To think the delivery company should leave me alone?

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Over a month ago, I was expecting a parcel. There was building work being done on the front of the building I live in, but I was in. The parcel didn't make it to me, so I reported it to the retailer who investigated and sent another one.

Three days later, the delivery driver and a friend of his let themselves into the building and came to my house. It was Sunday evening and they weren't very friendly. They explained that the parcel had been given to one of the men outside the building and asked me to find it and call off the claim. I live on my own and I found this quite scary, especially as they hadn't warned me they'd be coming.

For four days after that, the delivery driver came back every day. I didn't let him in, but he started ranting through the intercom system. I reported all of this to the delivery company and after a while, they promised me it'd stop and he wouldn't contact me again. He did continue to try for a few days and then it died down. I didn't accept the replacement parcel because I didn't want to see him again and I've avoided ordering anything that might be delivered by one of their drivers again, incase it's him.

Last week the building company visited the property management company and have billed him £80 for dealing with calls and meetings with the delivery driver, who they claim has hassled them a lot and keeps saying they either stole the parcel or I did, and they need to sort it out. The property management company have paid and are passing the bill to me, because it's my issue. I explained that it wasn't, and I asked for no more contact from the driver, but they have said I should pay them and recover the costs from the delivery company.

AIBU to think they should be able to stop this behaviour?! Or am I being oversensitive? I feel for him if they did dock his wages but equally, I didn't want to pay for something that never got delivered to me...

[JapaneseSlipper]

What a mess.

Totally wrong for the Management Company to make payment and then expect you to cover it. They should have passed it on to you and told you to deal with it - not take the decision out of your hands. Now you owe money to a company you are tied to, and have less chance of not paying. Ridiculous.

[Gazelda]

I'd be straight back on to the delivery company, emailing their CEO and copying the retailer's head of customer relations. Tell them the whole sad and demand they resolve it, without further involvement from you. Give them 14 days before you seek legal advice.

[RaspberryOverload]

Same as previous posters: Go to the delivery company and place it squarely in their hands. Obviously, given the driver's previous behaviour, be ready to call the police, as there's a good possibility he'll kick off again.

Make sure you let the property management company know you've passed the bill on.

It's not your fault and not your problem.

[GloGirl]

Are you still being harassed? I'd actually phone 101 if so, explain you're harassment, having to be billed by the management company, get a crime reference number and then ask police about whether they will be in touch with the delivery company to not allow this person to deliver any parcels to you or whether you will have to do it directly.

I'd tell the management company who want you to pay £80 to fuck off, it has absolutely nothing to do with you.

Then I'd get the bill for £80, the police reference number and I would contact the company you bought the package from and escalate it as high as you can the distress that it's brought so that the company from their end can also bollock the delivery company.

This is a ridiculous situation which has got sod all to do with you! I'm upset on your behalf

[Sprink]

The property management company should deal directly with the delivery company. OP, stay out of it.

They were foolish to pay and can't make you pay. If they really believed the £80 was your responsibility they shouldn't have paid on the first place.

Quite frankly, I think the building company has a lot of nerve to put together a bill in the first place, but should (also) have dealt directly with the delivery company. That they didn't do so indicates they didn't think they'd get any money.

What a mess.

[SapphireStrange]

I agree with Gazelda. What nonsense. No, you're not being oversensitive!

[TheMaddHugger]

Name and Shame. who was it ?

(((((((((((Hugs))))))))))) OP AnchorDownDeepBreath

[mypropertea]

This is insane. The property management company made the decision to engage with the driver. They can not say they had your consent to do this so you owe them nothing for the service.

[Birdsgottafly]

The property management company should have dealt with this, after they were billed.

If someone from the building company did take the parcel and keep it, it's theft.

Stating that might have, had the parcel turn up.

The delivery driver shouldn't have handed it over. I was standing in my DDs path, with her front door open and the driver wouldn't give me the parcel, unless I stepped into the house, because then he's considered to have delivered it.

If you do your job properly, these things don't happen.

You haven't caused any of this.

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

I agree that you need to escalate this with the delivery company. Trouble is they probably wont care. Most delivery drivers are self employed and not actual employees, but at the end of the day, they are representing the company that they are delivering for, so should behave in a professional way.

If the driver attempts to contact you again, call 101 and report him for harassment. Keep a log of all attempted contact, and write down all contact that has already happened.

Send the bill to the delivery company, as it is their driver who caused all of the hassle. They might claim he is self employed and therefore nothing to do with them, but your contract is with the purchase company and their contract is with the delivery company so they are liable.

I would also advise the delivery company. I had a Tesco F&F clothing parcel left in my green recycle bin with all the grass cuttings. I complained as the clothes smelled of silage. Tesco complained to the delivery company.

I then had a note put through my door instead of my next delivery, stating that I had asked them not to leave parcels anywhere! I texted the driver and said no, you can leave them BEHIND the bin, just not IN the bin!

But technically, as a PP said, they should not leave them anywhere except with you, but most drivers will as they don't want to return the next day, and if they are paid per drop, they only get paid once it is delivered.

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

*advise the purchase company

[PegsPigs]

What a horrid situation to be in Anchor

I genuinely can't see how any of this is your fault. The delivery driver didn't deliver it to the person it was addressed to so he didn't do his job. It is NOT your responsibility to chase the building company nor is the building company being fair to you passing on the 'bill' for dealing with the driver to your property management company who they probably knew would pass it onto you.

I see this as harassment and you might want to consider reporting it through 101.

What would I do? I would take this further up with the delivery company and get them to pay for the £80 'bill' and also get them to deliver a replacement item free of charge to you guaranteeing it won't be delivered by the original driver. And also get them to guarantee in writing that that driver will never deliver to you again.

[AnchorDownDeepBreath]

Thank you all, I had started to think it was me...

The delivery company have advised me to go out incase he visits this afternoon but asked what else I'm expecting them to do.

I'll call 101 and contact the retailer and the ceo of the delivery company when I've found somewhere to sit for the afternoon. I can't believe how ridiculous this is... I appreciate the support I'm feeling oddly vulnerable!

[aginghippy]

YANBU you are not being oversensitive. IIWY I would complain to the retailer, follow their procedure and make an official complaint. The delivery company are acting on their behalf.

As pp, it's harassment and I would consider reporting to police via 101.

Also, no way would I be paying the 80 pounds. If the delivery driver has been hassling the building company, it's nothing to do with you.

[aginghippy]

Cross posts.

Not surprised you are feeling vulnerable after the harassment.

Hope you have a peaceful afternoon.

[SapphireStrange]

The delivery company have advised me to go out incase he visits this afternoon but asked what else I'm expecting them to do.

Tell them you're expecting their staff not to harass people. Do they really think advising customers to go out to avoid their staff's harassment is good advice? Please make sure you include this when you contact the CEO.

[leelu66]

YANBU at all, OP. I do wonder if they would have behaved differently if you were a man

It's not your fault the parcel went missing. They can instil a policy of only delivering to the recipient of the parcel in future.

[WicksEnd]

Find them on social media, and don't stop complaining. Utter twats.
What company is it?

[pinkunicornsarefluffy]

After your update, I would definitely call the police. How dare the delivery company advise you to go out. Obviously they can't control what their driver does, but you should be able to sit in your own home. What they should do is sack him and never use him again. If you report this to the police now, and he comes back, then it will help your case. Harassment has to be repeated offences.

and I agree but forgot to say in my last post, that I don't see that you should have to pay the £80. Do you have any access to legal advice through your bank account or insurance policy? or you could go to Citizens Advice for some help.

[akkakk]

legal position is that the supplier (company from which you bought the item) has the legal obligation to make delivery - any issues with the delivery company are their issue - not yours, so pass everything over to them and explain that unless it is sorted out asap you will be involving the police for harrassment by their delivery company...

as for the £80 bill - ridiculous - no one can take time and charge you for it unless you have a contract in place that allows them to do that - in the absence of such a contract they are whistling in the wind - and anyway, this is between them and the delivery company - not your issue

[MackerelOfFact]

That's horrendous. OP, please name and shame the delivery company. Self-employed or not, the delivery company have entrusted the driver with a major function of their business, presumably meaning they have the power to stop him delivering to/harassing any more customers.

It does sound like they have some sort of policy that missing or undelivered parcels incur a penalty to the driver, which seems unfair on the face of it - but that's between the driver and the delivery company, it's nothing to do with you!

[GloGirl]

They told you to go out for the day?!