Page 2 | Delivery driver leaving rat poison in my hallway

lonelylou09 · 2025-10-14T21:46:36+00:00

AIBU to complain to Amazon about their delivery driver today? It's really freaked me out. I was home during my lunch break today and was in the kitchen seeing to our new weeny rescue pup. I heard the front door open and a male voice and thought it was my other half home early from work. I went into the garden to see to the pup and when I came back in I saw 2 Amazon parcels on the floor in the hallway and I then had delivery notifications on my phone saying 'parcel handed to resident'. My OH was no where to be seen and didn't come home til much later so it wasn't him. I then concluded that the driver opened my front door and put the parcels there without even knocking or leaving them in the safe place as is noted. I'm really freaked out that someone opened the front door...one thing is he could of let the pup out who isn't allowed out yet as too young and also one of the boxes contained rat poison which the pup then could of gotten hold of. I'm guessing it wasn't our usual guy as he knows where to leave them and I've never had anyone just open the door before. I can't see any way to complain to Amazon online but I can escalate it to a phone call. I guess lesson learned to lock the door either way but as I was going back out shortly I don't usually bother. But surely that's just so unprofessional?

CarterBeatsTheDevil · 15/10/2025 09:51

I live semirurally and it's quite common to leave your front door unlocked if you're in. But the answer obviously is to lock your door. It's never happened to me but we instruct all delivery people to leave parcels inside the garden door at the back.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:50

RubySquid · 15/10/2025 09:36

I don't feel unsafe either but if I go in my front door and shut it behind me then anyone else coming in from the outside needs to use a key. They can't just push it OP. Thought most doors were like it Never had one that isn't in over 50 years

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My door locks with a catch on the inside that has to be turned and from outside you need to use a key to lock and unlock it. My previous door automatically locked when it was shut. This one doesn't.

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Imlyingandthatsthetruth · 15/10/2025 09:49

Should you lock your doors when you're in your house? Maybe, your choice.

Should delivery drivers let themselves into your house? No way!

Stop conflating the two issues. Not locking yourself in may be stupid, misguided, unsafe, choose your perrogative, but it doesn't trump unknown people letting themselves in.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:46

Tubestrike · 15/10/2025 09:28

I think the leave in a safe place option is for when you are not home. Maybe the delivery driver could tell you were in.

We have 3 vehicles and only 2 were outside at the time..I'm not sure how he would 'Know'
We've many times had parcels left in safe place when we've been home as it saves the drivers time than knocking the door and that's fine.
My main issue is he didn't even knock the door

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sittingonabeach · 15/10/2025 09:41

Delivery drivers have such short time to make a delivery, I'm guessing trying to open the door and if it opens throwing parcel in, is quicker than knocking, waiting for a response, and then trying to find the safe space if no-one responds.

Our local driver seems to knock and drop (leaving parcel on front step), certainly doesn't give you time to answer the door before they are off on to the next delivery

RubySquid · 15/10/2025 09:38

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:20

Not saying he should..I'm asking if it's considered ok for him to just open the front door without even knocking when instructions are leave in safe place and there is a note taped to front door saying leave in a safe place!
Obviously everyone on here thinks it my fault for not locking the door whilst being 5 steps away.
Even if the door was locked he would have startled me by hearing someone trying the door when not having heard it knock

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Where is your " safe place"then? Is that Information given to the driver

?

RubySquid · 15/10/2025 09:36

OhFeyreDarling · 15/10/2025 06:39

I'm so glad I live in a place where I don't feel the need to lock myself in my house at all times. But having said that it's very normal for delivery drivers to just pop parcels in front doors here. I used to be one and would always just put parcels into hallways.

Though I would always knock first or check for safe spaces so I don't think you're being unreasonable there OP

I don't feel unsafe either but if I go in my front door and shut it behind me then anyone else coming in from the outside needs to use a key. They can't just push it OP. Thought most doors were like it Never had one that isn't in over 50 years

GoBazGo · 15/10/2025 09:33

fluffiphlox · 15/10/2025 09:15

Delivery drivers can’t win on here this week.

I know, poor b*ggers.

GingerPaste · 15/10/2025 09:31

Lock your door and if it’s unlocked and you hear someone in the house go and check who it is.

I can understand that you’re annoyed but you need to taken more care with your security.

No harm was done and you’ve learned a couple of lessons.

Tubestrike · 15/10/2025 09:28

I think the leave in a safe place option is for when you are not home. Maybe the delivery driver could tell you were in.

sittingonabeach · 15/10/2025 09:28

For those questioning insurance, car insurance policies can have a clause about keys being left in the car invalidating a claim. Most house policies will say the house has to be secure. Obviously, this normally means when you are not in the house, so leaving accessible windows/doors open/unlocked when you are away from the house would probably invalidate a claim. But I assume they would possibly argue if you are at the back of the house or in the back garden and don't have sight of the front of the house and you are not popping to the front on a regular basis that the front of the house is not secure. So when OP talks about dropping things in the house from the car, that would be fine not locking the door, but if you are nowhere near the front door for a substantial part of time I bet insurers might try and refute a claim.

And those saying they live in a low crime rate area, so do I. Then one evening/night we had a spate of burglaries and 2 people had their cars stolen. Police came round and talked to everyone in the estate, they assumed it was a gang that had targeted us that night and had moved on to the next area the following day (so not local thieves). I assume these gangs probably look at the crime statistics of the area and then do a reccy a few days before to see how complacent people are. Cars were stolen as they were able to easily access keys. Unlocked doors were opened

CrimsonStoat · 15/10/2025 09:27

Thunderpants88 · 15/10/2025 04:27

I think this was intentional from the OP to get people to click on their post

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Same with the other deliver driver post the other day when he was supposedly trying to force his way into the house!

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:22

FartyAnimal · 15/10/2025 09:12

This is so weird. I can barely get an amazon driver to do more than hurl a parcel over our front gate (instead of just driving past and saying delivery attempted), and (only on) mumsnet they are walking to the front door, knocking, then trying the door and putting it inside!

He didn't knock though...that's my main issue!

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Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:21

fluffiphlox · 15/10/2025 09:15

Delivery drivers can’t win on here this week.

Any job you do you have rules to follow ..simple things like where to leave parcels or just knock the door!!

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PastaAllaNorma · 15/10/2025 09:21

Thunderpants88 · 15/10/2025 04:29

The truth. If someone leaves their can unlocked in a car park it doesn’t invalidate their insurance. It’s theft to steal someone’s car wether is is unlocked or not

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If you leave you keys in the car when it's stolen, it very much does invalidate your insurance in many (most?) cases.

There are clauses about taking sufficient care in every insurance policy I've worked with during five years in that sector.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:20

TotallyUnapologeticOmnivore · 15/10/2025 04:43

How is the driver supposed to know what is in the packages, or that you have a dog?

Not saying he should..I'm asking if it's considered ok for him to just open the front door without even knocking when instructions are leave in safe place and there is a note taped to front door saying leave in a safe place!
Obviously everyone on here thinks it my fault for not locking the door whilst being 5 steps away.
Even if the door was locked he would have startled me by hearing someone trying the door when not having heard it knock

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Crankyaboutfood · 15/10/2025 09:18

also eat poison wont solve your problem, it’s cruel, and it will affect other animals. Find another solution.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:15

sittingonabeach · 15/10/2025 09:13

@lonelylou09 I would hope that if you had a young child you would keep your door locked, not just so no-one could open it from the outside, but so your child couldn't open it from the inside! (some dogs can open doors too!)

Yes obviously but my child is now 26 and no longer at home and my pup cannot reach the handle as he is so small ( dachshund cross)

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fluffiphlox · 15/10/2025 09:15

Delivery drivers can’t win on here this week.

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:14

RubySquid · 15/10/2025 04:30

It seems weird. Need a key to open my front door from the othside Never known a front door otherwise

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As I said in a different reply the council changed the doors a while ago as it's now considered unsafe to have the doors where you need a key to get out. So mine is just closed unless you slide the catch round.
From the outside you have to use a key to lock it. It doesn't lock itself.
Which is handy as I said we are back and forth loading and unloading equipment for work ect.

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Bikergran · 15/10/2025 09:13

FFS. Lock your door. Next time it could be a thief or worse.

sittingonabeach · 15/10/2025 09:13

@lonelylou09 I would hope that if you had a young child you would keep your door locked, not just so no-one could open it from the outside, but so your child couldn't open it from the inside! (some dogs can open doors too!)

FartyAnimal · 15/10/2025 09:12

This is so weird. I can barely get an amazon driver to do more than hurl a parcel over our front gate (instead of just driving past and saying delivery attempted), and (only on) mumsnet they are walking to the front door, knocking, then trying the door and putting it inside!

Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:11

MasterOfOne · 15/10/2025 00:17

What I don't understand is even if you are rural - does your home insurance not state a clause about security measures i.e. keeping doors and windows locked?

It might not be an amazon driver next time regardless of how safe and rural the village you live in.

In this day and age, if you are this worried about strange people letting themselves in your homes, this is easily solved by locking your doors?

Good point..I actually don't know what insurance would say but it's not as if the door was unlocked and no one home..I was in the kitchen at the time so heard the door open. I was a few meters away but not visible as at the sink.
Yes obviously I will have to start locking my door now.
My post wasn't about if iabu to not lock my door but if the driver doing his job should be just opening doors without even knocking!

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Original poster

lonelylou09 · 15/10/2025 09:08

sittingonabeach · 15/10/2025 00:14

If I was bringing things into the house I would bring things into the hall (with other doors leading into the hall closed so dog can’t get into the hall and then out of the front door). Then close and lock front door and then take things from the hall to where they are meant to be (also take off shoes in hall).

If door is unlocked as you or DH are taking things in and out of the house wouldn’t one of you have seen the delivery driver @lonelylou09

For those of you who don’t lock the front door I assume you don’t have young children who might open it.

Edited

As I said he wasn't home but generally comes home at that time. No we don't have young children but the driver wouldn't have known that either. It might not have been a dog he could have let out. What if I'd popped to the loo and left a child downstairs?

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