Mark wroteI understand that in order to get the extension one had to go to the immigration department with the ticket and airline letter in hand to get a chop in the passport conferring a fourteen day 'force majeure' extension. Have seen a couple of passports with this chop. I suppose the rule is 'no chop, no extension'. Poor execution and communication by the immigration department.
According what I read what you say Mark is totally true, it was not enough the word of an official saying they will get an extra 14 days, that was only words, but the truth is the people had to go to get the stamp to the immigration office.
I am not surprise at all about what happen to this person, this is one of the worst things about to live in Indonesia, you can never trust 100% people, which sometimes can be very stressful and have serious consecuences.
This person got the wrong information or at least not the whole and right information from the man he met at the airport, and probably if he ever met him again and let him know what happen he will smile, like nothing happen.