Should I tell DPD my missing parcel was actually delivered?

[FTMaz]

Hi everyone,

Recently I had a pair of trainers delivered by DPD. I specified that the item be left over my garden fence if I wasn’t in as this is secured. I have had parcels left at the front door go missing in the past. Whilst I was out I received notification that DPD had delivered my parcel, I checked the tracking and saw it had been left at my front door. I returned home sometime later and the parcel wasn’t there. I checked with my neighbours hoping someone had taken it in but nothing. I noticed the retailer who said DPD had to do an investigation. Today a DPD driver came to my door asking if I had it. I said I hadn’t. He said he definitely left it which I said I didn’t doubt because there was a photo but I assumed it had been taken. He then told me that he will lose the job if the parcel has gone missing and asked me to confirm with DPD that I had it. I said I couldn’t do that because I don’t have the parcel. He then went on to tell me he was new to the job and he needs the job. I said to him I would check with all my neighbours again and then update if I find it. I feel really awful, the trainers were not overly expensive and I would rather be out of pocket than someone lose their job! It seems really harsh if this is the case and I felt really bad. Should I contact DPD and jsut say I have it?

Absolutely not!

In fact I would report him for emotional manipulation. I can't believe he turned up at your door!!

Thing is, you don’t know that he DID deliver it and LEAVE it. I’ve heard that some delivery drivers take the picture, record it as delivered, and then steal it themselves.

Drivers need to follow instructions about where to leave things. If there was no comeback on them they would just dump every parcel anywhere. It’s a shit job though. Tight schedule.

Recently I have taken a step back from ordering stuff because of cost of living and a general ickyness about mindless consumerism. So I get a parcel maybe a couple of times a month rather than everyday. I didn’t realise how stressful that was until I stopped. Waiting for the bell, fuming when they left a card even when I was in, leaving my parcel in full view of the road or in the rain. Chasing refunds etc. A self imposed level of stress has gone.

Hello
I think you’ve misunderstood. With DPD you get a safe place option to specify where they can leave it. I did not authorise for it to be left on my front door. My safe place is over the back garden fence which is locked so once it’s been put over it would be near impossible for someone to get it.

I actually think he’s got bigger problems to worry about than parcel not being delivered. It is totally unprofessional and likely a breach of his policy to return to your address for no reason (delivering a parcel). Was he delivering something else and asked you as a by the way, or did he just access your address to come and plead with you?

A DPD driver dropped an expensive parcel at my house and left it out the front on a main road (£650). I was in waiting for it and I can only assume he dropped and ran as usual rather than knocking as my living room door opens to the street. I also had back garden on the safe places. I haven't seen him since so I would assume he was sacked but there's no chance it was a one off. He was well known for it. If you can't be bothered to do your job properly then you should be sacked.

I had a dpd driver ask me to sign an official looking document for a parcel that I didnt know what it was..I wrote on it that I didn't know what it was and he got all huffy with me.
Turns out the parcel was missing. Id ordered it so long ago I'd forgotten about it.

Hmmm might be my suspicious mind but what’s to say he didn’t pick the parcel back up after taking the picture?
No I wouldn’t say the parcel had turned up. It’s unlikely he’ll lose his job unless there’s been multiple complaints about his deliveries going missing.
maybe in future he’ll follow delivery instructions, I get parcels left on my doorstep all the time despite the designated safe space being 1ft from the front door which is right on the pavement on a busy street.
the delivery drivers drop the parcels on the ground, take a picture, knock the door and leave if I’m in they’re often in the van driving away when I get to the door, they don’t even wait a second!

Hi, no he came and rang my doorbell to speak to me. I wasn’t just outside and happened to see him. I have seen on other social media posts though people saying that DPD drivers are told to do this. I do feel for him though as if he has delivered the parcel albeit it incorrectly it could be a large amount of money for him to lose.

Hi guys so a little update. I called the retailer to today to ask for any updates and I explained what had happened. They said they had a reply from DPD stating the driver had returned to the address and noticed a camera. I explained to to the driver at the time that this is not cctv my house is monitored overnight by an external company which we put in place after our cars and cars of the house opposite were repeatedly stolen or attempted to be stolen. This is an issue in the area I live. DPD have said they want to see the footage,there is no footage! I could potentially ring the company who monitors and ask but does this burden really lie with me? Most surprising is that DPD clearly instructed the driver to return which I find shocking.

This update suggests they (DPD) think you are lying. So if you were to go and tell them you have the package, they’ll likely have you marked up as someone who fraudulently claims their parcels are missing.

Why do you think they instructed the driver to return? That is extremely unlikely. It’s more likely he told them he went back to see if you had a camera, and as you do, they want to see the footage.

To be honest, look at it from their perspective. They have the photo showing it was delivered. You claim it is missing. They then see you have a camera that would very clearly show who took the parcel. Conveniently, you are saying that there is no footage as it only films at night. Of course they are suspicious of you!

I also find it odd that you were considering telling them you received it when you say you haven’t. It suggests either you’re too nice/are a mug or you have a guilty conscience because either you lied about not receiving it, or you found it after you claimed it was missing. If you have the parcel, contact them and say it has turned up. If you haven’t, you need to say this and let them investigate. If the driver loses his job, it’s not because of a single missing delivery.

Hi - I think most of what you’ve said is fairly obvious. Of course DPD will seek to prove that the delivery was done as otherwise it will cost them. As I previously stated the trainers were not overly expensive so I don’t really have a reason to lie. I’d understand if it were a very expensive item.

If he followed the damned instructions that you put on the DPD site then this wouldn't happen. I have a secure parcel box on the wall and I've put on the site put in secure parcel box for every single parcel but still they leave it on the doorstep.
If it goes missing I am not going to say I have it.
I've even left notes on my front door but still they do it.
If they are that incompetent its not my problem.

If you don't have one get a ring doorbell. Mine clearly shows them putting my parcel on the doorstep. It also shows who took it, but the police weren't interested and just gave me a crime number for insurance.

I haven’t reported it to the police is this something I shouldn’t do?

I don't understand why they're going through you though. You should have contacted the company that you bought your trainers through and then they seek the funds from DPD. If they need evidence then the company should be asking you for the evidence and sending it to dpd. The driver should not be coming to you at all. This isn't your fault and it's not up to you to talk to a driver that may or may not lose his job.

All this is because…

I specified that the item be left over my garden fence if I wasn’t in…..and saw it had been left at my front door.

Don’t deviate from this.

You were invited to give instructions.

You therefore gave instructions.

Your instructions were ignored.

Nothing to do with CCTV, car thefts, problem areas, people losing their jobs, forget about all of this.

The parcel is missing because of a problem at their end. It’s nothing to do with you or what you did or didn’t do. They have to refund or whatever the solution is.

How do you know he didn't put the trainers on your step, took a picture and then made off with them after the picture was sent? Contact DPD and ask them what happens to the driver if the parcel has been stolen. Seems a bit odd that he's turned up and asked you to change your story to lie as that's not very honest of him.

If he loses his job its because he has form for this. The amount of parcels DPD lose they would hemorrhage staff if everytime one went missing they sacked someone. If I was really cynical id say he could have photoed them and taken it himself.

I also think its intimidating and inappropriate for him to knock on your door and guilt you like this. Id be more inclined to report this behaviour than to lie for him.

Maybe he came back,took the parcel.and sold the trainers? He's asking you to be dishonest so why would you trust him, you don't have them, end of.

There are all sorts of scams around parcel deliveries. I once had an empty padded envelope stuffed through my letterbox, delivery photo showed this too, luckily for me my order wouldn't fit in an envelope so easy to prove theft somewhere along the line, someone had just taken the box, stuck the label.on an envelope and kept the box contents, the complaints dept agreed.