Festive Delivery F**k Ups: All The Bizarre Places Parcels Have Been Left

It's not the most wonderful time of the year if your parcel has gone AWOL.
Lilly discovered her parcel had been delivered... to her car.
Lilly Brady
Lilly discovered her parcel had been delivered... to her car.

Welcome to Christmas delivery chaos. This year it would seem delivery companies are outdoing themselves, with parcels being left in weird and not-so-wonderful places.

Lilly Brady was surprised to find her Asos parcel in a “safe” spot – in full view of everyone, on her car. “The parcel was delayed and then they left it on the car windscreen,” she tells HuffPost UK. “They also used my name and said I had signed for it when I definitely wasn’t home to sign for it.”

After tweeting a photo of where she found the parcel, Brady, who is based in Essex, didn’t receive a response from the courier Hermes. She did, however, receive an apology from Asos.

It’s estimated around 35,000 drivers and couriers are delivering parcels across the UK in the run up to Christmas – with some so busy they don’t even have time for a toilet break. One driver told the Guardian they had to drop off 220 parcels in just one day.

“I do understand that at this time of year, delivery drivers are under a huge amount of pressure to reach deadlines and targets,” says Brady, “but I think something should be put in place so that parcels aren’t being left in compromising places.”

Here are just a handful of places parcels are showing up (that aren’t through the letterbox or with a neighbour).

In the garden.

Great news if it’s sunny. Not so great if you live in Britain... in winter. Sam came home to find all his Christmas gifts plonked in the back garden. Luckily no items were broken or lost.

@LittlewoodsHelp Acceptable practice from your delivery drivers? Dumping hundreds of pounds of our Christmas presents in the garden for anyone in the flats next door to see or anyone who is opportunistic enough to look??? pic.twitter.com/DG99Bmxxf4

— Sam Westley (@samwestley) December 18, 2019

Thrown over the fence.

You’d be very lucky if it was a fragile parcel. See also: rain.

@ASOS_HeretoHelp. Parcel was thrown over our back fence in the rain yesterday and no note was left. Only found it today. The whole thing is soaked 😡 pic.twitter.com/6uPNOw3MdZ

— Abbi Warner (@AbigailWarner13) December 17, 2019

In the flowerbed.

Three words: soggy soiled bottom.

Thanks, @Hermesparcels, for dumping my parcel into the flowerbed next to my front door with no notification to tell me it was there, and I only spotted it by chance when it was sodden and ruined (after I left clear instructions asking you to leave with my neighbour if out). 😤 pic.twitter.com/chkSjBmfGJ

— Louise Voss (@LouiseVoss1) December 15, 2019

On the doorstep.

“Assumed they’d have given it to a neighbour, but that would have been too sensible,” tweeted Calum, about a boxed item worth £60 that he found on his doorstep.

Just arrived home this morning from staying at the Mrs house to see that @AmazonUK have left a £60 parcel on the front doorstep overnight! Got the email last night to say it was delivered and assumed they'd have given it to a neighbour, but that would have been too sensible. pic.twitter.com/wB4VU6sdgF

— Calum Davidson (@Weebaldcalumdee) December 17, 2019

Scott had a similar issue.

@YodelOnline any idea where your drivers left our parcel? Can’t find it anywhere, they’ve hidden it very well.. pic.twitter.com/skYXPGGwKw

— Scott (@scott8687) December 17, 2019

Obviously, there’s a risk of theft in this situation. Not to mention, the slugs...

Amazon left a parcel on my doorstep ( I don’t like in the safest neighbourhood so well done) and I picked up my parcel and full on squished a slug with my finger so pic.twitter.com/FGEuENcvHZ

— 𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚡🪐 (@AlexHardman_xo) December 17, 2019

Behind the plant pot.

Slightly better than hiding it in plain sight on the doorstep... but still. Not exactly inconspicuous.

@Hermesparcels
Once again you have said you delivered my parcel, but no, it happens to be left behind my plantpot for everyone to see. Sort yourselves out ffs pic.twitter.com/TYrPjBoY8O

— Hannah (@hannah_tipa) December 16, 2019

Meanwhile Dan’s parcel was miraculously signed for by an actual plant pot.

Hmm can’t remember my signature being ‘behind plant pot’ no card left either so nice one @Hermesparcels for leaving my parcel outside for 2 days😂👍🏽 pic.twitter.com/Ch2wflDMIh

— Dan Saunders (@Dan_Saunders) December 18, 2019

In the bin.

This safe place seems to be a firm favourite. Not ideal when it’s bin day, though. Nor if there’s rotting food, vegetation or dirty nappies in there. And don’t get us started on *shudders* bin juice.

You may have increased your capacity however you certainly haven’t increased your service levels. Thanks for leaving my parcel on top of rotting waste!!!! Please contact me urgently to discuss this! pic.twitter.com/nM8We0FzQU

— Alan Mulrooney (@alan_mulrooney) November 28, 2019

Can’t believe @DHLParcelUK left my @AutoFinesse parcel in the BLACK BIN with food waste and my 18month olds dirty nappies! Shocking service. Good job it wasn’t clothing, plus imagine if it was bin day!!!!

— Debbie Harris (@debbieharris_x) December 19, 2019

@Hermesparcels .. seriously who do I speak to regarding some idiot delivery driver placing my package in my food waste bin?!! Totally unacceptable! pic.twitter.com/uMCUU0cQTm

— Shaun Maley (@ShaunMaley) December 17, 2019

Down the road.

And no we don’t mean with a neighbour. We mean, left outside a different house in the pouring rain.

Had to go find my own parcel today. Not only was it not delivered to me, it was delivered to the same number to the street down the road. Luckily I rang Aldi and the lovely man told me the street name. Left outside said house in the pouring rain.

Never trusting Hermes again 🙄 pic.twitter.com/AQW77gzwEz

— Tam (@xTamxox) December 18, 2019

And then there’s the lucky dip.

Your guess is as good as ours on these ones.

It's great that Hermes have a feature that lets me see where they've left my parcel...any guesses where it could be would be gratefully received pic.twitter.com/egVJLDoCGV

— Dr Luned Badder (@LunedBadder) December 14, 2019

@Hermesparcels how is this proof that you’ve delivered my parcel?? I have not left the house and my front door doesn’t even look like that!!! Please explain pic.twitter.com/zk7jkMkGK5

— Darryl Hibberd (@DEHIBBERD1982) December 14, 2019

@Hermesparcels I have been sent a photo that my parcel has been left in safe place I specifically asked to be left with neighbour I have attached picture pic.twitter.com/ayp7WDnYRk

— angels (@angelabradley31) December 13, 2019

Hermes tended to be called out the most on social media for unusual placement of deliveries this Christmas. According to the company’s website, a safe space “should be dry and secured from public access” but still easily accessible to the courier. Typical examples include a shed, greenhouse or porch.

When sent a handful of tweets from unhappy customers, a spokesperson for Hermes told HuffPost UK its “successful delivery rate is 99%”.

“We have around 20,000 couriers delivering for us during the busy seasonal period and these kind of incidents are extremely rare,” the spokesperson said. “However, we recognise that these incidents are absolutely unacceptable and when we are made aware, we always take immediate action.”

“Each and every parcel is important to us,” they added, “and we are determined and able to deliver Christmas through our network.”

An Amazon spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “The vast majority of deliveries make it to customers without issue. In the rare case something occurs, we work with customers directly to make it right.

Close