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Original poster

What is the correct parcel etiquette?

53 replies

AvoidingRealHumans · 31/08/2020 18:57

If you get a card stating that your parcel is at your neighbours house, do you go and get it or should they bring it to you?

OP posts:
CasaLuna · 31/08/2020 19:36

I personally think you should go and collect it from the neighbour but my neighbours disagree and will wait days for me to take it round. Hmm

DimidDavilby · 31/08/2020 19:39

Don't take any more parcels in for him the cheeky cunt.

FelicityPike · 31/08/2020 19:43

You absolutely go and get it yourself.

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sallyshirt · 31/08/2020 19:52

I go and get it, otherwise they are constantly having to look to see if I am home (I work weird times and often am away for days at a time).

iklboo · 31/08/2020 19:55

THE OP HAS THE NEIGHBOUR'S PARCEL.

ItsTimeToPlayTheMusic · 31/08/2020 19:59

Another one whose neighbours have form for this shit. My house isn’t a bloody DHL depot. Fortunately they’ve been home so much with lockdown that it’s not been an issue recently.

nutellatoast · 31/08/2020 20:20

I would go get it but if I took in a parcel for a neighbour I would take it round if they hadn't picked it up and I knew they were in. It's just neighbourly and occasionally those cards go missing or fall behind something etc.

rottiemum88 · 31/08/2020 20:44

At least he's not quite as cheeky as one of our neighbours, who actually started putting our address on his parcels, because he knew we'd be in to sign for them (both WFH) and THEN expected them to be dropped round to him too. He tried it with a HelloFresh delivery one time and I drew the line and txt him to say I'd prefer that he find another house to take his parcels in as it disturbs our dogs everytime the door goes. Never had a parcel to take in since

Original poster
AvoidingRealHumans · 07/09/2020 11:45

Thought I would update you, we are now on day 10 and I still have the parcel. I googled the company and its an expensive shoe shop and going on the date on parcel and looking at delivery options on the website because I am that bored, it would seem as though he paid £10 to have them delivered next day before 10.30am so that makes it even weirder. He clearly wanted then quickly Confused. My mum is saying he may have social anxiety or covidphobia which is why he won't knock, wondering whether to drop them off now.

OP posts:
HRHQueenMortificado · 07/09/2020 12:00

I would be wondering if a calling card had been left? I've had parcels left next door before with no calling card.

halcyondays · 07/09/2020 12:17

In our street people usually take the parcel round to you.

ApolloandDaphne · 07/09/2020 12:26

How weird. The onus is definitely for him to collect to from you.

Pogmella · 07/09/2020 12:39

When I was on Maternity leave the Hermes guy started coming straight to my house- he didn’t even try the neighbours! I refused to taken anything else- tell the courier you don’t get on with neighbours/are going abroad soon/have no room if they push (all successful strategies I used)

LolaSmiles · 07/09/2020 12:42

In our street people do a bit of both. Sometimes we take it over for them if we see them come in / neighbours pop round, other times we go and collect/neighbours collect. I'd say it's 80% the recipient collects and 20% the neighbors drop round. There's no cheeky behaviour though.

Your neighbour sounds like he's either lazy, entitled or enjoys the idea of others running around after him.

steppemum · 08/09/2020 08:02

I WFH, so I end up taking in a lot of parcels, which I don't mind (we are all nice neighbours!)

Whenever I take in a parcel, I double check that the deliverer will be putting a card through their door to say that I have it. Then the parcel sits on the shoe rakc until they come and get it.

if I had a neighbour who didn't collect, I wouldn't take in their parcel. So with this person, when they collect, I would say to them, if you wnat me to take in your parcels, you need to collect within 48 hours, otherwise I'll just leave it on your doorstep, or refuse them.

CherryPavlova · 08/09/2020 08:05

For goodness sake, why would you keep it ten days and not drop it off? How do you even know they received a card saying where it was?

Why would you snoop about what they had ordered. Definitely inappropriate behaviour.

Tadpolesandfroglets · 08/09/2020 08:14

Maybe the card got lost? 10 days is a long time to hold on to something to make a point. He’s a neighbour and therefore by definition, lives nearby. Would it be the end of the world to deliver it for him?

Lackadaisically · 08/09/2020 08:14

After a couple of days I'd take it round, they don't always leave calling cards and on one occasion the courier had written the wrong number on the card so they hadn't known where their parcel was!

If he has form for this then don't take any more parcels in for him.

We work from home and our old house was in a cul de sac and all the couriers figured out we were in all the time pretty quick. Our hall felt a bit like a depot at times, my favourite was a large Christmas tree mid December, luckily we had room for it, the family round the corner were very grateful that we'd actually taken such a big item in. They had a toddler so I'm glad we did, wouldn't have wanted to delay a small child in getting their tree up!

Merinocool · 08/09/2020 08:17

Sometimes I drop it off for them it depends on what suits me, I’ve got a young daughter so if I’m about to do bath/bedtime routine for her I’d rather take it round before I start that incase they come when I’m doing it. There’s been times too when neighbours don’t know I have it because they didn’t put a card through, got a heavy piece of gym equipment for one guy but couldn’t carry it so just asked them if they could come get it, they had no idea it was being delivered that day.

I always go get my parcel from neighbours as soon as I’m home but sometimes by then they’ve gone out and bring it round when they get back. We all clearly do a bit of give and take I think.

whirlwindwallaby · 08/09/2020 08:24

I go get it. Though I hate doing so, social anxiety. My preference is Royal Mail then go to the depot and get it myself. If I'd had something more than a couple of days and knew the neighbours were home I'd drop it round so I wouldn't have the worry of not knowing when they were going to knock.

Original poster
AvoidingRealHumans · 08/09/2020 08:27

A card was definitely left, I saw the courier do it.
I would hardly say googling a company on a label is inappropriate behaviour Hmm, most parcels have the logo all over them anyway.
If it was another neighbour I would have taken it round but I am waiting this one out to see when he comes and gets it, he's outdone his last parcel time when I caved at 10 days and took it to him.
I realise it's a bit petty but he needs to pick his own parcels up. I will be refusing from now on, thought I was doing him a favour

OP posts:
FAQs · 08/09/2020 08:30

I have a neighbour who between him and his wife order a load of parcels and are both out at work all day, I wfh.

I Facebook message them to tell them their personal sorting office is accumulating parcels and they need to collect. They do pay me in cake though when they realise they are pushing it.

Flynn999 · 08/09/2020 08:35

I always go round and get it, although I have been known to take a parcel round once I’ve seen they are back and not collected it. Has he been round and your not in? If you see his car in the drive just knock on the door and pass them on.

or keep them

Ginger1982 · 08/09/2020 09:41

Hold your nerve OP! Or contact the company and return it.

AmandaHoldensLips · 08/09/2020 09:56

I had a cheeky cow neighbour who thought I was her delivery point because I work from home. She's a wealthy SAHM with a massive superiority complex.

I started refusing parcels and she actually had the cheek to knock on my door and have a go at me!

All the delivery drivers hated her too for wasting their time. We would have a laugh at the doorstep when I accepted parcels for other neighbours while hers remained on the van.