Why can’t FedEx deliver a simple apology to me?

M.W. writes: I am being repeatedly harassed by delivery firm FedEx, its debt collectors Controlaccount, and its lawyers Ward Hadaway, to pay money I do not owe. The latest contact is a letter from the lawyers requesting £179, but with no contact name, no signature and no address to which to respond. I have been bombarded with invoices and threats, but the £179 was paid months ago.

WITH no hesitation, you gave me proof that FedEx had been paid £179 as long ago as last February. Yet the demands and threats continued, with Controlaccount telling you: ‘Act now – this won’t go away.’ And Ward Hadaway weighed in with a threat of court action, saying: ‘Our client would be entitled to charge interest at the rate of 8 per cent from the date the invoice fell due. You would also be liable for costs and fees.’

You told both the lawyers and the debt collectors that the bill from FedEx – which you did not dispute – really had been paid. But you told me: ‘Nothing makes a difference. The invoices and threats of legal action just keep coming.’ It seems neither of them asked FedEx to check what you were saying. It was easier to browbeat you for six months in the hope you would pay up again.

Two days after I contacted Controlaccount, it told me: ‘As a result of a further investigation undertaken by our client FedEx, Mr W’s payment has been found and reconciled to his account. We sincerely apologise to Mr W for any inconvenience or distress caused. FedEx has now withdrawn its instructions and the account has been closed.’ The debt collectors also sent you a letter of apology.

The solicitors Ward Hadaway were just as quick to respond, but on behalf of FedEx rather than themselves. They told me that FedEx now admitted you had paid the £179 in February, and added that FedEx would contact you to apologise and to remove your personal information from its database.

And sure enough, FedEx confirmed this to me. It explained: ‘Outstanding customer service is a top priority for FedEx, and we recognise we have fallen short on this occasion.’

Well, not just this occasion. That statement from FedEx was on July 22, more than three weeks ago. I held back from publishing this earlier because I wanted to see whether FedEx would offer anything to compensate you for six months of mental torture and threats that came close to demanding money with menaces. And FedEx has failed on all fronts. No apology to you. No offer. In fact, no contact at all.

What can you say about a courier company that can’t deliver a simple apology to someone it falsely accuses of being a bad debtor? A few days ago, FedEx told me: ‘The FedEx customer team is now arranging contact with Mr W to apologise directly’ – which is pretty much what they said last month. FedEx has taken a bad situation and made it worse.