FlyingForFun
30th Apr 2004, 16:55
Fellow Private Flyers,
I'm not really sure which forum this question belongs in, but I thought I'd start off here, since you lot are all my friends ;) and at least some of you are likely to be non-commercial customers of Jeppesen and so might have some advice for me.
Here's the story. When I completed my IMC rating last year, I bought a Jeppesen guide containing approach plates for all the UK and Ireland airports. Included in the price was a year's updates, mailed out each month. And each month, regular as clockwork, I received an update in the post and religiously kept my guide up to date (or at least updated it before I used it if a backlog of updates had built up while I wasn't using it).
And that's the way it stayed, until February, when I didn't receive an update. In fact, I didn't even realise this until I received the March update and realised that there was a gap. Ok, no big deal - things occassionally go missing in the post.
I found a customer service phone number on the Jeppesen website, and called them. I was put through to a call centre in Germany, but that was fine because the gentleman I spoke to seemed to speak perfect English, and he promised me that the missing update would be put in the post.
I waited a couple of weeks, and nothing happened. So I called them back again. This time, though, I couldn't find the number I'd called the first time (not sure if they updated their website, or if I just can't remember what links I pressed to get the number!), but instead I found the number of one of their UK offices. I spoke to a very helpful lady who told me she'd get the missing update mailed out immediately.
So, once again, I waited a copule of weeks... and once again nothing happened. This time, I called back the same UK office, and spoke to the same lady I spoke to the previous time. She checked on the computer, and confirmed that the update had indeed been mailed from Germany. All their updates are mailed from Germany, she told me (strange, because they often arrive with Swedish postmarks, but never mind!) I asked if there was any way of using a tracking service, bearing in mind that this particular update had now "gone missing" three times, but she told me this was not possible. The one which was mailed out should be with me shortly, she told me, but she'd order another one for me just in case.
Eight days later, to my surprise, I had a large envelope from Jeppesen arrive (with a Swedish postmark...), and the label on the front was different from usual, so I suspected I may finally have my February update. (By now, the regular April update had arrived.) I ripped the envelope open like an excited child, and inside was an update. The Packaging Slip confirmed that it was indeed the update from last February. But when I looked closely at the updated pages, I noticed that they were all dated April 2004. I compared this to my April update, and found that they were identical, despite what the Packaging Slip said.
So I now have two April updates, and no February updates. I phoned the office back, and the lady I have been dealing with was away. I was instead given a German number to call, and I spoke with a German gentleman who told me that he would put a February update in the post........
Now, just to complicate the issue, I have received an invoice from Jeppesen. They want me to pay them for the next 12 months' updates. I am rather reluctant to do this right now, since I can't use them (my guide isn't up to date to start with, and won't be no matter how many later updates I put in it until I get the February update). But on the other hand, I don't want to delay paying the invoice and risk missing another update... and having to go through this trouble once again!
So what would you do? Has anyone else ever had this kind of problem with Jeppesen, and if so, how did you fix it?
Thanks!
A very frustrated FFF
--------------------------
PS - Since I'm keeping busy doing my Flying Instructor course at the moment I haven't had a chance to do any instrument flying, so I haven't had to use the guide since it went out of date. Yet.
I'm not really sure which forum this question belongs in, but I thought I'd start off here, since you lot are all my friends ;) and at least some of you are likely to be non-commercial customers of Jeppesen and so might have some advice for me.
Here's the story. When I completed my IMC rating last year, I bought a Jeppesen guide containing approach plates for all the UK and Ireland airports. Included in the price was a year's updates, mailed out each month. And each month, regular as clockwork, I received an update in the post and religiously kept my guide up to date (or at least updated it before I used it if a backlog of updates had built up while I wasn't using it).
And that's the way it stayed, until February, when I didn't receive an update. In fact, I didn't even realise this until I received the March update and realised that there was a gap. Ok, no big deal - things occassionally go missing in the post.
I found a customer service phone number on the Jeppesen website, and called them. I was put through to a call centre in Germany, but that was fine because the gentleman I spoke to seemed to speak perfect English, and he promised me that the missing update would be put in the post.
I waited a couple of weeks, and nothing happened. So I called them back again. This time, though, I couldn't find the number I'd called the first time (not sure if they updated their website, or if I just can't remember what links I pressed to get the number!), but instead I found the number of one of their UK offices. I spoke to a very helpful lady who told me she'd get the missing update mailed out immediately.
So, once again, I waited a copule of weeks... and once again nothing happened. This time, I called back the same UK office, and spoke to the same lady I spoke to the previous time. She checked on the computer, and confirmed that the update had indeed been mailed from Germany. All their updates are mailed from Germany, she told me (strange, because they often arrive with Swedish postmarks, but never mind!) I asked if there was any way of using a tracking service, bearing in mind that this particular update had now "gone missing" three times, but she told me this was not possible. The one which was mailed out should be with me shortly, she told me, but she'd order another one for me just in case.
Eight days later, to my surprise, I had a large envelope from Jeppesen arrive (with a Swedish postmark...), and the label on the front was different from usual, so I suspected I may finally have my February update. (By now, the regular April update had arrived.) I ripped the envelope open like an excited child, and inside was an update. The Packaging Slip confirmed that it was indeed the update from last February. But when I looked closely at the updated pages, I noticed that they were all dated April 2004. I compared this to my April update, and found that they were identical, despite what the Packaging Slip said.
So I now have two April updates, and no February updates. I phoned the office back, and the lady I have been dealing with was away. I was instead given a German number to call, and I spoke with a German gentleman who told me that he would put a February update in the post........
Now, just to complicate the issue, I have received an invoice from Jeppesen. They want me to pay them for the next 12 months' updates. I am rather reluctant to do this right now, since I can't use them (my guide isn't up to date to start with, and won't be no matter how many later updates I put in it until I get the February update). But on the other hand, I don't want to delay paying the invoice and risk missing another update... and having to go through this trouble once again!
So what would you do? Has anyone else ever had this kind of problem with Jeppesen, and if so, how did you fix it?
Thanks!
A very frustrated FFF
--------------------------
PS - Since I'm keeping busy doing my Flying Instructor course at the moment I haven't had a chance to do any instrument flying, so I haven't had to use the guide since it went out of date. Yet.