TO YOUR DOOR
‘Nightmare’ new system that lets strangers deliver a package into your car slammed by drivers
A NEW system that lets delivery drivers unlock cars with a click of a button has been slammed.
Unveiled by Volkswagen, the technology is designed to let Hermes couriers drop off a parcel when a car's owner is busy.
2
After a package is delivered at the depot, drivers have the option to get it dropped off at their car rather than their home or office.
GPS coordinates are sent to the driver to locate the car, who then must send a photo to the owner to confirm it has been securely locked.
Delivery drivers are then given a single-use, time-specific code to unlock the car which can only be used by them.
The German manufacturer is trialling the delivery service in Milton Keynes, with hopes of rolling it out nationwide later this year.
2
Most Volkswagens produced after January 2 2019 are eligible for the service.
But social media users were quick to slam the system, with some questioning the safety of their motor.
One person said: "Sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen. Incoming law suits and missing things from cars."
Another joked: " I guarantee they will lose your car as well as your parcel."
A Twitter user said: "That's the last I need. Bad enough already with Hermes ringing a doorbell. Would never trust them with my car."
Claire McGreal, brand strategy and mobility services manager at Volkswagen UK, said: "We are excited to have Hermes on board as our first courier partner to trial We Deliver in the UK.
"Feedback from users in Germany, where the scheme is already live, has been consistently positive and we hope to begin rolling out gradually across the UK by late 2020.
"Security is of course high on our list of priorities which is why delivery details are traceable to specific individual couriers.
"Should the delivery be unviable on the day for any reason – for example, there is insufficient space in the boot or the courier can’t locate the car – then the delivery will default to the user’s alternative address instead."
latest motors news
Adrian Berry, innovation product owner at Hermes, said: "At Hermes we are constantly looking to develop innovative products and services that improve convenience for our customers.
"It is the first trial of its kind in the UK and supports our mission to make parcels more personal.
"Further to this, we envisage that in-car delivery services will increase first-time delivery rates; reducing the number of delivery vans on our streets.";
Volkswagen has partnered with Tesco to offer free charging for electric cars while customers shop