Placed an order of about £100 value last week. Got an email Friday morning saying it would be delivered that afternoon so I was at home and looking out for it. A few hours later, another email saying parcel had been delivered and signed for by customer. Checked the garden but no parcel to be seen anywhere and I certainly hadn't signed for anything. I can't contact Hermes directly so I phoned Boden who will send out a replacement at no extra cost to me, as the fault appears to be with the courier, although I have no proof that I didn't receive it other than that the squiggle signature isn't mine.
Obviously I'm not out of pocket as Boden are bearing the cost, presumably to be reclaimed from Hermes. But is it not theft to sign for and keep a parcel that is clearly destined for someone else?
This is not the first time it has happened. Last time an internet order parcel (children's clothing) went missing, I spoke with the courier several weeks later, who had just started her job and confirmed that she had mistakenly delivered it to a property on the same street with a similar name (rural area with no house numbers). Our address is 'X' house, road name; their address is 'X' farm, road name. I never saw that parcel again either. I have been round to 'X' farm this morning to ask if they have my parcel by mistake but the property is unoccupied and derelict, so I am guessing that the owner may have been there on a flying visit on Friday afternoon. If it turns out that this parcel has gone to X farm again, should I follow this up with the police, or would that be wasting their time? On principle, I just don't think people should be able to get away with this.