Amazon cuts ties with driver allegedly caught failing to deliver PS5

Amazon says it’s no longer working with a delivery driver who was allegedly caught on camera failing to deliver a PlayStation 5 console.

Home CCTV footage appears to show the driver, who was working for an independent delivery company, getting out of his vehicle to deliver parcels to Bicester, UK-based Jenni Walker on November 19 – PS5 launch day in Europe and her son’s 16th birthday.

However, like many other Amazon customers, Walker didn’t receive her son’s PS5 as expected on launch day.

In between his deliveries, the driver is seen handling what appears to be a PS5-shaped box before putting it back in his van and later driving off.

Eurogamer reports that Walker’s daughter drove to the local Amazon depot with the CCTV footage in hand and confronted the site’s boss, who confirmed the man on camera was one of his employees and said he would be sacked.

After the footage was posted online by Walker’s husband Richard, Amazon told the Oxford Mail: “We have very high standards for our delivery service providers and how they serve customers. The delivery associate will no longer be delivering on behalf of Amazon.”

Following last week’s launch, multiple UK-based Amazon customers claimed that their PS5 consoles did not arrive as scheduled, despite being marked as delivered by couriers.

Some consumers even reported receiving erroneous items in place of their PS5 consoles, such as kitchen appliances and cat food, or only empty boxes.

In a statement issued to VGC, a spokesperson for Amazon UK said the firm was investigating what had happened to the orders.

“We’re all about making our customers happy, and that hasn’t happened for a small proportion of these orders,” they said. “We’re really sorry about that and are investigating exactly what’s happened. We’re reaching out to every customer who’s had a problem and made us aware so we can put it right.”

Walker told Eurogamer Amazon initially offered her a £5 gift voucher, which was later raised to £50. It then refunded Walker for the PS5 despite her attempts to refuse a refund in the hope Amazon would instead offer her a replacement.

“I am livid beyond words,” she told the Oxford Mail. “I fully appreciate this is a first world problem and considering we are in a global pandemic not the most important ordeal faced, but for it to happen on my son’s birthday seems incredibly cruel.”

In a statement published on Wednesday, Sony suggested PS5 has enjoyed the biggest console launch in history and promised more console stock would go on sale before the end of the year.

“Demand for PS5 is unprecedented, so we wanted to confirm that more PS5 inventory will be coming to retailers before the end of the year – please stay in touch with your local retailers,” it said.

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