Courier parcel mishaps: 'My package was propping the window open' By Nick Smith

BBC News Online Published duration 25 August 2019

image copyright Ollie Bacon image caption Ollie Bacon discovered his Amazon parcels propping open his bathroom window

The convenience of online shopping is said to be having what you want delivered straight to your door. But what if that eagerly anticipated parcel ends up being hurled through a second-floor window?

It may be billed as convenience shopping, but sometimes ordering goods online is not as simple as it appears.

One woman discovered that this month when her Amazon parcel was thrown through her upstairs window

Many have similar experiences to Claudine McLaren, from Leicestershire - who attracted dozens of visitors to her home who tried their hand at lobbing packages into her house.

image copyright Ollie Bacon image caption Mr Bacon's Amazon delivery of several products was found strewn across the floor around the toilet

Ollie Bacon, also from Leicestershire, was in his kitchen when he heard a "commotion" in his downstairs bathroom.

When he investigated, he found his Amazon delivery - of several products - scattered across the floor around the toilet.

image copyright Ollie Bacon image caption Mr Bacon says Amazon has agreed to send him a hamper to apologise

"One was propping the window open and two others had been thrown through," Mr Bacon said.

"Amazon say they're going to send me a hamper to apologise - I hope they don't post this one through the window."

An Amazon spokesman said: "We have very high standards for delivery partners and expect every package to be handled with care.

"We are investigating the matter and have reached out to the customer to make it right."

'Behind a gate'

One of those also left disappointed by a delivery company was Helen Hughes, who was "disgusted" by how she was treated by Hermes when they delivered a package on Monday from Matalan containing her daughter's new school uniform.

The delivery company sent her a photo of it behind a gate she did not recognise, along with a GPS location which she said was of limited help.

"It was just a picture of a gate," she said. "I couldn't recognise it or work out where it was."

She spent two hours wandering around trying to find it. Eventually her neighbour from three doors down brought it round.

image copyright Helen Hughes image caption The map left for Helen Hughes showing where her parcel was meant to be located

The neighbour had been out at the time but found it "chucked" behind her own gate which Mrs Hughes, a mother-of-four from Asfordby Hill near Melton Mowbray, had not recognised from the picture.

Mrs Hughes claims when she rang Matalan, they said it was delivered and therefore not their problem, and she could not get hold of anyone at Hermes.

'Just didn't care'

She said: "I'm really disgusted by the lack of service. They told me it must be delivered somewhere. They just didn't care.

"Two hours doesn't seem a lot but it was stressing me out. We couldn't afford to lose it."

image copyright Helen Hughes image caption Helen Hughes was sent this photo of her delivery and then spent two hours trying to find it

She added she would not use Matalan or any company that uses Hermes in the future, saying: "Normally you just don't think about who is delivering it but now I will be more cautious."

A Matalan spokeswoman said: "Providing excellent customer service is of huge importance to everyone at Matalan and we take matters like this seriously.

"We have picked up with the courier company about this instance to prevent recurrence and we are glad to hear that the customer was able to locate their parcel."

'Screams complacency'

Student Eve, who did not want to give her surname, said she was in the shower at her home in Brighton when a delivery from online clothing retailer Asos was apparently hurled through an open window on the second floor.

She found it in her flatmate's empty room, where the package - a new bikini - had landed on the bed.

Although the package was small enough to go through the letterbox, she found a note from Hermes saying it had been delivered to a safe place, namely "the window".

image copyright Handout image caption Eve, from Brighton, had her Asos order thrown through her flatmate's bedroom window

Previously she has found packages left outside in the rain or even in the bin.

She believes the companies supplying the products should take responsibility.

"Customer care doesn't stop at putting the clothes in a package and sending them on. It [applies] until it is at the door.

"For one thing, it's just rude, and the second thing is it isn't completely Hermes' fault, and it isn't completely Asos' fault, and you have no rights in the situation."

She added the large courier companies were "difficult to avoid".

"They have a monopoly and people will keep using them even if this happens.

"It just screams complacency; that's what annoys me."

image copyright Claudine McLaren image caption The note explaining where Claudine McLaren's parcel had been delivered

More fragile products, she said, would have been damaged by being thrown about and she would prefer to collect her parcels from a depot.

Hermes said in a statement: "We would like to apologise to these customers for any inconvenience.

"We will be speaking to the couriers involved to ensure this does not happen again."

Asos declined to comment.