TONY HETHERINGTON: The courier, a missing phone… and a flock of flying pigs
Tony Hetherington is the Financial Mail on Sunday’s top researcher, taking on readers’ corners, uncovering the truth that lies behind closed doors and delivering victories for those left out of pocket. Below you can read how you can contact him.
I sent a cell phone to my cousin in Norfolk via Evri courier service.
Two days later he received an email from Evri stating that the package was damaged beyond repair and could not be delivered.
I spoke to Evri and asked to deliver the damaged phone, which was in the original manufacturer’s packaging, or send a photo of it.
That didn’t happen either. The company then sent me a claim form asking for an image of the damaged package, which was exactly what I requested.
AO
Curious story: A.0. writes about his response from Evri about a damaged package
You were right to ask Evri for proof, such as a photo showing the damaged phone, or even to return the phone itself, which was worth £175.
Evri’s response was to tell you, ‘The contents of your package are damaged to such an extent that we cannot return it to you. The packages undergo various handling and transportation processes, and on rare occasions this may happen.”
You complained, and this time Evri replied, “We are so sorry that despite extensive research we were unable to locate your package.”
This in itself was strange. If Evri couldn’t even find your package, how did it know that the package and its contents were damaged beyond repair? It was at this point that you contacted me, and I pressed Evri for better answers. The company – which was called Hermes until it changed its name following increasing customer complaints – then told you: ‘Unfortunately, due to the elapsed time, we are unable to conduct investigations as items and data are not kept within our network during this period. time.’
What a load of nonsense!
Evri knew within 48 hours that something was seriously wrong. At first it said the phone was damaged beyond repair. Then he said he couldn’t find it.
And finally it shrugged its shoulders and blamed it on the passage of time. Evri provided me with a statement apologizing for the inconvenience caused to you, adding that it included guidelines on packaging and financial coverage for customers sending high-value items. Fair enough, but this almost suggested that your packaging was to blame.
So I pressed Evri again. How long are articles and data kept? What is the deadline for an investigation? And most importantly, provide a photo of the phone that is damaged beyond repair.
Evri eventually admitted that I couldn’t get a photo of the phone because when the packaging was damaged, the contents had become loose and were missing.
So the package was torn open and the phone just fell out and then disappeared. It was never damaged beyond repair. It simply disappeared. According to the statement, this one had me looking out the window for flying pigs, which seemed just as likely.
The one thing Evri did get right was that he decided that even though the company insisted you shipped the phone at your own risk, he would send you £175 ‘as a gesture of goodwill’. You accepted this and donated it to a charity that cares for very sick children and provides respite and end-of-life care. Well done.
If you believe you have been a victim of financial misconduct, please write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Due to the large number of questions, personal answers cannot be given. Only send copies of original documents. Unfortunately, these cannot be returned.