Post firm blames couple as €417,000 draft lost

The British postal company at the centre of a row over a couple's €417,000 bank draft which was lost in the post has blamed the couple for their loss.

A spokesman for Parcelforce, a subsidiary of Royal Mail, said it regretted the loss but added Laurence and Annette Power should have mailed the AIB draft - which they sent from Britain to Dublin in February - with a "specialist money transportation company".

He said Parcelforce's insurance only guaranteed the safety of items to a value of between £250 and £2,500 and that had the post-office employee known the value of the item Mr and Mrs Power were sending, they would have been advised not to send by Parcelforce.

The Powers sold their home in Donnybrook, Dublin, to move nearer family in Ipswich, England.

Mr Power was unable to lodge the draft for the sale proceeds in Britain as it was made out to him and his mother and his mother had no account in Britain. He was advised by his Dublin solicitor to send the draft to him and he would then send the money electronically back to England. Mr Power said the staff member at the post office in Ipswich recommended Parcelforce to him and he sent it on February 10th.

The Parcelforce spokesman said this alleged recommendation was never raised in any correspondence between the company and the Powers. Mr Power said he "raised it every day on the phone with them all through February".

The missing draft had been tracked down to its time of collection at Dublin Airport but has not been seen since. Although AIB has put a stop on the draft, it says it will not reimburse its value to the Powers for six years - when the lost draft is due to expire.

The bank has bought the house the Powers had been planning to buy in Ipswich and the Powers are living there. However, AIB has retained the deeds. It is also refusing to issue the balance from the sale of the house in Dublin - £105,00 - for six years.

Parcelforce offered the Powers £250 against expenses incurred in pursuit of the draft. This has been rejected as "a pittance". A spokeswoman for AIB said the bank could "not discuss this case".