Any suggestion on what I should say?

[Serenity]

Hi

I have been posting about my case officer disappearing. What happened was I sent off the medicals and just waited then more than 9 weeks of not hearing anything I tried to contact my CO to see what was going on. I got an auto reply from her email address saying she was away until Sept 2008! I paniced then thinking I had no CO and my application was gathering dust somewhere. I connacted the LCU to see what was happening to my medicals and the I contacted the Business centre my application was lodged at and asked about my CO.
I got responses this time telling me the medicals were finalised and that I had a new CO. They gave me her name but no contact info. I guessed what her email address was and emailed her. That was over a week ago and I got no reply. So after suggestion from Gollywobber I rang the Australian High Commission in London. They told me I recieved an email on 8th Nov from my old CO telling me she was going on maternity leave and it gave me the contact details for my new CO. I hadn't recieved that email at all and I had been checking my spam folders and trash folder. After he finished doubting me he said he would forward me the email. When I got the email it contained the email address of my CO and it was exactly as I had guessed it was. So I emailed her again yesterday and still have no response.
What should I do now? I was thinking of trying to ring the business centre tonight. I don't want to leave it too long or they'll all go on holiday and I won't heard for ages. I don't know what to say to them though I feel that I should have heard something by now and I just want to make sure that my application isn't ignored because of the change of CO. Maybe I am just being impatient and should leave well enough alone but I thought the CO should at least acknowledge my emails I am not demanding an answer just want to make sure the medicals got through to her and she is in fact responsible for my application. If any one has any suggestions about what I should say to them I would really apprecaite it.

Good luck to everyone waiting. I hope a lot of people here get the good news before Christmas.

[Life on easy street]

be patient do not worry you have now got a new case officer

99.99% emails usually arrive at there destination but 0.01% get lost on route
It is no ones fault it is just the way it is.

I know in a perfect world that a replacement employee can be found the day some one leaves on maternity leave but the world is not perfect.

If some one goes on maternity leave it can take some time to get a replacement
And a while for that person to get up to speed.

My recommendation to you is be patient.
Wait another 14 days
Then any emails you send cc to the Australian High Commission in London.
So if there are any problems there is an email record at more than one location.

[maxxangel]

I would say that you should give them a few days to reply to the last email, particularly with the time differences and the fact that your CO probably has other emails to deal with. If you still get no reply, then maybe ask if they could reply to confirm they have received the email as you have had emails go astray.

Hope this helps. You have been incredibly patient with them so far as this must all be very stressful for you.
Cara

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Serenity

You have the perfect excuse to ring them. You can tell them that their e-mail of 8th November failed to reach you and that you had to get London to forward a copy of it yesterday. It is essential for you to sppeak with your new CO to llet her know that, albeit belatedly, you now have the e-mail

Did they not supply a direct dial phone number for her? If not, ask for it when you have them on the phone.

Cheers

Gill

[Serenity]

Hi Gollywobbler (you are a life saver if you weren't keeping me sane I think my family would murder me!)
No they never gave me a number for her only the email address. I'll ask for it and see how I get on. I just want to be reassured that I am not falling down between the cracks as seems to happen from time to time.
Sorry for whining so much, I know I am not the only one going through this, I feel for everyone else too!

Thanks a million

[Serenity]

Hi Gollywobbler and anyone else who may be interested!

The Australian High Commission got back to me and told me the following:
1) Your medical results have been safely received and uploaded onto the case processing system. This happened on 14/11/2007.
2) A final decision has not been made about your application and processessing remains outstanding.
3) Owing to the high volume of correspondence received by individual case officers are not able to personally respond to all emails. The Department has your current contact details and you will be contacted as necessary in due course.

Then since I have sold our house and moved, I was afarid that anything might get mislead or lost in the post I emailed my CO and asked her to change my contact details. She confirmed she recieved the email and would change the contact details as well as check if any further information was required from me. I haven't heard anything else from her since then.

I suspect I wouldn't be hearing their final decision before Christmas (they are probably getting holidays soon). So I better be patient until the New Year and everyone gets back to work again.

Thanks for your help and I encouragment I really appreciate it.

Merry Christmas and good luck to everyone :D