One of our Readers informed us about problems with the postal operator PAF. In mid-February, Maciej Mazur used the services of a PAF outlet in Bolesławiec. The resident of Bolesławiec sent a parcel worth PLN 128 from the outlet. To this day, he has not received the money, although he knows that the parcel reached the recipient and that the recipient paid for it. “I sent the parcel cash on delivery and was supposed to receive the money in my account,” Maciej Mazur says. “DPD [firma kurierska – przyp. red.] was supposed to transfer the money to me, but it turned out that DPD sent the amount to PAF’s account. The recipient collected the parcel, but I did not receive the money,” Maciej Mazur explains. The resident of Bolesławiec intends to pursue his rights in court.
As we managed to establish, PAF sent parcels through courier companies. In addition to sending parcels, customers paid gas, electricity and telephone bills through the operator. According to our information, as many as several dozen people may have been affected in Bolesławiec alone. No one knows whether those affected will recover their money. The Bolesławiec branch of PAF, like the operator’s other outlets across the country, is closed. A note with telephone numbers for the company’s headquarters is displayed on the entrance door. Unfortunately, the company’s telephones remain unanswered.
PAF had been operating on the market for several years. It received awards and a certificate. It enjoyed the trust of its customers. The person who managed the PAF branch in Bolesławiec cannot believe what happened. That person was also deceived and suffered losses. PAF has failed to pay this person’s salary for January and February. The person running the Bolesławiec PAF branch reported the matter to the prosecutor’s office.
PAF’s problems began in January. At first, there were delays of several days in processing transfers. In mid-February, the company began closing its outlets. The media reported that PAF had lost financial liquidity. This was allegedly caused by ZUS blocking its accounts. The company’s current president, Jan Ptaszyński, claims that the company operated unreliably before he became its president. A report on tvn24.pl also says that the current management cannot account for more than PLN 1.5 million. According to the station’s estimates, as many as several tens of thousands of people across Poland may have been affected.
Problems with intermediary companies such as PAF or the now-defunct Grosik may result from a legal loophole caused by the lack of appropriate legislation. A law regulating the operation of such companies and requiring insurance guaranteeing their solvency is only now being drafted.
(information ii)