The courier service Evri has faced fresh criticism after delivering an empty box to a pensioner in South Tyneside.
Despite the woman, 78, receiving the box in which the “contents had clearly been stolen,” she was still sent a photo to show the delivery had been “delivered”.
Evri apologised for the incident and highlighted that it aims to deliver all its parcels in a secure way and on time.
It is the latest in a string of incidents involving the courier that has led to MPs in the local area speaking out and demanding an improved service.
Some of the criticisms include notifications that deliveries have been attempted when they hadn’t, packages left in unsuitable locations, delays to paid-for next-day delivery services, and difficulty accessing customer services to complain.
Kate Osbourne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East and the pensioner who received the empty parcel, has hit out at the delivery service.
“I am regularly contacted by constituents who have had issues with Evri, including someone in Hebburn who contacted me just before Christmas, as Evri had delivered an empty box to her 78-year-old mum, the contents had clearly been stolen, yet they still took a picture of it to show it being delivered,” she told the Northern Echo.
“There is a systemic problem here. The way drivers and customers are treated by Evri needs addressing.
The courier service Evri has faced fresh criticism after delivering an empty box to a pensioner in South Tyneside
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GETTY“People deserve better, especially at Christmas when they were waiting for presents and can’t afford to wait months for refunds.”
The problems extend beyond just the North East.
Alex McIntyre, MP for Gloucester, expressed his concern about the “poor service” in his region in December last year.
“I was shocked to learn that the introduction by Evri in January of a ‘small packets’ parcel size could mean that drivers delivering a large volume of these parcels in a day end up working for less than the minimum wage,” he said.
Kate Osbourne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East said there is a ‘systemic problem’ in Evri
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PARLIAMENT
“If this is the reality for drivers, it is no wonder we are in this situation during the busy festive period.”
Hartlepool MP Jonathan Brash called on Evri to “reflect upon this practice and improve accordingly”.
Caroline Dinenage, who represents Gosport, said she had received “numerous reports” of packages being abandoned on front steps, and called on the courier to launch a full investigation.
An Evri spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear about any customers who have experienced issues in the North East, and we take these concerns seriously.
“Every parcel matters to us, and we work hard to ensure deliveries are made in good time and in good condition.
“Across the UK, our 34,000 self-employed couriers deliver around four million parcels every day, and the vast majority arrive successfully, on time.
“We know how important parcels are, especially during the festive season, which is why we invested £57million last year to strengthen our operations and improve service.
“Whilst the cases highlighted do not reflect the experience of most customers, we understand the frustration when things go wrong.
“In line with the Consumer Rights Act, customers should raise any delivery issues with the retailer, and we work closely with them to resolve matters quickly, whether that means a refund or replacement.
“We’re proud that ratings show our couriers score an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars, and Evri has more than four million five-star reviews on Trustpilot.
“We’ve also been recognised by Citizens Advice for making the biggest improvement in service since 2021, and we remain committed to continuing that progress.”