Premium Hanwoo Set Gifted by Acquaintance Delivered to Rural Yard
Missed Text, Found Next Day... Cat Took It Away
"Contactless Delivery Principle, Delivery Worker Responsible for Compensation"
A Hanwoo gift set was delivered to the yard, but a stray cat bit and took it away, leading to the delivery driver compensating the customer, according to a report. On the 6th, Yonhap News reported, "During the surge in deliveries for the national holiday Seol, a controversy arose over responsibility after a stray cat tore open and took away a Hanwoo gift."
A man in his 60s, Mr. A, living in Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do, received a Hanwoo gift set from an acquaintance at 8:28 PM on the 2nd. Although Mr. A was home, the delivery driver left the gift in the yard and sent a "delivery completed" text message. Missing the message, Mr. A was unaware of the delivery until the next morning at 7 AM, when he found the gift packaging torn and two out of four Hanwoo packs missing.
Mr. A's house is a typical rural detached home, and there are many stray cats nearby, so it is presumed that this incident occurred because of them. He reported this to the delivery company and inquired about compensation, but after reviewing the standard terms and legal considerations, the company concluded it was not responsible. Instead, the delivery driver, registered as a self-employed worker, compensated Mr. A for the "delivery accident."
Worth about 200,000 KRW... Driver compensates for 'delivery accident'
The delivery company told Yonhap News, "Since COVID-19, contactless delivery has become routine, and in cities, it is common to leave items at apartment doors, but this is the first time we have seen such a case." They added, "In such cases, it is generally the delivery driver who has direct responsibility for the final delivery who compensates. Because there is a possibility of loss or damage, the driver is responsible for making arbitrary deliveries without handing the item directly to the customer or delivering it to a designated location."
They further explained, "If the customer specifies a delivery location such as the front door or a particular place and such an incident occurs, the delivery driver cannot be held responsible. In rural areas, the delivery location is designated in consultation with the customer, like a 'jar inside' (a safe place)," they added.
Mr. A said, "I heard the gift was worth about 200,000 KRW, and seeing it discarded on the ground was very disappointing. At first, I thought it was the delivery company's fault and demanded compensation, but I realized that with contactless delivery being the norm recently, there is no one to blame." He added, "In the end, I was glad the delivery driver handled the accident and compensated me."
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