Yodel delivery driver 'tries handle' of Stourbridge home

[TrueBlueTerrier]

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odel has defended a delivery driver who was filmed as he 'tried a customer's front door handle'.

The driver claimed he was 'checking to see if the door led to a porch' - but furious homeowner Norman Ghaleb has hit out.

Footage - which can be viewed at the link above - shows the delivery attempt in Sherwood Road, Wollaston.

The driver can be seen arriving at the property on Tuesday morning (February 25) and banging on the letterbox. He then rang the doorbell and seconds later, tried the door handle.

Finding the door locked - and with no one coming to the door, he attempted to put the package through the letterbox.

Realising it wouldn't fit, he knocked the door again before wandering out of shot.

He then reappeared at the door before finally admitting defeat and leaving the parcel with a neighbour.

Norman was at work when he was notified about the visitor via his Ring doorbell app.

"I didn't think anything else of it," he said.

"But when my wife came back from work, she told me what had happened and when I saw the video, I was shocked.


"I just couldn't believe what I had seen. They should never attempt to try a handle on a door.

"I think it's a sackable offence. There are no excuses for it whatsoever. It shouldn't just be a slap on the wrist, it's a serious offence."

But Yodel defended the driver who was 'simply looking for a safe space' for the package.

A spokesman for the firm told Black Country Live: “As we strive to deliver parcels first time, we have options in place to ensure successful deliveries can be made even when a recipient is out. This includes a ‘leave safe’ option for parcels that do not require a signature.


“On this specific delivery, where the parcel did not require a signature, the driver simply looked for a safe space and checked to see if the door led to a porch.

"After he discovered this was not an option he successfully delivered the parcel to a neighbour ready for the recipient to collect at their convenience.”

But Norman - who is yet to hear from Yodel himself - refuses to accept the explanation and said it was "not normal" behaviour.

"First of all, l have not had any response, explanation or apology from a Yodel manager," he said.

"As for checking the handle to see if it was a porch... is typical of their response to cover their own backside.

"After the driver had unsuccessfully tried my handle, he walks away as if heading for my next door neighbour but then returns to try again. That is not normal.

"Every delivery l have had in the past, they have never attempted my door handle. They either leave it in a safe place, or my neighbours. So l am not happy with their typical 'get out of jail' comment."

[Janet Brum]

This guy is full of himself, trying to be polite here.

"I just couldn't believe what I had seen. They should never attempt to try a handle on a door.

"I think it's a sackable offence. There are no excuses for it whatsoever. It shouldn't just be a slap on the wrist, it's a serious offence."

Or maybe only Rm posties can check doors/porches handles and get a thank you in return?

[Woody Guthrie]

It's not something I would do because it could end badly if there's a dog behind the door but does it warrant this level of outrage?

One of our guys thought he was opening a communal entrance door and was half way down the hall before he spotted the owner of the bottom flat sitting watching TV and eating his cornflakes.

[Janet Brum]

Clearly his reaction is outrageous and exagerated...

[Murdoch]

Possibly the least news worthy thing I've ever read. Man being paid about 50 pence to deliver a parcel, tries to deliver it.

People are dumb as hell, looking to be outraged for the most benign reasons. The guy has probably been asked to leave parcels in porches hundreds of times, his only motive is to try and deliver the parcel.

[ted_e_bear]

Yeah what a prick, hopefully if his postie is on here reading this then he'll be P739'd for everything from now on, I definitely would !

[Bernardson]

It's not something I would do because it could end badly if there's a dog behind the door but does it warrant this level of outrage?

One of our guys thought he was opening a communal entrance door and was half way down the hall before he spotted the owner of the bottom flat sitting watching TV and eating his cornflakes.

I was in the Ukraine with a couple of mates and we opened the door to what we thought was a pub only to find a chap drinking tea in his rocking chair! Good job it wasn't the USA!