'Tis the season for Christmas presents and many households in the UK use online shopping to beat the crowds and secure that perfect Christmas gift. One man almost lost a special present for his wife after a delivery driver left it on their doorstep, visible to a busy high street with no protection.
Nick Jimenezshaw and his wife were out when the parcel was delivered by Evri to their home in Connah's Quay, Deeside. Despite the 41-year-old requesting delivery after 5pm, the package was left at 11.42am on December 20 in a place that Nick called an 'invitation to thieves'.
Luckily, a mystery passer-by saw the present and moved it to a safer location, behind the couple's bin. They then posted a note through the door which read: "I saw a package left for you in front of your door and didn't want someone to steal it so I put it behind your bin!"
The letter was finished with a heart and a smiley face, unknowingly saving Christmas for Nick and his wife.
Furniture assembler, Nick, has lodged a formal complaint with Evri but also took to Facebook to express his disappointment and thanks to the anonymous helper, North Wales Live reports.
He wrote: "What upset me is that I told Evri that if no one's in, the delivery should be left in a safe place. I also told them they could leave it with a neighbour.
"But they didn't, they just dropped it on the front doorstep knowing it will be harder to get a refund as it's classed as delivered. I always believe that if the door is not opened, it's not delivered: photos mean nothing...
"I can't believe Evri can do these things, leaving a package on a main high street for anyone to take. At this time of the year it's totally unfair. It could have been a family with small budget expecting presents for their children."
An Evri spokesperson told North Wales Live that Nick will be offered a "gesture of goodwill" in response to the complaint. They added: "Our local team will speak to the courier to remind him what constitutes a safe delivery place and ensure this doesn’t happen again."
Two days later, another delivery was left on Nick's doorstep rather than his designated safe place or with a neighbour. Evri doesn't actually offer a timed delivery slot but for the companies that do, the service is not always possible at Christmas with an influx of packages.
Nick's comments were filled with people complaining about similar problems with delivery services, not just Evri. One woman said: "Most of the delivery firms do exactly the same but everyone keeps sl***ing only Evri. I always find my parcels on the doorstep, and the items were like a sofa, child's car seat, electric oven. Luckily they were still there when I got home."
Have you experienced delivery issues this Christmas? Let us know in the comments...
Evri, previously know as Hermes, was rebranded in March 2022 after the service was slammed for a series of mishaps. Citizens Advice named the courier bottom of the leader board for delivery services for the second year in a row.
Citizens Advice found that consumers experience problems at "unacceptably high rate", despite the rebrand. "Further action from the regulator is likely needed to prevent problems occurring in the first place," it added.
Christmas time adds pressure on many couriers and Evri has said it is aiming to deliver all parcels but is experiencing some delays due to record Christmas volumes, staff shortages, and last week's severe weather.
