Evri’s new Mallusk depot in Belfast has descended into chaos just weeks after its grand opening, with customers across Northern Ireland reporting missing parcels, delivery delays stretching into weeks, and a complete breakdown in communication with the courier giant.
The £1.3 million facility, which officially opened in September with promises of 650 new jobs and faster delivery times for the region, appears to be buckling under operational failures that have left thousands of parcels stuck in limbo and customers desperately turning to social media and their MPs for help.
“Thousands Upon Thousands of Parcels Left Thrown in Heaps”
Frustrated customers who’ve taken matters into their own hands by visiting the Mallusk depot have painted a disturbing picture of what’s happening behind the scenes.
One individual who ventured to the warehouse reported witnessing “total chaos” during their visit, describing conditions that would make “a rubbish tip look more organised.”
“Thousands of pounds worth of parcels torn open and all just laying around,” they reported in a Facebook post that’s been widely shared amongst affected customers. “Crates and cages filled with parcels… I witnessed [a worker] throwing a brand new Maxi-Cosi infant carrier to the floor.”
The eyewitness account suggests the facility is drowning in undelivered items, with parcels scattered throughout the warehouse in scenes that stand in stark contrast to Evri’s September press release promising a “smoother supply chain” and “accelerated delivery times.”
Recruitment Crisis Leaves Mallusk Depot Understaffed
The root of the problem appears to be a catastrophic recruitment failure.
When the depot opened, Evri announced it needed to fill 650 permanent positions across Northern Ireland – including 50 warehouse roles, 85 courier positions, and a further 515 temporary Christmas staff.
Sources suggest hardly any of these roles have been filled, leaving the facility critically understaffed during what should be the crucial build-up to the peak Christmas delivery period.
The staffing shortfall has reportedly become so severe that Evri has been forced to ship workers in from England in a desperate attempt to clear the backlog – an expensive stopgap measure that clearly hasn’t resolved the underlying issues.
This mirrors the broader recruitment crisis Evri is facing across the UK, with thousands of courier vacancies remaining unfilled despite offering £1,000 sign-up bonuses and enhanced benefits packages heading into the busiest period of the year.
Customers Left Waiting Weeks with No Answers
For customers across Northern Ireland, the depot’s problems have translated into weeks of uncertainty and frustration.
Grace McKernan summed up the desperation many are feeling: “I’ve been waiting 3 weeks on my parcels. The wedding is tomorrow! Disgrace.”
Tracey Quinn reported: “Still waiting on parcels from 10 weeks ago. Keep getting emails weekly they are out for delivery and still waiting.”
The problems appear particularly acute for parcels being sent to Post Office collection points. According to one customer, “The post office said they have had no deliveries or collections of parcels left there for weeks.”
“Impossible to Contact” and “AI Chat Is Horrendous”
Adding insult to injury, customers report being completely unable to get answers from Evri about where their parcels actually are or when they might arrive.
Ruth Owens, who contacted Belfast Live to raise awareness of the crisis, described the customer service experience as nightmarish: “In trying to contact EVRI it’s impossible, their AI chat is horrendous, horrific, horrible and never get an answer as to what is actually the status.”
Dermot Harte’s assessment was equally blunt: “Worst delivery company in N/Ireland… no point contacting them – don’t want to know.”
The inability to speak with an actual human being at Evri has left customers with no recourse when parcels go missing, with some reporting they “must simply wait for weeks on end after the parcel has been shown as undelivered before they can even apply for a refund from the seller.”
Theft Concerns Raise Further Questions
Beyond the organisational chaos, some customers have raised concerns about potential theft at the facility.
Suzanne Wilkinson reported: “I’ve had two parcels stolen and one lost in the past six weeks alone. A guy I know who works for Evri said they’ve only recently put the cameras in and theft is widespread.”
Gavin Leeburn stated: “An Evri driver stole my Parcel Force parcel a month ago and still no sign of it, from Bangor Abbey Hill post office NI. Now under police investigation.”
Dave Rand reported losing a brand new hedge cutter, only to be told by Evri that garden tools aren’t covered for loss or damage “as they are something that’s easy to be sold on.” He described the experience as dealing with “an absolute corrupt company.”
The theft concerns aren’t entirely surprising given Evri’s ongoing problems with organised crime targeting its network, including multiple prosecutions involving tens of thousands of pounds worth of stolen goods across the UK.
“Will Only Get Much Worse Coming Up to Christmas”
The timing of this operational meltdown couldn’t be worse. With Black Friday and the Christmas shopping period rapidly approaching, the very time when the Belfast depot should be proving its worth, it appears to be on the verge of complete collapse.
One customer raising the issue with their MP warned: “I am going to MP tomorrow to raise this as a serious concern and will only get much worse coming up to Christmas.”
Another predicted grimly: “I fear there will be a lot of unhappy people this Christmas and I fear for the children the most who’s unsuspecting parents will order things from sellers who use Evri and their presents will not arrive on time. That breaks my heart.”
The Northern Ireland situation bears uncomfortable similarities to the West Cumbria delivery chaos earlier this year, where residents created a Facebook group to hunt down missing parcels that Evri couriers had dumped in random locations across town.
From PR Triumph to PR Disaster
The contrast between Evri’s September announcement and the current reality is striking.
Country Manager Conor Ormsby declared at the opening: “We’re delighted to officially open our Belfast depot in time for peak… This site will help us meet that demand and ensure we can maintain a faster, smoother supply chain.”
He emphasised that “service, reliability and quality are critical factors for our clients and consumers,” promising the expansion would deliver on each of those areas.
Just weeks later, customers are experiencing the exact opposite – a service that’s unreliable, poor quality, and leaving people wondering if they’ll ever see their purchases.
The Bigger Picture: Evri’s Ongoing Reputation Crisis
This Belfast debacle is just the latest chapter in Evri’s ongoing struggle with its reputation in the UK delivery market.
The company has faced persistent criticism for lost parcels, poor customer service, and mistreatment of couriers.
The Northern Ireland situation appears to represent all of Evri’s worst tendencies concentrated in one overwhelmed facility: inadequate staffing, organisational chaos, impossible-to-reach customer service, and customers left completely in the dark about their parcels.
The timing is particularly awkward given that Tesco recently dumped Evri’s ParcelShop service across all UK stores, representing another blow to the company’s retail network at a time when they’re supposedly expanding to 25,000 locations by 2030.
The Post Office’s role in this mess deserves scrutiny as well. When asked about the situation, they’ve reportedly claimed that the backlog is due to Evri “opening a new warehouse in NI” but have provided no concrete solutions or timelines for resolution – leaving customers caught in the middle with no answers from either organisation.
What Can Affected Customers Do?
If you’re waiting on an Evri parcel in Northern Ireland, here are your limited options:
Contact the seller: Explain the situation and request a refund or replacement sent via a different courier. Most reputable retailers will accommodate this once sufficient time has passed.
Document everything: Keep screenshots of tracking updates, emails, and any attempted contact with Evri. This creates a paper trail if you need to escalate to your payment provider.
Chargeback through your bank: If you paid by credit or debit card and the item doesn’t arrive, you may be able to initiate a chargeback, particularly if the seller isn’t cooperative.
Make noise on social media: Whilst mainstream media coverage may be limited, sharing your experiences on platforms like Twitter and Facebook can build pressure on Evri to actually address the problems.
Avoid Evri if possible: When shopping online, check which courier the retailer uses before completing your purchase. If it’s Evri and you’re in Northern Ireland, you might want to shop elsewhere until this mess is sorted.
What Next for Evri in Belfast?
Evri’s Belfast depot was meant to represent the company’s commitment to Northern Ireland, bringing jobs and improved service to the region.
Instead, it’s become yet another symbol of everything customers despise about the courier industry – broken promises, missing parcels, and a complete lack of accountability when things go wrong.
With Christmas rapidly approaching and hundreds of families potentially facing empty spaces under the tree, the pressure is on Evri to get its house in order at Mallusk.
Based on customer reports, they’ve got a mountain to climb – literally, if the descriptions of piled-up parcels are accurate.
For now, if you’re in Northern Ireland and waiting on an Evri delivery, you might want to start looking for Plan B.
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