AIBU to complain after Amazon opened the door and my cat escaped?

I found out after years in this house that the delivery driver comes in! Through the porch, down the hall, through kitchen and puts the parcel on the table in the utility room. I thought for years that DH was putting them there

YABU to use Amazon at all.

As the Amazon parcel was inside the house, it suggests it was the Amazon delivery guy who entered the house.

They've done it at my house as well, except we were in. No knock, no ringing the doorbell, they opened the door without saying anything and left the parcel in the hallway. It was very disconcerting.

So the cat came back the very same day.

Sorry, I’ll get my coat!

So you have proof it was the delivery driver?

I don't always lock my door, when I'm home or if I'm taking the dogs out down the street. There has been one time that I've came home and there's been a parcel left just inside. I didn't care too much on that occasion, but they were lucky I wasn't in and had the dogs with me as the dogs would have had at them before the parcel would have left their hand! I've seen a few complaints on local pages about Amazon drivers opening their doors too. It definitely happens just with unlocked, not left ajar, doors.

My first worry was about your cat going missing. Not sure where I've read it, local or just popped up on my Facebook, but I seen where a driver had actually stolen someone's cat! Think it was caught on their door camera. So glad your cat returned though and it's a lesson learned I suppose. I didn't complain about mine as I was just glad it was left somewhere safe (even though my 'safe place' is at my backdoor too!) but I get that they're on a super busy schedule and it was obvious it was left at arms length on the floor and they hadn't actually entered my home.

You are blaming the Amazon delivery driver but do you have proof 100% it was said delivery driver?

yoi forgot to lock the door, it could be possible you didn’t actually close the door fully, don’t think that could be possible? About as possible as a delivery driver letting themselves into your house tbh.

really hope you are 100% sure it was the delivery driver, would be awful if he lost his job because you didn’t secure your house correctly.

It happens sometimes.

Not ideal. But it doesn't excuse a delivery driver opening the door. Unless you have left specific instructions to leave it in a porch or something they shouldn't even be trying doors.

Or doing you think if someone leaves the door unlocked it's open season for anyone to come in? Make themselves a cup of tea perhaps and watch some TV.

Your fault for leaving the door unlocked

This must have been very stressful but I’m relieved to hear your cat returned.

I have had Amazon drivers attempting to gain entry to my property too in full view of a Ring doorbell. The doors have always been locked. At very best they are attempting to “safely” deliver a package at worst they are gaining unlawful access to someone’s house for whatever motive, who knows?!

I’ve reported to Amazon and they couldn’t care less. No one takes accountability and all they say is “we will take your feedback onboard”.

I reported it to the police as the majority of our neighbours are elderly and have a tendency to leave their side/ back doors open. Police said it was very common and that driver’s attempting to enter a property is considered a break in/ unlawful entry.

The police could only use the footage for intelligence purposes but it speaks volumes that these drivers don’t care they are on camera.

Id absolutely complain.
I complained about the postman who entered the house and left the package in the kitchen .
They've no right to attempt to enter your property

They always try doors I’ve seen them on my ring doorbell many times it’s wrong

The cat is home. No harm done. Accidents happen. I really wouldn’t have complained.

Exactly! I have never heard of delivery drivers trying doors, let alone actually entering the property.

In some areas it's perfectly normal to leave doors open during the day (usually when the occupant is in) and for delivery drivers to efficiently just tuck the parcel inside the door without stepping inside. I'm pretty sure that many people want their deliveries to be made like this. If you don't, then it's very easy to lock your door and you should certainly be locking your door when you are out.

Yes but I think you left the door open or ajar accidentally. You admit you forgot to lock, you absolutely cannot under any circumstances declare you absolutely closed the door.

Complain by all means but what do you want to a achieve by way of outcome

I'm loving the AI chatbot response tripping over itself to break every rule of customer service. Don't admit fault, don't apologise beyond the 'sorry this happened' and never commit to end-stage outcomes at first-tier complaint.

Human response: Sorry to hear this, I'll escalate it for investigation now. You'll hear from us within 4-6 weeks.
AI response: This is completely unacceptable and I hereby sentence the driver to 100 lashes of the Amazon Whip. I can also offer you a full refund and a £300 amazon voucher as compensation for your distress. What's your cat's name? Would you like some help printing some flyers if you don't find him/her? I can mock a design up for you right now.'

You’ve agreed that you forgot to lock the back door so it’s just as likely that you forgot to close the back door properly - with my doors you have to push the handle up to ensure it’s fully closed.
Your washing is out, your door is open, the driver has put the parcel in the house and your cat has had a lovely day out. You have no proof that the driver actually opened the door themselves.

I'm a bit torn, really. It is tough for drivers to know what to do when they are under such huge pressures to complete deliveries fast, and so liable to complaints if packages go missing, get damaged, wet, etc.

I bet that the initial 'training' your driver was given didn't include "don't open an unlocked door" or "double-check you have closed it properly", and the driver thought he/she was being helpful. If you don't have a cat, your mind won't go to the possibility of one escaping, especially if you encounter a door that has been left unlocked.

In these sorts of situations, I want to complain to Amazon but I know that it will be the driver, not Amazon, that bears the pain of my complaint, and I don't want to create additional hassle for them.

EDIT: Really glad your cat is home safe. Fear makes us prone to anger and you must have been very scared for her/his wellbeing. x

My brother leaves the back doors open all the time in SE London but I agree Amazon should’ve used your safe place and not opened a door. They probably tried the door though, found it open and hey presto.

Cats are clever and can open doors (my nana’s Persian could open windows) but they’re not the considerate type to bring parcels in. Food is their common denominator.

And then the parcel delivery man delivered a parcel.

Gosh.

They sometimes do. I work in the sitting room, which has our front door in it (no hallway). As I’ve got a direct view of the front door, I didn’t always lock it but do now after a delivery driver knocked, and then let himself in as I was walking the short distance from my desk to answer it. It frightened the life out of me because before I saw the parcel, I had no idea why there was a large man letting himself into my house.

I told him he really shouldn’t do that- alarming for the homeowner, how does he know there isn’t a fierce dog the other side etc. He was apologetic and told me his manager tells drivers to try doors to see if they can get inside and deliver the parcel. Perhaps he wasn’t being truthful but it does happen.