Workers for delivery firm Evri have been caught on video throwing parcels around at a distribution depot. A customer filmed the staff scanning packages before appearing to hurl them into a nearby crate.
It is thought some of the parcels may have contained clothing as they were emblazoned with ASOS labels. However, the video footage appeared to show employees for the company formerly known by the name Hermes often missing their target at the premises in Plymouth, Devon. Workers were then seen making several attempts at throwing the packages until they finally went into the crate.
Ben Hardy, who filmed the activity at the depot, said he witnessed the workers throwing the parcels around for about five minutes. The 26-year-old described the incident as "infuriating", adding: "At the moment, people can't afford to be buying things twice."
He told the Plymouth Live news website: "I understand they have a lot to deliver every day and it needs to be moved quite quickly but on the flip side of that, with the cost of living and the price of everything at the moment, people can't afford to be buying things twice if they're damaged. It just doesn't seem right, you need to have a certain amount of care with the parcels you're delivering.
"Initially, I just saw the one woman and some parcels flying off behind, almost like it was out of a film, just flying off a conveyor belt. Then so I backed my van up slightly to see what was going on and there was a woman sitting on the floor, scanning them and then just throwing them in the air and hoping they went in the cage next to her, which was closed. So she was just hoping she hit the target and they went in.
"It's infuriating, especially when it's parcels you've been waiting two weeks for and it's broken. It's just a rigmarole no one wants to be dealing with."
Mr Hardy continued: "They have thousands of parcels a day to be dealing with. I know they can't be delicately placing each one into the cage, but they do need to be taking a level of care and customer service.
"Just because they're not directly dealing with the customers they are dealing with the customer's product and it reflects badly on the company as a whole because it might not necessarily be the driver that has damaged the parcel — and they could be getting it in the neck for someone else's mistake."
A spokesperson for Evri apologised "to anyone who is concerned" and said the firm would be in touch with the local team to understand what was happening in the video.
The full statement read: "We will get in touch with the local team to understand what is happening here. Whilst it looks like these parcels contain clothing and are unlikely to be damaged, this behaviour is unacceptable and does not meet the standard we require for handling items with care. We apologise to anyone who is concerned."
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