DID IT HAPPEN?: Leaving behind RM9,000 in a pink paper bag. – Filepic

DALJIT of Petaling Jaya is upset with the alleged lack of security at the Nissan Service Centre in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur.

On Jan 19, DALJIT sent his Nissan Urvan van for regular service at the centre at noon. When he later picked up his vehicle at 4.30pm, he accidentally left his bag at the reception desk.

"My bag contained RM9,000 cash and several important documents. When I finally remembered leaving my bag, I called the receptionist and informed her that I accidentally left it there. The receptionist, who identified herself as Viji, told me not to worry as she will be keeping the bag and I'll be able to collect it the next day," he claims.

"To my horror, when I went back there on Jan 20, my bag was found dumped in the garbage. I was told that Viji was late for work that day and someone else must have come early to the office, took away the money and then thrown the bag and documents into the garbage dump. It was so unbelievable."

DALJIT then tried to complain to the branch manager.

"At the time, the manager was not in and I was told the  company was not liable for any damage or loss of belongings. I had no choice but to lodge a report at the Sentul Police station," he says, adding that he wants a full explanation and also that his money be reimbursed by the company.

● A spokes person for the customer  service manager at the Nissan Service Department, clarifies:

"On Jan 19, DALJIT came to pick up his Nissan Urvan at the Jalan Ipoh service centre at approximately 4.30pm and left thereafter.

"Before the closure of the centre, Viji, one of our staff members, found a pink-coloured paper  bag on the chair and thought it was rubbish left behind by a customer, so she decided to put it aside on the lower shelf of the steering lock display rack in the reception lounge for the cleaner to clear out the next  morning.

"On the same day, at 8pm, DALJIT came to our service centre and wanted to check whether he had left his bag at the reception lounge area.

"The guard on duty allowed him in and he noticed his pink coloured paper bag on the lower shelf of the steering lock display rack in the reception lounge.

"On the same night, DALJIT called Viji on her mobile and mentioned he had left his pink-coloured paper bag in our premises and suggested to her that he would pick it up first thing the next morning.

"Our cleaning service provider start their duty at 7.30am. The cleaner saw the bag and assumed it was rubbish and put it into the common garbage bag with other waste, such as paper cups containing leftover coffee and tea.

"These are the common wastes in the reception and waiting area. As a norm, the cleaner would take the garbage and dispose them into the main garbage bin located in the service centre compound."

According to the spokesperson, DALJIT returned to the Jalan Ipoh service centre at 9am on Jan 20 and spoke to Viji, asking for his bag but was later informed by her that the bag is gone.

"After checking with the cleaner, the cleaner informed that she saw the bag and thought it was garbage left behind by a customer and had disposed of it in the main bin. It is a very common circumstance where, at times, our customers would leave bags of rubbish behind.

"DALJIT's pinkcoloured paper bag was retrieved from the main garbage bin, but unfortunately it was soaked with leftover coffee and tea and a few loose notes and some documents were found," she says.

"It must be pointed out that DALJIT left the bag in the reception area at 4.30pm on Jan 19, which was a peak period in the service workshop where many customers come in to pick up their vehicles. But even assuming that his claim of RM9,000 cash in the bag is genuine, another customer could have taken it away.

"DALJIT had reported to our service manager, citing different amounts of cash that was missing, starting with RM3,000, and then RM5,000 and now claiming it was RM9,000. Considering that RM9,000 is a hefty sum, he could have come over or contacted us immediately.

"There is really no way we could authenticate his claim that the bag contained any cash.

"In conclusion, we strongly feel that we are not responsible for his negligence as the bag was placed in a public waiting area without our knowledge.

"We have since contacted DALJIT but he has yet to revert to us on the question raised as to exactly what was  the amount of cash he claimed to have lost and in what denominations."