retard(ed)

So when an SNCF train is late 30 minutes or longer you get a voucher that you send in for some kind of a refund. This happened to me about a month ago and today I received a letter from SNCF. But not with a refund.

Instead it was a letter informing me that they had the pleasure to have received my letter (it was a form I filled out in block letters) but treating such a request was not within their competences. The office I actually wanted to contact is "Horaire Garanti" as stated on in the fine print when I bought my ticket or on their website. Consequently they have forwarded my request to the proper office.

Then she begged to believe her that I had the assurance of her highest consideration.

It is by far the most polite letter I have ever received telling me I've made a boo boo. Scratch that, this is by far the most polite letter I have ever received.

Except I didn't make a mistake. Actually I couldn't have because it was SCNF that gave me the form along with the self addressed envelope when I got off the train. That's right a self addressed envelope. Didn't even need a stamp. All I had to do was drop it in the mailbox.

So SCNF made the mistake. What's that you say? Everyone makes mistakes. Yes but the same thing happened to me last year. Got a self addressed envelope from SNCF, mailed it in, got a letter back from SNCF saying I had the wrong address.

So really what this poor woman is saying is "Please stop sending us these requests we don't handle them but I'm going to say it in the most polite way possible because I know it's not your fault, it's our fault."

Not sure what to do next time. Do I disregard the pre-paid self addressed envelope if it does not match the address found in the fine print of my ticket/customer policy stated online and mail it into the right address saving this woman from yet another mail she had to forward and a letter informing me politely of her actions?

Better yet, maybe I should just write the following letter to her:

Dear Madam,

I had the pleasure of receiving your letter. However the party you would like to address is actually your own employer SNCF as it was SCNF that sent my request to your office. I would forward your letter to them but I would need the right address which may prove difficult since it seems as though even SNCF has difficulty getting their own address correct.

I beg you to believe me that you have the assurance of my highest consideration.

Kelly