No photos this time, because my camera battery is flat, but It
appears that the market-driven
incentives to be a really useless delivery company have gone, for
Yodel, from mere incompetence to signature fraud and possibly other illegalities.
Well, hey, that's capitalism for you - it's not illegal if it's profitable.
Description: Another new safe place - behind a plant pot, in the rain, next to all the dirt and some very small slugs.
This time, the package was left outside behind a buddleia. The instructions on the shipping note say that it can only be signed for by people 16 or over.
Description: A soaked cardboard package. The shipping label reads "Delivery Instruction: Only leave with person aged 16 or older"
The buddleia, for reference, is slightly over 1 year old, and has real trouble holding a pen.
Checking the tracking information on Yodel's website gives the line:
| Status | Date | Time | Signatory | Branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delivered | 18/07/11 | 13:16 | [recipient's surname] | STOCKTON ON TEES SERVICE CENTRE |
Now, either there's an amazing coincidence and the delivery driver has the same surname as the package addressee - and Yodel has the bizarre policy of allowing delivery drivers to sign for receipt - or more likely they forged the signature.
Unsurprisingly, after being left out in the rain for several hours, the cardboard case was very damp. It would actually have been safer in the compost bin. There was also no delivery note left, so if it had been stolen, there would have been no trace of it, and the package contained over-the-counter medicines, so that "16 or over" requirement wasn't just for laughs.
But, I'm not their customer, so I expect they'll ignore my complaint about this one too.
