Missing iPhone DPD Delivery Tesco Online Purchase

whereismyiphone

Having ordered 2 iPhones on the 15th December off of Tescos website, my order was delivered the next day on the 16th. 
However, upon delivery there was only 1 phone in the box in which we questioned the DPD driver who said the other phone may be coming in a different delivery. 
Upon contacting Tesco, they confirmed the 2 phones were sent in the same box. May I add, the box concerned had absolutely no security measures on it whatsoever simply a cardboard box anyone could have access to containing £1600 worth of electrical goods.
After having to wait 4 weeks and constant chasing on my part Tesco informed me on the 12th January, that after an investigation with DPD, because the package was not damaged they would be closing the case and no further action would be taken.
I, myself am a colleague of Tesco and honestly cannot believe how they have dealt with this matter. I want to make others aware of what’s happening as I don’t think I’m the first and definitely won’t be the last person this happens to when they continue to package such high value items with no security and use such a dishonest, unprofessional courier company.
To make matters worse, they are also not helping me to block the phone in question so no one else can use it! Absolutely appalling customer service from a company I have spent over a decade working for.

Any help or advice you could give regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Mark_d

Reading these forums it's not the first time in recent days where a customer has bought two iPhones from a retailer, but one phone is missing when it is delivered to the customer.

iPhones are small and high value...so therefore a desirable target for thieves.

Tesco would have weighed the parcel when it was dispatched, so that's one security check.  There was no damage to the package when it was delivered.   So when/where did the iPhone disappear?

What can you do?  Report the loss to the Police and get a crime number.  Report it to the relevant mobile network.  Talk to your credit card company - I believe that they might provide some cover for items that are lost/damaged.  As a further step, you could try a Section 75 claim.

Alderbank

You are a Tesco employee of ten years standing. 

I assume you used your Colleague Clubcard which gives you 10% off purchases in Tesco stores and online, rising to 15% after every pay day for a four-day period?

If so, the purchase might not be classed as a consumer purchase but as an employee benefit (Tesco describe it as an employee benefit) so it might be subject to employment law rather than consumer law.

whereismyiphone

Thank you both for your replies.
Do you know what sort of ombudsman I would need to contact in order to raise a claim?
Many thanks.

Alderbank

You don't need any sort of ombudsman to raise a claim. Ombudsmen don't raise claims.

How did you pay? If you paid with your Tesco Clubcard you could raise a dispute with them.

Are you a member of USDAW? Since you bought from your employer, your local union rep might also be able to help.

ArbitraryRandom

In the first instance, if you haven't, you should report the loss to the police and get a crime number, then make a formal complaint to tesco - follow their complaints process through until the end and ask for a deadlock letter.

After that, if you paid by credit or debit card (as advised above) your best bet is to contact your card issuer (bank) to ask to either make a s75 claim (card) or chargeback (debit card). Your card issuer will want to see evidence that you attempted to resolve the issue with the seller in the first instance (hence asking for a deadlock letter). 

If you paid using club card vouchers or other alternative payment method, or if your card issuer refuses your claim, Tesco aren't part of an ADR scheme, but they do suggest they would engage with one here: https://www.tesco.com/help/pages/return-and-refund-faqs/legal-rights/your-legal-rights 

If that fails, then the remaining option is to issue a letter before action and take them to small claims - by this point hopefully you would have a pack of evidence to try and persuade the judge that more likely than not you're telling the truth... I don't know what evidence you can put together in your case - was the box clearly big enough for two phones (was there any filler or cushioning in the box), did the label have the weight printed on, would a heavier box have been able to be shipped via that method, does it look like it was resealed?