A man has alleged an Asda delivery driver questioned his disability as he delivered groceries to his home. Necati Ayhan, 22, had arranged for his shopping to be delivered on Friday, October 31, to his flat in Southport town centre.
Upon the delivery’s arrival, Necati claims the driver asked for his assistance in carrying the shopping up the stairs. However, Necati, who suffers from fibromyalgia, autism, and other medical conditions, explained that due to his disabilities, he was unable to help.
Necati alleges that he heard the delivery driver mutter “disabled my a**e”, before returning to the van to fetch more of the order. In a voice recording obtained by the ECHO, Necati can be heard questioning the driver about his comment, to which the driver responds: “You don’t look disabled to me.”
The part-time child care student at West Lancs College then asks the driver if he believes he is qualified to judge him, to which the driver affirms: “Yes.”
As the conversation progresses, the driver admits to having “whispered it” and suggests that Necati should have specified his disability when placing the order online, reports Liverpool Echo.
Necati is then heard instructing the driver to return his shopping to the supermarket before arranging a taxi to the Central 12 store in the town centre.
At this point, Necati says he lodged a formal complaint and was subsequently given a £30 voucher for the store to cover the cost of the taxi.
Necati told the ECHO: “It was shocking. He made me feel degraded, embarrassed and terrible about the whole thing.
“I need to tackle the issue and I want the outcome of the investigation to come to light. It’s arrogance from the driver.
“It would have been completely different if I had been in a wheelchair. I actually have a wheelchair, I need it when I go out, but not when I’m at home.”
Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition causing pain throughout the body, according to the NHS, and can trigger additional symptoms including muscle stiffness, sleep difficulties, cognitive problems and headaches.
He further alleged that upon raising his complaint at the store, he was informed an investigation would take place but he wouldn’t be updated on its findings.
An Asda spokesperson said: “We’re aware of Mr Ayhan’s complaint and are looking into it as a priority.”