Damaged Dragonfly parcels

Dragonfly customers and drivers are at odds over the cause of numerous damaged Amazon packages, as Okanagan drivers for one of Amazon’s third party delivery services continue protesting this week.

Following an unpaid walkout of roughly 100 Dragonfly drivers starting on Tuesday, both customers and drivers are sharing their sides of a mounting shipment problem.

A number of Okanagan customers said that in addition to damaged packages, many are opened by the time they arrive at a customer’s door. Some have been left on car roofs or placed leaning on secure parcel boxes. Many are now sharing videos of drivers throwing packages.

A Gallagher Lake resident shared videos to Castanet of drivers tossing packages on his front door as recently as Nov. 13. He said Dragonfly’s customer service has done little to address his complaints.

Meanwhile Amazon has refunded many orders, including those delivered to wrong addresses.

In a Facebook group dedicated to Dragonfly complaints, users have said the same issues are occurring across the country, and even in Australia where the Montreal-based company expanded service to three years ago.

But a number of drivers were quick to apologize to customers on social media, following recent service backlash.

"I genuinely apologize for the problems that are being faced by the customers. I am pretty sure that a fewer months back this wasn’t happening," the drivers copied and pasted on social media.

Protestors in Lake Country, who are seeking earlier delivery times, told Castanet that videos of packages being thrown are reflective of certain drivers, not all.

Contracted driver Sukhchain Virk said changes to Lake Country’s evening delivery wave happened this past summer, causing drivers to start their last route into later evening hours.

However, the fallout became more glaring during the fall season when routes become darker earlier in the day.

He added that while similar problems occur across the country, the Okanagan’s mountain passes are covered in snow, causing dangerous conditions and delays as drivers are pressured to complete routes quickly.

Meanwhile, Arman Dhaliwal, a Dragonfly driver who previously worked in sorting, said that many damages have already happened by the time they are being sorted in the warehouse. Some of those items get bypassed during sorting, he said.

Drivers then deliver the already-damaged parcels. Others claim that animals in rural areas are destroying packages too.

In response to Castanet's inquiry about late deliveries, Intelcom/Dragonfly said discussions have been underway to better understand the protesting drivers' needs and expectations.

"We are making changes to some routes that are particularly challenging this season," the company said in an emailed statement.

"We regularly adjust our coverage and timing to meet customer needs and improve service, always prioritizing safety and working hours."

The company added that it monitors customer satisfaction, saying its score for the Kelowna area in 2024 is averaging above 4.5 out of 5.

Amazon told Castanet that customer orders in Canada are delivered through a mix of carriers, depending on the customer’s location.

“Dragonfly is one of several carriers we work with in Canada to get customers’ orders to them as quickly as possible," said Barbara M. Agrait, an Amazon spokesperson, in an emailed statement.

"We’re working with Dragonfly to determine what caused these delivery issues and to make things right for our customers.”