Sally says:
You sent me a photo of the offending confectionery – a rather mangled-looking Reese’s chocolate bar which probably cost no more than £2. The fraudster who took your phone must have chosen it for its similar weight to your daughter’s iPhone, a device that would have set her back around £1,000, if she’d bought it outright. A poor exchange, that’s for sure.
I got in touch with O2 to see if it could shed any more light on what had happened to the phone. The company told me it carried out extensive research and said the sealed iPhone package was passed from O2 to the courier, as expected, and that it subsequently passed dispatch checks.
The firm said its records showed that its weight was correct when it left the depot, and it also reviewed CCTV. The firm found the box was not opened and that it was packed directly into DPD packaging and then passed on to the courier. A picture was taken by the delivery driver showing the sealed parcel delivered to a neighbour. But since the device was not inside when your daughter opened the package, it agreed she had been a victim of fraud.
An O2 spokesman said: “All proper procedure was followed and our records show we passed the customer’s iPhone to the courier as expected. However, we accept this did not reach the customer and that she has been a victim of fraud, so as a gesture of goodwill we have sent a replacement phone.”
What exactly happened to your daughter’s phone remains a mystery and I imagine you feel uncomfortable about the fact your neighbour has ended up under the spotlight. I know I personally depend on friendly neighbours to receive parcels when I am out, dozens of times every year.
