Delivery company Evri has been in the spotlight in the run-up to Christmas over issues relating to delayed and missing parcels.
Some politicians have raised “serious concerns” about deliveries in Northern Ireland with the company.
This week, it was also the subject of a BBC Panorama special and the broadcaster reported that 14 of its parcels had been found dumped in Co Tyrone.
Read more: Evri say union claims it has consolidated Northern Ireland delivery sites are “inaccurate”
What issues have been raised with the courier?
“Serious concerns” over issues with deliveries were raised by South Antrim MP Robin Swann in a letter to the company’s chief executive, Martjin de Lange, on December 15.
South Antrim MP Robin Swann said his constituents had been in contact over issues with deliveries PICTURE: NICK DAVID/PA
He said that in “recent weeks”, he had been contacted by a number of constituents who reported parcels not being delivered, inadequate proof of delivery photographs (often showing blank or black images) and difficulty accessing effective customer support, with heavy reliance on automated systems rather than direct assistance.
“These issues are particularly concerning given that they are occurring in the busy lead-up to Christmas when many families rely on parcel delivery services to ensure gifts reach their intended recipients on time and in good condition,” he said.
Issues have been experienced across the north, with the BBC reporting on Thursday that 14 Evri parcels had been found dumped in Coalisland, Co Tyrone.
The items are said to have been destined for addresses across Mid-Ulster and Co Derry.
Why have these issues been happening?
Evri recently apologised to customers for issues with deliveries, with a trade union stating that its new £1.3m hub in Mallusk, which opened in the autumn, was experiencing “teething problems”.
Evri said that the “vast majority” of parcels leaving its new depot in Mallusk, Co Antrim, were on time
However, the company said that the “vast majority” of parcels from the site had been delivered on time.
What has the company said?
“Our 30,000 hard-working couriers are working around the clock to deliver around four million parcels a day in our busiest weeks of the year, with the overwhelming majority arriving on time, and in good condition,” a spokesperson said.
In relation to the dumped parcels reported by the BBC, they said that their “priority is to handle every parcel with care” and that they “apologise to any customers impacted by this incident”.
“We are urgently investigating this to understand what has happened, and we will take the appropriate action, as well as supporting customers,” they said.
“We appreciate how important every delivery is and take these concerns very seriously.
“We are actively tracking service levels in Northern Ireland, and we are committed to addressing any issues quickly, taking all possible steps to ensure customers in Northern Ireland receive their parcels.
“For customers who need support, we offer multiple contact options and continue to enhance our systems to make it easier to resolve queries. We value feedback and remain focussed on delivering all parcels as quickly as possible.”