Evri has apologised to customers and said it is continuing to invest in its delivery service in Northern Ireland, following complaints about missing and delayed parcels.

The courier company opened a new £1.3m depot in Mallusk, County Antrim in September. GMB, the union which represents some Evri staff, said the site had “teething issues” which were contributing to delays.

Dozens of customers have been sharing stories on social media about lost and missing deliveries in the run up to Christmas, as well as criticising the customer service they have received from the company.

Leanne Flanagan, from Portglenone, County Antrim told BBC News NI her recent experience had been “horrific”.

Ms Flanagan placed an order for a Christmas present on 12 November with Amazon who then used Evri as the courier.

“It’s my main Christmas present, it arrived at a warehouse and I’ve heard absolutely nothing back bar an automated response every time and they don’t know where it’s at,” she said.

The mother-of-two said she had been left frustrated at the customer support she had received.

“I have sent emails, I’ve talked to the online chat and all they’re saying is that it’s lost in the system and it’s been misplaced and to go back and get another one ordered.

“I can’t get talking to anyone in Evri at all. I can’t get talking to a human being.”

Ms Flanagan has since asked the supplier not to use Evri as the courier for her replacement order.

BBC News NI asked Evri if they were aware of delivery issues in Northern Ireland and if they were linked to the operation of its new hub in Mallusk.

In response it said it had delivered four million parcels since the site opened, the “vast majority” on time, and it was “very sorry that a small number of people have experienced localised issues”.

“We are investing to further expand the new site, increase capacity and we are bringing in additional people to support,” the statement added.

GMB, the union which represents some Evri staff, said: “Evri’s new super hub in Northern Ireland has had well documented teething issues – meaning people across the country aren’t getting their parcels as quickly as they should.”

They said that Evri has now opened two new units “which should ease the pressure”.

GMB added they had a “constructive meeting” with Evri bosses on Friday 12 December where “they told us they have addressed multiple concerns”.

“We look forward to hearing their progress.”

TradePrintingUK told BBC News NI it had also faced delays to deliveries, despite being based near the new site in Mallusk.

It receives machinery parts from suppliers in England, but design manager Mark Cairns said production at the company had been affected by delays from Evri.

“You would get an e-mail in the morning, saying it’s going to be delivered. The morning would come and go.

“We certainly don’t see them and we wait another day and that pattern continues for days.”

As result the company now looks for firms that don’t use Evri.

“It should be simple because we’re in Mallusk. We would think that we’d be one of the first drops, but we’re not,” Mr Cairns added.

Alison McNeilly from Ballyclare, County Antrim has also experienced problems. She had regularly purchased pet food online but since her supplier switched to Evri has had difficulty locating her parcels.

“From August this year, we haven’t been able to get any cat food delivered at all,” she added.

Ms McNeilly said she believed the new depot was contributing to the problems and now sources supermarket pet food for her five cats at double the cost.

Consumer Council NI said it was aware of issues consumers were experiencing with parcel deliveries.

“We know that many consumers shop online or send gifts to one another in the lead-up to Christmas and delays or lost parcels can impact these plans,” a spokesperson said.

“There are a number of steps you can take. Your first step is to contact the retailer. When shopping online your contract is with the retailer, not the delivery company.

“If the goods are not delivered you can ask for a replacement or request a refund.

“If you have either received a response from the company that you are unhappy with or have not received a response within their agreed time frame you can make a complaint.

“If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint, you can contact the Consumer Council.”