Dear Sir, On October 26 and 27 of this year my wife, two other couples and myself visited your beautiful Bermuda during our cruise.

We all purchased beautiful items from your wonderful stores.

On October 26, 1998 I purchased from "Frith's Liquors'' five beautiful German beer steins, they were packed and delivered then to what I thought was "Federal Express'', however it was a "Mailboxes Unlimited'', somehow licensed by Federal Express.

I paid $248.40 to pack, insure and send those steins to my home in Long Island, New York. When they arrived, they were broken. I immediately notified Federal Express of the situation. They advised me to call Mailboxes Unlimited as they were responsible for the damage. After many, many calls and a letter to Mr. Dennis Huong and speaking to Mr. Steve Thompson I finally received a cheque for $877.80, the cost of the steins. The cost of shipping $248.40: Although I was assured by Federal Express (Vanessa Harris, Carolyn Hodge, Diane Taylor, Chris Wilson) that Federal Express would send the money to Mailboxes Unlimited, and they would return my shipping costs.

While speaking to Mr. Steve Thompson, President of Mailboxes Unlimited, he assured me it probably wouldn't happen and if it did, I probably wouldn't hear from them until April, 1999.

I feel if Federal Express licenses a company to use their services, they can "delegate authority but they can't delegate responsibility''; they delivered broken goods. What I would like you to do is please print this letter in your newspaper and let tourists, to your beautiful Bermuda, know of my experience with Federal Express and my profound disappointment trying to reach Mr. Ted Weiss, President of Federal Express to no avail, or help from his subordinates.

I advise Americans and other nationalities not to experience what I endured as a tourist and retired New York City Police officer.

WAYNE VAHLDIECK Massapequa Park, New York