Missing Christmas packages leave Nova Scotians frustrated with online order deliveries

The holiday season is proving anything but bright for some Nova Scotians whose Christmas packages have gone missing, despite delivery drivers claiming they were delivered.

Ashley Farnsworth of Torbrook, N.S., who had problems with two different orders, said she first became aware of the issue when she saw online posts about packages being delivered to the wrong addresses.

She said some people were emailed a photograph that was supposed to provide proof of delivery by showing their home — except the house was not theirs. In some instances, the same photo was sent to multiple people as proof of delivery.

Most of the packages had been ordered through online shopping platforms like Temu.

Farnsworth told CBC Radio's Mainstreet Nova Scotia she wasn't home when her first package went missing and the home in the photo that was sent to her to confirm delivery to her address wasn't hers.

She called the courier company, Straightship, but she said they hung up on her before she even finished her sentence.

'Hightailed it out of there'

Two weeks ago, while she was home, she received notification with a photograph that another parcel had been delivered to her front step.

She rushed to the front door to find the driver attempting to take the parcel back. She stopped him and asked him where he had been intending to take it.

"He just kind of stuttered and didn't really have anything to say," Farnsworth said.

"And when I kept pursuing the question … he got back in his vehicle and hightailed it out of there."

That encounter prompted her to set up a Facebook group dedicated to the issue of missing parcels. The group now has around 1,600 members.

Farnsworth said she also contacted the vendor, Temu, which provided her with a credit. 

She said Temu told her she could choose to block the courier on their website but it would still be used for delivery of certain parcel types.

More families affected

Meanwhile, in Berwick, N.S., David Bent is worried his children may not have a proper Christmas after $200 worth of gifts he ordered for them went missing. 

Bent said his delivery notice was accompanied by a photograph of a home that wasn't his.

He said after spending two hours on hold with the courier company, he was told his package had been delivered and the representative hung up on him.

In an effort to locate the parcel, Bent said, he drove around the area but was unable to find a house that matched the one in the photo.

"I just want to see these guys take responsibility for their actions," he said. "I had to fight with Temu three or four times on the phone to get my return. They finally gave it back but it came only as a credit on their site."

Now, he said, there isn't enough time to get replacement gifts delivered in time for Christmas.

Straightship may remove drivers 

In a statement to CBC News, Straightship apologized for not meeting "quality of care standards" and acknowledged there have been "instances of packages not reaching their intended destination — either through driver error or due to other unknown reasons."

"We are investigating every incident so that we can find a resolution for our customers and prevent potential issues from reoccurring," the statement said.

"We are reviewing our delivery records and, if necessary, we will remove any drivers from our network who have not followed our procedures."

The statement directed customers to its website to report packages that have not been received.

In a statement, a Temu spokesperson said the company does not own Straightship.

"We expect all of our business partners and service providers to maintain the required standards of service quality," the spokesperson wrote.

Straightship is a Canadian-owned company with a corporate office in Burnaby, B.C.

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