipt I paid for it does not say about the breakdown what the PhP 112.00 Philippine Pesos ($2.15 USD | $3.14 AUD | $2.88 CAD**) it only show “Others” as no explanation and anyone in the Post Office won’t even give you that reason.

After I’ve paid for the package and got the receipt there’s not even a polite courtesy as these people are just plain stiff to even care as long as they got your money and paid for something THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FREE OF CHARGE in the first place as this is really distasteful to experience and that for the reason why I tell my foreign friends not to send me gifts through the post office because I’ll be paying for it like I bought it TWICE.

This is the reason the Philippines are all about greed and making money out of things that supposed to be FREE OF CHARGE. The take away is the stress people go through not only personally for me, but to a lot of good people and it’s a terrible sight that government offices like the Bureau of Customs is still corrupt to the bone.

The other reason goods and services are expensive because the stuff you buy at retail stores goes through the Bureau of Customs. The comicbooks or books you buy at bookstores are expensive because BOC is squeezing money out of these companies that they shouldn’t and for reasons I don’t trust anything that has to do with local postal service in this country.

The replacement parts are free coming from Montreal Canada, but once it crosses the Southeast Asian region and straight down to the Philippines it is not free anymore because BOC will snoop at it and hold it for hostage for you to pay the fee that should have been free and at the end of this day they would do this again to other people 24/7 without remorse or even empathy.

#CorruptCUNTtry #CorruptCulture

** - Currency Converter from Google.com