Post disruption at Bryanston shopping centre

RESIDENTS have expressed frustration with the Post Office’s temporary arrangement at the Bryanston shopping centre with the post boxes having been removed during the centre’s renovations.

During the renovations, post is being kept in a vacant store, laid out in rows on the floor and arranged by box numbers. Although one anonymous resident described the situation as a free-for-all, when The Chronicle visited the store two Post Office employees were on hand to assist residents with finding their post. However, post can only be collected during the store’s opening hours and another resident has claimed that those times are not strictly upheld.

Derick Perkins, Bryanston shopping centre spokesperson, said, “When we started the renovation of Bryanston shopping centre, we had plans to ensure that all the centre customers including those of the Post Office would not be in any way affected negatively. As with any big project, although we ensure in our planning that all changes would go well, unforeseen circumstances do occur and derail those perfect plans. Next month the Post Office boxes will be back up again. We appeal to the customers to cooperate with us during this period.”

Another resident, who requested not to be named, alleged that a bank card from overseas never arrived and money started to disappear from their account. They put the blame on the Post Office and attributed it to the situation at the centre, which they described as ‘a complete mess.’

Johan Kruger, from the South African Post Office communications division, told The Chronicle, “The Post Office has not received complaints about items that went astray as a result of this temporary arrangement.” He added, “The brand new postbox lobby, which is being built as part of the renovations of the Bryanston shopping centre, will be completed by mid-July. Customers will then be able to collect their mail items 24/7.”

Another resident, who requested not to be named, alleged that a bank card from overseas never arrived and money started to disappear from their account.

He said currently the service at Shop 32 is available from Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 4pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 12pm. The premises is closed on Sundays. He did not give an answer to an allegation made by a resident that she had arrived on Saturday at 11.45am and found the shop closed but he did add a note of apology for any inconvenience caused by the arrangement.

Details: South African Post Office call centre 0860-111-502.