Necati Ayhan received a four-figure settlement from Asda after a delivery driver told him ‘you don’t look disabled to me’ at his Southport home. The driver has since left the company.
A man who felt “degraded” by what an Asda delivery driver allegedly said to him has received a four-figure compensation.
Necati Ayhan had his groceries delivered to his Lord Street home in Southport town centre on October 31. The 22-year-old claimed that when the delivery arrived, the driver requested his assistance in carrying the shopping upstairs. However, Necati informed the driver that his disability prevented him from doing so.
Necati, who lives with fibromyalgia, autism, and other medical conditions, claimed he overheard the delivery driver mutter “disabled my a**e” before heading back to the van to fetch more items. In an audio recording, Necati reportedly challenged the delivery driver about the remark, to which the driver responded: “You don’t look disabled to me.”
The confrontation escalated before Necati instructed the driver to take the shopping back to the store.
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After the incident, he travelled by taxi to the Central 12 store where he lodged a formal complaint and was offered a £30 voucher to reimburse his travel expenses, reports the Liverpool Echo. However, he also maintained he was informed at the time that he wouldn’t be updated on the complaint’s outcome.
Necati learned in the subsequent days that the delivery driver who made the remarks had departed the company. The email sent to Necati stated: “I have been advised that the driver has been in a disciplinary and has now stepped down from the role.
“He will no longer be working as a delivery driver. We appreciate you letting us know about this because customer service is important. I have asked [the manager] to remind his drivers of the need to be as helpful as possible and to be courteous at all time.”
It’s understood that Asda has paid Necati a four-figure settlement in relation to the incident. When asked for a statement by the Echo, a spokesperson for the supermarket chain declined to comment.
At the time, Necati said: “It was shocking. He made me feel degraded, embarrassed and terrible about the whole thing.
“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.”
