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Not many people are aware of the existence of this special unit in Hongkong Post (HKP), but thanks to the perseverance and hard work of its unsung workers, undelivered mails are handled, with many being rescued, everyday.

Senior Postal Officer, Mr Cheung Man Tat, who oversees one of the 28 offices situated at all delivery offices in the territory and the International Mail Centre dealing with undelivered mails, said although it is not income generating, like a number of divisions of HKP, they serve the public all the same.

His office handles a daily average of about 12 000 undelivered mails. During the peak season in Christmas and New Year time, as many as 20 000 undelivered mails were handled everyday. His office mainly covers Central, the Peak, Mid-levels, Sheung Wan, westward to Connaught Road West, as well as eastward to Wanchai Sports Ground and Harbour Road.

"Our guiding principle is to try to trace as many as possible the correct addresses of the undelivered mails. Each day our office rescues around 1 000 undelivered mails, which are resent to the addressees the next day," Mr Cheung said.

"I feel happy when many of the seemingly undeliverable mails can reach the ultimate recipients.

"When tracing addresses, we would consult all possible local reference materials, such as the government and private telephone directories, street guides, names of buildings, and lists of Consular Offices and Commissioners.

"New companies and residential developments spring up so rapidly that many directories can never be updated in time. We even have to keep track of property and other advertisements in the newspapers to facilitate our work," he added.

When the correct addresses have been traced, a label carrying the correct address would be placed on the mail.

Where addresses cannot be traced, staff of the 28 offices will give a verdict of reasons for non-delivery - refused; unclaimed; no such address; address incomplete; moved, address unknown etc.

Undeliverable mails will be forwarded to concerned sections of HKP for return to the sender according to the classes of the mail - local, overseas, air and surface - as sorted. Mail without senders' addresses are disposed by the department in accordance with the nature of items and respective guidelines.

However, as stipulated in the postal rules, some undelivered mails, such as the printed matter, which enjoy a lower postage, are not returned to the senders under normal circumstances.

Why are there so many undelivered mails? Mr Cheung pointed out that many are habitual errors. An example is "Sai Wan Ho" written as "West Bay River".

"Very often, people just write down the names of consulates, banks or organisations. In such cases, we have to check the addresses for them."

"Some merely put down the name of the building, without realising that there are actually more than one building bearing the same name. For example, seven Fortune Buildings are listed in the directories. Under this circumstance, it is difficult to rescue the mails."

"I would like to appeal to the public to provide full addresses when sending mails. Failure to do so would only cause delays or inconvenience."

Mr Cheung, who has been working in the HKP for 22 years including three years with his present office, observed that the undelivered mails are indicators of social and economic phenomena in the society.

For example, recent signs of economic recovery in Hong Kong are seen in the increasing number of undelivered promotional mails processed by us. Many of them are sent out by credit card and telecommunications companies.

Mr Cheung said their work is not without frustration. For instance, some people deliberately give wrong addresses. This is seen in letters from finance companies collecting debts, as well as prosecution letters against illegal parking, jaywalking, and litterbugs.

But days are certainly lit up by interesting mails received. "Reading letters sent by kids to Santa Claus in Hong Kong, we could tell what the hit cartoon stickers are," he laughed with one of his colleagues who has to reply all correspondence to Santa Claus every year.

"Recently I also came across a mail addressed to "San Nin Lo Yan" (Greetings to Father New Year)," he was amused.

Mr Cheung and his colleagues were excited when talking about their successful hunts for mis-posted mails or items upon request of the senders, which notably included an envelope containing about $10 000 cash.

"The owner had called to express gratitude for our speedy recovery of his belongings," he smiled contentedly.

"Times flies quickly here and it is not boring at all."

End/Thursday, January 25, 2001

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