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Delivery giant Evri has come under fire from customers and MPs who say they have been consistently let down
Complaints about online delivery services have soared in the run-up to Christmas, with families forced to replace presents which have vanished “into thin air”.
British shoppers are forecast to make online purchases worth a total of £34bn throughout the Christmas period, research suggests.
But courier giant Evri, formerly known as Hermes, is facing claims of missing parcels in areas across the country, including East Yorkshire, Hull, Poole, Bournemouth, Somerset and Gloucester.
At least eleven MPs have now publicly criticised Evri following a surge in complaints about parcels failing arrive, being dumped in random locations, or delayed Christmas deliveries.
Tasha McCrystal, who lives in Belfast, said she was “disgusted” by the delivery company after nine out of 10 Christmas packages she ordered failed to arrive six weeks after she had ordered them.
She told The i Paper: “I’d prepared quite early for Christmas this year as we had a close family bereavement and wanted the stress of ‘the Christmas rush’ off our minds.
“As of the 21st of December, I have received one parcel of about 10 I’m waiting on, which includes replacing the initial parcels that never arrived.”
McCrystal added: “We’ve been out double the money, caused 10 times the stress and left in absolute limbo with no direct updates from Evri.
“There’s no phone number to speak to anyone, no email address that responds, and no reception at their delivery depot in Mallusk.”
‘I travelled three hours to replace present’
Linda Haslett, in the Wirral, Merseyside, said she had to travel three hours to London to bring a replacement Christmas present to her granddaughter after it became apparent that the sparkly ballet tutu and dancing shoes she had ordered would not be delivered on time by Evri.
“People rant about how you can get your money back, but it is the disappointment of knowing these two perfect presents won’t be there on Christmas day,” Haslett said.
The items had been scheduled to arrive last week, but seemingly “disappeared into thin air” after three days of constant time changes, according to the grandmother.
She added: “They refuse to say if they investigate missing parcels, even through the couriers say Evri can tell exactly who has had contact with the parcels.
“Last night I emailed the CEO and company secretary, but I suspect the emails go straight in the bin.”
MPs have been inundated with complaints and have raised the issue in Parliament.
Among them is Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan, who represents Poole in Dorset.
He said that hundreds of constituents had contacted his office to complain about missed deliveries and that “the problems seemed to appear almost overnight”.
He added: “It’s pretty basic isn’t it – if a delivery company can’t deliver what they’re supposed to then maybe they’re in the wrong business.
“My constituents have been let down, not only by Evri but also by fairly weak consumer protection laws. This is something we need to look at.”
An Evri spokesperson said: “This is the busiest time of year for parcel deliveries, with demand at record levels as volumes double.
“Our 34,000 self-employed couriers are working hard to deliver more than four million parcels every day to communities across the country.
“We understand how special every parcel is – especially at this time of year – and we are committed to ensuring customers receive theirs on time.
“To support this, we have invested £57m in our operation brought in additional people where needed and continue to closely monitor our service levels.
“Our benchmark-setting delivery rates exceed punctuality targets of many other industries and we provide a fast, reliable, and cost-effective delivery service, which will deliver about 900 million parcels this year to over 25 million households.
“Our local teams are doing everything possible to keep parcels moving, and anyone needing help can get in touch with our dedicated customer service team.”
Government urged to review sector
Delivery problems at Christmas have become a significant problem in recent years.
Continuous Royal Mail delays last year meant that vital letters from the NHS, banks, HMRC and mortgage providers took weeks to reach their recipients.
It is expected that the government will ask Ofcom, the industry regulator, to look at the question of delivery standards in the new year.
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Independent MP James McMurdock raised the issue in Parliament this week, asking what steps will be taken to ensure that standards similar to those applied to Royal Mail are widened to cover delivery companies.
Post Office minister Blair McDougall said in response: “Ministers and officials meet with Ofcom regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the independent regulator for the postal sector.
“Delivery companies are independent businesses, and the government has no role in their operational decisions. Ofcom does not regulate the employment models of delivery companies.
“The Government will consult on the topic of employment status generally, as soon as possible in the new year.
“Delivery targets covering all postal operators would be a decision for Ofcom to consider as part of its reviews of postal regulation.”
An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Under our regulations, which we strengthened in 2023, parcel firms must have a simple and transparent complaints process in place, and have clear and effective policies and procedures for the fair treatment of disabled customers.
“While several companies have made a number of changes, and overall satisfaction with parcel delivery services is reasonably high, we’re continuing to press operators to make further improvements.”
