Coming to Hong Kong after living in London for so many years, one of the positive differences is the much lower level of crime and the general feeling that it is a safe place to live.

It was therefore a rather rude shock to find that someone had stolen a package of DVDs that I had ordered from Amazon.co.uk. I discovered the empty package in the rubbish bin next to the mail boxes in my apartment block. Apparently the postman had left the parcel on the shelf about the mail boxes, and someone had figured out that it might contain something valuable. Two clues here - the Amazon logo and the customs declaration. They might as well have put a large label on it saying "steal me"...

I have had a run-in with Hongkong Post on this subject in the past. My complaint was that the postman makes only a half-hearted attempt to deliver the item, and then takes it to the Post Office for collection. Everywhere I have lived so far in Hong Kong, the Post Office is located somewhere inconvenient - the best was close to the next MTR station, but the rest have required longer bus journeys or a taxi ride. Worse, the only time I could go to the Post Office was on a Saturday morning. In the UK, ParcelForce are notorious for the same problem, but at least they are willing to re-deliver on an agreed date, a service that Hongkong Post does not offer. I'd even settle for a re-direction service to a more convenient Post Office (such as the one a few hundred yards from where I used to work).

Anyway, this time the postman hadn't taken it back to the Post Office, or knocked on my door to deliver it (there was someone in all day), or left it with the security guard. He had just left it in full view of anyone who happened to be passing. Doh!

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I reported the theft of the items to the management company, and they sent along a guy who resolutely refused to believe that the items were delivered by the Post Office. That made me rather upset.

I spoke to the Post Office and they apologized but hoped that I would understand that they couldn't pay compensation. No, of course not, why ever would I think that the Post Office could in any way be held responsible if their staff were so stupid.