14/01/05.
F.A.O. Paul Hemley RLM.
Dear Paul
Further to our telephone conversation regarding the £1000.00 in my
suspense account. Todate no one has contacted me with regards to an
investigation over this amount of money/transaction.
As we disgusted the strange way in which the Alliance and Leicester
error that was put into the suspense account with great difficulty and
once we had completed that it is my belief that electronically the error
has duplicated its self.
We are experiencing peculiarities with transactions,
I.e.: customer tries to withdraw £145.00 from POCA.
Horizon says, “Transaction declined” repeatedly.
Customer goes to Lloyds TSB to get clarification only to be shown on
his bank statement that £145.00 had been with drawn at Ibstock Post
Office at 09:10 hrs that day.
Customer returns and all hell breaks’ loose with allegations of theft from
the customer. After hours of trying to sort it out POCA informs us can
take up to 6 days before the money is put back in the customers account.
But next time this happens you must not get involved just refer the
customer to his bank.
Other colleagues are experiencing similar problems, like John Peberdy,
i.e. customer wishes to withdraw £200.00 from Alliance and Leicester,
yet horizon states £400.00 deposit. The list goes on and on?
Whist I am seeking further clarification from the department concerned
would you be kind enough to forward this letter too them. May I also
point out that it is not my intention to withhold monies that belong to
Post Office Ltd but in this instance I seek further clarification on this
issue, as I believe that we have a case of electronic ghosting (a
mirroring of the transaction that caused the problem in the first place).
If I had error after error and a poor weekly balancing record I would put
up and shut up, however I don’t. So could I implore the powers that be
to take another look at this case please. If after further adjudication it is
felt that the £1000.00 is made good I will honour my obligations without
further a due.
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Yours sincerely
Mr EM Rudkin
Sub-Postmaster,