P A Hameed Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Riyadh

Riyadh, Feb 9: Of late, Riyadh has seen rapid increase in the number of enterprises and agencies in cargo business, necessitated by a corresponding rise in the number of customers.

In fact, a few cargo entities have managed to achieve a firm footing and gained name and fame in the Saudi market because of the quality and reliability of their services. However, there are some cargo agencies and offices, which are digging their own graves because of their poor services and fallibilities, which indeed put their customers in losses and hardships.

The presence of such agencies is becoming a pain in the neck notwithstanding the fact that they often pose themselves as an excellent service provider in the business. While some cargo offices have had to close down their doors permanently, others are on the threshold of their last breath as such offices directly or indirectly involve in pilferage while transporting or delivering goods sent via their cargo offices.

They catch the attention of the people by handing out colourful pamphlets advertising their 'excellent' door-to-door cargo services throughout India at 'economical' and 'discounted' rates.

However, they are neither upright nor capable of providing a solution to cases that expose their shortcomings. It has been said that they do not pay heed to the recepients of the cargo, and also brag of quick delivery, whereas in reality it takes ages.

Daijiworld has received several such complaints from those who were at the recieving end of swindling cargo agents. People - especially Mangaloreans and Keralites - in Riyadh complained of instances of pilfering of their goods while in transit to their hometowns. There are quite a few cases wherein items sent via cargo offices in Riyadh have been filched from the package on its way to India.

Says Iqbal Uchila, "I planned to send some cosmetics and other stuff through cargo to Uchila in Udupi district which is my hometown. I saw an ad recently at a restaurant in Rowdah about Fame World Wide Cargo, which is situated at Batha, the commercial hub of Riyadh, and called the cargo office. Immediately their driver-cum-representative came home to receive my items upon the promise that they would be delivered within twenty days. Unfortunately, the package reached my home after a month, and things worth one thousand Saudi riyals were stolen from the carton.”

He adds, "When my family received the package, there was absolutely no indication that it was tampered with, and it gave the impression of being intact and unbroken. However, the things inside the packed carton were missing. When a complaint was made to the local shipping office, they said that it was not their business and directed us to complain to the cargo office in Riyadh. But when I did so, the manager in-charge of the cargo (posing himself as MD of the office) straightaway refused either to heed or take note of my grievances; instead he showed rudeness to the extent that he tore the bill, which I had given to him to check”. He expressed his disappointment with Daijiworld and lamented that it has become difficult to put faith in swindling cargo agencies that steal the hard-earned money of their customers, and appealed to people to be cautious of such agencies.

A similar experience was narrated by Varghese from Kannur and Ahmed Kabeer from Alaphuza in Kerala, who are working in a company at Malaz in Riyadh. They sent goods including mixers, electronic items and other valuables via cargo through the same agency. But the two mixers and other items were illegally withheld by the people in the agency's branch in Kozhikode, on the grounds that they had paid extra customs duty for the items and if the items are to be delivered, the expense has to be made good by the sender.

A complaint was also lodged against their branch in Kozhikode about the rip-off. Kabeer and Varghese told Daijiworld that the case is still going on, and clarified that they had paid all the charges including insurance to agency.

There are other such cases of theft in the shipment by the same cargo agency.

The expatriates, particularly south Indians, in Saudi Arabia often send their valuables through cargo agents. They expect quick delivery without any damage and loss to their dear ones in India. 
They pay all the charges to the agents upon the understanding that the items would be delivered without any snag of any kind. However, the consigned items are being lost or stolen. If the agents are not liable in this regard, who is, and who should the sufferers turn to? They rely on the fact that their agency in Saudi Arabia is out of legal jurisdiction when such incidents take place in India. Moreover, they easily wash their hands of the matter by saying that it is the receivers’ duty to ensure that the package is intact and things inside are not lost.

But they ignore the shipment rule that it is their responsibility to take the blame for any loss or damage. There are two kinds of loss or damage, namely, visible (apparent) loss or damage, and invisible (hidden) loss or damage. Visible loss is the loss which is clearly seen at the time of delivery.  In this case, the receiver of the shipment is responsible for such loss as against delivery receipt.  Concealed loss is  hidden but found during or after delivery; in such a case, the responsibility lies on the shipping agents and they must conduct inspection upon the request of the party concerned. Unfortunately, no such case has been properly addressed or solved hitherto.

It’s a fact that cargo agents simply ignore the sufferings of their customers and they become adamant when the grievances are brought to their attention. Not only that, they plainly shift their responsibility either to cargo agents in the airport or their support agents in India. Some cargo agents - like Fame World Wide Cargo - do not directly deal with their main support agents in India; instead they have sub-contractors, who ultimately ship the cargo to their agent in India.

There are around three-four supply chains connected in their business. People must be aware of such cargo agencies or offices in Saudi Arabia, that are simply sucking the blood of their customers.