A supermarket giant has paid a four-figure settlement to a customer who was left feeling "degraded and embarrassed" after a delivery driver questioned the legitimacy of his disability.
Confrontation at the Doorstep
The incident occurred on October 31 at the home of Necati Ayhan on Lord Street in Southport town centre. The 22-year-old, who lives with fibromyalgia, autism, and other medical conditions, had ordered a grocery delivery from Asda.
When the driver arrived, he reportedly asked Necati for help carrying the shopping upstairs. Necati explained that his disability prevented him from assisting. According to Necati, the driver then muttered "disabled my a**e" under his breath as he returned to his van for more items.
Driver's Dismissive Comment
Challenged on the remark in an audio recording, the delivery driver allegedly responded directly: "You don't look disabled to me." The confrontation escalated, leading Necati to instruct the driver to take all the shopping back to the store.
Feeling deeply upset, Necati later took a taxi to the Asda Central 12 store in Southport to lodge a formal complaint. The store offered him a £30 voucher to cover his travel costs but, he claims, also told him he would not receive any updates on the outcome of his complaint.
Apology and Aftermath
In the days that followed, Necati received an email from Asda confirming that the driver involved had been through a disciplinary process and had "stepped down from the role." The email stated the driver would no longer work as a delivery driver for the company and thanked Necati for bringing the matter to their attention, emphasising the importance of customer service and courtesy.
It is now understood that Asda has paid Necati a confidential four-figure settlement related to the incident. A spokesperson for the supermarket declined to comment when approached for a statement.
Reflecting on the experience, 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."
