A FUMING woman said she was stuck in her own home after a delivery driver jammed a parcel under her front door handle.
Rhiannon Smith ordered a £89.99 heated clothes dryer from Amazon.
With no back door, the 31-year-old was forced to clamber through a window to escape[/caption]
But she said when it was dropped off by the DPD courier she couldn’t get out.
But by the time she came downstairs, the driver had already scarpered – leaving the massive box blocking her only way out.
With no back door, the 31-year-old was forced to clamber through a window to escape.
“I heard the doorbell go from upstairs and I was down in seconds,” Rhiannon, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, told What’s the Jam.
“I could see the box under the handle through the window and I thought ‘oh no, I’m not going to get out here’.
“I tried unlocking it and moving the handle but it was fully stuck.
“I phoned my dad and he said I’d have to climb out of the window.
“The window was deceivingly high and I’m only five foot.
“There were lots of spiders as well.
“I was stuck for about 20 minutes then I climbed out and moved the box myself.”
Rhiannon reported it to Amazon last Friday (26 Sept), saying it could have been far more serious for someone vulnerable.
She added: “I’m healthy and have friends and family around so I knew I’d be fine but if that was someone elderly, it could have been really bad.
“Amazon said they’d escalate it and contact the driver to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“They will have lent it against the door and not realised.
“Then they rushed off because they’ve got loads of deliveries to do.”
Rhiannon filmed herself while trapped inside, posting the clip on social media where it’s racked up more than 340,000 views.
In the viral video she fumed: “What’s the dumbest thing your delivery driver has done?
“Because I think I can top it.
“I’ve ordered myself a heated clothes airer.
“He’s left it under my door handle so I can’t open my front door now.
“I’m literally quite stuck in my house. I don’t have a back door, this is my only exit.
“Who does this? Now what? I live alone. I’m baffled.
“That was just stupid.”
YOUR REFUND RIGHTS
The Sun’s Reader’s Champion Mel Hunter explains where you stand.
If a purchase goes wrong, you are entitled to your money back.
The Consumer Rights Act states that goods you pay for should be of satisfactory quality, as described, fit for purpose and last a reasonable length of time.
If they fail any of those tests, it’s tempting to head straight to the manufacturer. But responsibility lies with the shop you bought them from. Don’t be fobbed off.
You may find retail staff either don’t know the rules or don’t apply them, so go in armed with your rights.
You only have 30 days to reject something faulty and get your money back.
After that, the retailer has the option of repairing the item.
There is no automatic right to return something to a shop if you have simply changed your mind.
In practice, though, many stores do have a returns policy, where you can take back your buy within a specific timeframe.
Whether they offer a refund, exchange or voucher is entirely up to the retailer. It’s different if you bought it online.
Then, you automatically have 14 days from when the goods were delivered to return the product for a full refund.
If you opt for click-and-collect, you have the same rights as anyone buying on the internet.
What about if your parcel failed to arrive?
When the problem first arises, it might save you time to contact the delivery firm to see if they can find out where your missing item might be.
But it’s always the retailer’s responsibility to get your goods to you, so insist they sort it out.
‘It’s dangerous to leave it like that’
Viewers piled in with suggestions – from “order a pizza and get the delivery man to move it” to “push the box with a stick through the letter box”.
Others shared their own horror stories.
One said: “Delivery driver did that with my daughter but it was a large TV.
“Could have been very expensive if she’d managed to get the door open.”
Another added: “Oh my God, this happened to me when I was living alone during Covid.
“Dad turns up with ladders in case I need to escape over the balcony – nope, just stuck under the freaking door handle.”
And Annetta warned: “What if you were a weak person or in a wheelchair?
“It could be heavy or you might be alone for hours – but what if a fire started?
“It’s dangerous to leave it like that.”
Amazon and DPD have been approached for comment.
Rhiannon filmed herself while trapped inside, posting the clip on social media where it’s racked up more than 340,000 views[/caption]
The horrified shopper reported it to Amazon, saying it could have been far more serious for someone vulnerable[/caption]
