A DPD delivery driver has been sacked after being caught on camera staging the delivery of a valuable iPhone, only to pocket the device for himself. The brazen incident, which unfolded in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, saw the driver submit photographic proof of delivery before walking away with the £1,200 smartphone still in his possession.
Customer Turns Detective After Missing iPhone Delivery
Samuel Taylor, a 20-year-old mechanic apprentice from Rochdale, ordered an iPhone 17 Pro Max from mobile network Giffgaff for £1,264. While he was out at work, the DPD van arrived at his home address to complete the delivery.
Samuel received an email notification from DPD confirming the parcel had been successfully delivered, accompanied by a photograph apparently showing the package being posted through his letterbox. However, upon returning home, his father informed him that no such delivery had taken place.
Damning CCTV Footage Reveals the Truth
Suspicious about the discrepancy, Samuel promptly checked his home security camera footage. The recording revealed a clear sequence of events that contradicted the delivery confirmation.
The footage shows the DPD driver selecting the parcel from the boot of his van and walking toward Samuel's front door. Moments later, he can be seen strolling back down the driveway with the parcel still visibly in his hand, despite having submitted a photograph showing it partially inserted through the letterbox.
"I was just really annoyed and I feel robbed," Samuel said. "I got an email saying my phone had been delivered with a picture of him trying to put it through the letter box. When I got home my dad said it wasn't actually there. We checked the cameras and saw what happened."
Frustration with Delivery Company's Initial Response
After discovering the footage, Samuel immediately lodged a complaint with DPD. He claims he was initially told the item had been successfully delivered according to their records and that he should contact Giffgaff instead to resolve the matter.
Refusing to accept this response, Samuel took decisive action by reporting the incident to Greater Manchester Police and sharing the damning CCTV footage on social media platforms.
"Since DPD are not interested in their driver not delivering my £1,200 iPhone I thought I'd shame them on here," Samuel wrote in his social media post. "The driver shows that he's posted the item through our letter box but unknown to him my CCTV caught him putting the phone back in his van and driving off."
Delivery Company Takes Action Following Public Exposure
The public shaming campaign proved effective in prompting a response from the delivery company. DPD subsequently launched an investigation into the incident and confirmed that the driver involved had been removed from the business.
A DPD spokesperson stated: "We have carried out a thorough investigation and can confirm that the driver has been removed from the business. We have a zero-tolerance approach to incidents such as this and will always take firm action. We apologise whole-heartedly to Mr Taylor and have informed Giffgaff."
Mobile Provider Refunds Customer During Investigation
Giffgaff, the mobile network from which Samuel purchased the iPhone, acknowledged the delivery failure and took interim measures while their investigation continues.
A Giffgaff spokesperson explained: "We're sorry to hear that Samuel did not receive his new iPhone as intended. We are aware of the issue and have identified that the proof of delivery was not compliant with our requirements. This has been raised with the delivery company and is under review. As is standard practice with such cases we have also refunded the initial deposit to him."
Broader Concerns About Delivery Security Protocols
The incident has raised questions about delivery security practices, particularly for high-value items. Samuel pointed out that with purchases of such significant value, standard procedure typically requires a signature upon delivery rather than simply posting through a letterbox.
"With something that expensive it has to be signed for anyway so he shouldn't have put it through the letterbox," Samuel noted, highlighting what appears to have been a procedural failure even before the theft occurred.
Loss of Trust in Delivery Services
Following the distressing experience, Samuel expressed a complete loss of confidence in DPD's services and stated his intention to avoid using the company in future.
"I wouldn't want to use DPD again. I don't trust them anymore and they don't seem to be interested. I just feel left in the dark," he said. "DPD should take accountability for this. [The delivery driver] should be fired and the police should get involved because it's theft. I want my phone, I paid for it so I want it."
Greater Manchester Police confirmed they had received a report about the incident, though no further details about their investigation were immediately available.
