Delivery chaos as drivers ‘steal’ parcels
SCORES of families face Christmas disappointment because of delivery chaos.
Shoppers claim their parcels either failed to show up or arrived late or damaged.
Many accused couriers of stealing their parcels and claiming they had been safely delivered. Furious customers have now threatened to report delivery firms to the police.
Many of the accusations were against delivery giant Hermes, which is already under pressure amid claims its self-employed drivers, who use their own cars, are poorly paid and bullied by management.
Social networking sites were flooded with reports of missing parcels. Circuit racing driver Kieran Gallagher, 26, from Glasgow, says £300 worth of clothes is missing after a Hermes driver allegedly forged a signature to say the parcel had been delivered.
He said: ‘We asked them to send us a copy of the signature we took but they haven’t. We called the retailer and they blamed the couriers, so we have no idea what to do now.’
Laura Jackson, 42, of Sandhurst, Berkshire, also accused Hermes of writing a fake signature and stealing a box of presents for her three children – and said the CCTV above their garage shows they never delivered it.
And Matt Lindsay wrote on Twitter: ‘[Hermes] claimed to have posted a child’s scooter through our letter box this evening whilst we were in. Well I can’t see it.’
Others complained about damaged parcels. One shopper said a fragile package marked as glass was thrown over a high fence, while software consultant Richard Watts tweeted: ‘Your delivery driver delivered an open, empty envelope, told my housemate to tape it up and was rude to him. Worst service ever.’
Rebecca Kemmer, of Edinburgh, posted a photo of a John Lewis box with a large hole in it. John Lewis, which uses Hermes, told the Mail that ‘very occasionally mistakes can be made’. It added: ‘This is more noticeable at Christmas when the volume of orders we handle is more than triple normal levels.’
Rival delivery firm Yodel also came under fire. Kerry Elgie, from Nottingham, posted pictures online of a broken vase delivered by Yodel, which appeared to been have thrown over her gate. Another shopper, Hollie Bennett also accused Yodel of throwing a gift over a gate and leaving it on her wet grass.
A Hermes spokesman said it took allegations of theft very seriously and would investigate, adding: ‘During this extremely busy time we do see an uplift in queries, in line with the increased number of parcels’. Yodel apologised to Miss Elgie and Miss Bennett and said both cases had been investigated.
A recent report by Labour MP Frank Field found some Hermes workers earn just £6.80 an hour after their costs are factored in – 40p below minimum wage.