Cambridge, Ont. man says package was left out in the rain after Canada Post delivery driver forged his signature

A Cambridge man may not be using Canada Post anytime soon after a delivery driver allegedly forged his signature. CTV Colton’s Wiens reports.

A man from Cambridge, Ont. will be looking for a new company to deliver packages after he said a Canada Post employee forged his signature and left a parcel out in the rain.

James Murphy told CTV News he received a notification that a package had been successfully delivered and signed for, even though Murphy was at work at the time, his daughter was at school and his wife asleep.

“With the way the world is today and everything, I don’t like packages sitting around. So, I got signature required for all my packages,” Murphy explained.

Although his wife eventually brought the package in, Murphy didn’t know how his name and signature ended up on the delivery receipt.

“Somebody signed my name,” he alleged.

This wasn’t the first time Murphy’s signature was forged. He said a similar situation happened about nine months ago when another package was ‘signed for.’ That delivery was then stolen.

Given the repeated offence, Murphy contacted Canada Post in hopes of receiving an explanation.

“They were like, ‘Well, wow. This shouldn’t happen,’” he recounted. “The regional supervisor called me the next day, and he said, ‘I hear you had a problem with your package delivery.’”

Murphy said the supervisor asked if he had received his package, and he confirmed it had been left at his home.

“‘But your driver signed my name, he forged my signature, in essence,’” Murphy replied

The supervisor was told someone had been smoking outside when the delivery driver tried to drop off the package. The driver said that person told him to sign Murphy’s name and leave the delivery behind.

“I told him, ‘I don’t care if it was Santa Claus who told you to drop the package. There’s a process to be followed for a reason,’” recalled Murphy.

Frustrated, he hung up the phone and called Canada Post again. This time, he spoke with the provincial supervisor.

“She [said], ‘No, this isn’t right. This shouldn’t be happening.’”

Murphy received an apology, but the next day the regional supervisor called again and said he was aware of Murphy’s conversation with the provincial supervisor.

“I’m an easygoing guy and everything, but that really did not sit well with me at all. So, I told him, ‘No I wasn’t happy with your explanation about everything,’” Murphy said. “He was coming up with every excuse in the book for his driver. The bottom line is his driver forged my signature, threw $500 worth of guitar parts out in the rain in a package and nobody seemed bothered with it other than people who I got a hold of above him, who were great about it.”

‘It should not have happened’

Canada Post said it has strict guidelines for delivering items that require a signature. If someone at the listed address opens the door, that person can accept the item and sign for it on behalf of the recipient, but if no one answers, delivery agents are supposed to leave a delivery notice card at the door or in the mailbox which explains when and where the packaged can be picked up.

“We’re terribly sorry to hear about this incident. It should not have happened,” a Canada Post representative said in an email to CTV News.

Canada Post also called it an isolated incident and a detailed review was conducted to prevent a similar situation in the future.

“First and foremost, our delivery agents are instructed not to sign on behalf of customers when delivering an item requiring signature,” the email said.

The local Canada Post team also had a discussion with the employee in question to go over proper procedures.

However, Murphy, who orders multiple items online every year, said he will likely use another delivery service in the future, even if it costs more.