Hermes UK, one of the country's leading parcel courier operators, has been accused of faking signatures on 'ghost' deliveries, according to a report in The Sunday Times.
Hundreds of MyHermes customers have claimed that deliveries never showed up – even though they were supposedly signed for, it said. They claim signatures were falsified on “ghost” deliveries, preventing them from seeking refunds for missing goods.
The Sunday Times said it had seen evidence of complaints to Action Fraud – the national crime reporting centre – to the police and to Trading Standards from customers who received confirmation that parcels had been delivered and signed for, yet say they never received the packages.
Similar allegations have been levelled at other UK parcel couriers in the past.
Contacted by the newspaper, MyHermes said it took the allegations “very seriously”. The company said it was deploying 20,000 hand-held scanners “to provide even greater visibility during the delivery process” and from later this year would take high-quality photographs of parcels that are left in a safe place.
The company said the “vast majority” of MyHermes parcels were delivered on time and without problems.
Hermes UK did not respond to a request from CEP-Research for comment on the Sunday Times' story at the time of going to press.
In recent months, the company has also had to deal with allegations that its workers are being paid less than the UK National Minimum Wage and are incorrectly classed as self-employed.
According to one media report, published last October, 78 of the company’s couriers complained to Frank Field, the chairman of the House of Commons work and pensions select committee, stating that they received no holiday or sick pay and that they feared being sacked if they missed a shift due to illness.
Hermes said it would comply with any potential investigation, and pointed out that its own minimum wage standard was higher than legally required, the report added.
In an emailed response to questions posed by CEP-Research last month, Hermes UK said: “Hermes is categorically not part of the gig economy and has little if anything in common with app-enabled labour platforms. The phrase “the gig economy” is presently being applied to a very wide range of businesses with very little in common.
“We remain confident in the legitimacy of our self-employed courier model, which facilitates flexible working and earnings well in excess of the National Minimum Wage.”