Evri is under fire once more for alleged thefts of holiday gifts, with a recent incident spotlighting a delivery driver seemingly caught in the act, brazenly pilfering during daylight hours.
As Christmas approaches, a deluge of complaints has surfaced from countless customers whose presents have not arrived on time, following the dismissal of one employee involved in multiple infractions.
Just last week, a video surfaced capturing a driver purportedly seizing a package from a customer’s doorstep, swiftly concealing it beneath her coat before making her escape.
Toni Fryer, 47, vowed never to use Evri again after a parcel vanished from her residence in Timsbury, Hampshire, on the morning of December 15.
This incident adds to a wave of grievances from other shoppers leading up to Christmas, reporting stolen items ranging from kettles to heaters, amid the UK’s annual £650 million parcel theft crisis.
Recent CCTV footage shows the driver initially delivering two packages to Ms. Fryer’s porch before the alleged theft occurred.
But she then appears to exchange this for one that is already outside, running off with it beneath her navy blue jacket.
Ms Fryer, who was not at home for the deliveries, said she had contacted Evri about the missing parcel – but to no avail.
She said: ‘I asked my partner to bring the three parcels into the house, but he insisted there were only two left on the porch.
‘I pulled up the doorbell footage and couldn’t believe what I was seeing.The most annoying thing is that you can’t contact them for love nor money. Evri have taken no responsibility and their customer service is shocking.
Video captured the moment an Evri delivery driver appeared to steal a Christmas present from a customer’s doorstep – running off with the package in broad daylight
In CCTV footage filmed last week, the driver is seen dropping off two packages on the porch of Ms Fryer’s home
But she then appears to exchange this for one that is already outside, running off with it beneath her navy blue jacket
‘I just wish the situation was taken more seriously. I will never use Evri again.’
A spokesman for Evri said: ‘Our priority is to handle every parcel with care, and we take claims such as these very seriously.
‘We are investigating this as a priority and our customer service team is reaching out to the customer to offer their support.’
Hampshire Constabulary added: ‘We received a report that between 10.10am and 11.05am on Dec 15, the passenger in a delivery van stole a parcel from the doorstep of an address in The Millburns, Timsbury.’
The incident follows fresh reports today of a large number of parcels going undelivered in Salisbury.
Over the last few months, Evri packages have disappeared or been sent to the wrong addresses, the Salisbury Journal reports.
Tish Burbridge, a pensioner in the Wiltshire city, said the occurrence was ‘extraordinarily annoying’.
She claimed that in the last eight months she had ‘not received six or seven parcels’.
‘It’s extraordinarily annoying and also, you know, I’m now on a pension and money is tight, and I can’t afford to lose money like that. It’s just, it’s just not practicable. So, it has certainly made me rethink who I buy from in terms of who they use as couriers,’ Ms Burbridge added.
Laura Clark, another Salisbury resident, who runs two Facebook groups for people who have lost parcels, said parcels thefts in the city were ‘happening a lot’.
In response, Evri insisted it is ‘committed to making every delivery experience a good one’.
The company added: ‘A third-party contractor was supporting with deliveries in the area, but they didn’t meet our standards, and so they will no longer be delivering on behalf of Evri.
‘A new local courier is in place, and the team are monitoring deliveries in the area.’
