Old house owners being a pain

[Moaningturtle]

We completed on our house in mid November. It started in the day of completion when she was still in the house 3 hours after completing moving stuff out, and then left a load of stuff in the garden to come and collect another time. It was annoying, especially as the clutter in the garden made our moving in harder, but it we were accommodating and polite.

Then the packages started arriving all the way up to Xmas, including a few which we missed delivery of that weren’t named so we had to go to the collection office to get packages that turned out were not for us! This got a bit more annoying. Then her partner (who wasn’t even joint owner) messaged me informing me that UPS will be delivering a very important package that day and could I make sure I sign for it!! On that occasion I told him no, I was sleeping and can’t get up to answer deliveries (I work nights). It happened to come while I was awake though so I dutifully took it to a requested neighbours house.

Then he messaged me asking me to contact Virgin Media and take over his contract!! I said no thank you very much, we have our own broadband sorted. He seemed a bit miffed as I assume he now has to pay for the remainder of the contract.

All a bit annoying but we put up with it. But the latest instalment is that we’ve had Virgin media knocking on our door demanding we give back their equipment. Now, they did leave a router plugged into the wall which I assumed they didn’t want as why would they leave it in a house they had sold? So I put it straight in the garage….I think? It’s possible it went to the recycling centre with other electronics we were getting rid of. If it is in the garage it’s way way way back there behind all the stuff we haven’t yet unpacked/general garage crap. And now the previous owner is WhatsApp-ing me about finding it for her as I assume she’ll be charged.

I know it all seems like small stuff and I should probably just do it, but I work at night then sleep for 4 hours before picking the kids up from school and the whole clubs/dinner/homework/bath time/ bed time routine. Then I’m back at work!

At what point can I stop being obliging and just block them from my phone? Or am I being petty here?!

I would check your credit score and associated people, if they're using your address still for these things I wouldn't put it past them to use your address for loans or credit!

Blimey, how do they even have your number?! We sold our last house in 2020 via an online agent so we did correspond with our buyers but email only and I set up a new email address specifically for them. I didn’t want them knowing my actual one. No way on earth I’d have given my number & we didn’t have the sellers of our new house either.

Just block them. You don’t even need to respond again. Just block them & never speak to them again. Any parcels, just say sorry, they don’t live here. The courier will take them back & return to sender. That’ll probably annoy them. As for virgin, I would ring customer service & say you bought the house 3 months ago & know nothing about this router. You don’t have it & would appreciate not being harassed for it. DO NOT waste your time looking for it.

It’s time to stop all this OP. Just block them & be ruthless. And if they ever happen to show up at your door, threaten you call the police for harassment. They are walking all over you.

[quote LondonSouth28]**@Staryflight445* and @MeridianB* - I know and you're both right, I just guess they will come around and make a massive fuss which I would find worse than just finding the (bloody!) Virgin thing! Given how cheeky they are they won't let this Virgin thing go and it will take up even more time trying to keep deflecting them is my guess. [/quote]
Oh but they do! They want it all back or they charge you for it! I've just had the pleasure of dealing with them after moving from one property to another (which they cannot provide their service to) and had to pay a rather large early exit fee. Annoying but fair enough, right? I took the contract out at one property so they had me bang to rights.

I also knew from the contract that I'd have to return all of their kit (router, Virgin Media Boxes, etc) so I packed them up and took them with me when I moved to send them back in the pre-paid bag/box they sent me to my new address.

Me. The contract holder. Not the person who moved into my old property.

The OP has nothing to worry about, no responsibility for VM (or any of the other nonsense they've been having her jump through hoops for!) whatsoever. Granted, she may have made a rod for own back by not saying no in the first place but some people are that way inclined and there are plenty of CF's ready to take advantage.

At what point can I stop being obliging and just block them from my phone? Or am I being petty here?!

Two months ago.

Its bonkers. If you really can't tell them to FOAD then get your solicitor to send a letter to stop harassing you.

Then get the assertiveness book upthread and look on line for assertiveness training for women - there are free modules around, give them a try.

@Jjjayfee

Curious as to who messaged you to put Virgin stuff in a bag? Surely not Virgin? They never seem to want old stuff.

@Jjjayfee Virgin came to the house a week ago and I sent them away, then today the old owner messaged me asking me to put it in the bag virgin (never) left.

You’ve gone way too far the other way.

Parcels-refuse them at the door.

Letters- return to sender, back in the post.

Virgin box- Virgin need to chase it up with their customer. You don’t have this item- and DO NOT allow previous owners in to look for it!

Send one final message to say you will now return all mail/ packages to sender, then block.

@LondonSouth28

Sorry, I've mis-quoted you there. I was replying to another poster who asked if VM actually ask for their kit back.

Block and move on. Their CFuckery skills are high, if you don’t block then lm sure they will try to draw you in again

Aside from any one off genuine errors, such as ordering something which defaulted to a previous address and finding it's already been despatched then agree with everyone, they are taking the pee.

Why would they leave stuff in the house when it no longer belongs to them? I have the same issue with people putting unsolicited catalogues through the door and then ringing to get them back days later and being annoyed that you binned it. If you want to keep it don't put it through the door.

I'd stick a temporary note on your door saying you will not accept and mail or parcels for X and X to hopefully resolve the mail/parcels issue.

@DoncasterHombre - no problem x

Sod that love. Block them & any post for them, write 'no longer resides' & stick back in the post office. Don't take any deliveries either. I can't believe they haven't sorted all this out tbh. Just plain rude.

@DoncasterHombre you are completely right, they sometimes ask for it back. I wouldn’t be investing any time or effort, it was the previous owners responsibility

The virgin media equipment is absolutely no concern of yours

If you get one more message I would be writing back to say the next they hear from you will be a cease and desist letter from your solicitor.

OP if you haven’t already, please change the locks too

Watsonville with this lot I reckon if they still had keys that worked they’d have let themselves in already

I’ve ordered the book linked up thread, thank you for the recommendation.

Just to be clear the garage is full of our crap not theirs, with the possible exemption of the virgin router! It probably is in there, DH would find it hard to chuck a perfectly good thing that “might” (will never) come in “handy”

With the assertiveness, I have tried but it’s like I physically can’t do it. I just can’t bear the thought of how awkward it would feel, especially if I’m face to face with someone. It’s like a phobia, I can’t physically do it. I really don’t want to be a walk over. I want to work on it, or pray menopause hits soon!!

@MelonTits

At what point can I stop being obliging and just block them from my phone?

The best time would have been a week after completion, (and that’s generous!)

second best time is now.

this

With the assertiveness, I have tried but it’s like I physically can’t do it

but you don't have to do it face to face. Send the message I or others have suggested and block. You never have to see these people again. It is possible they will also text you but I assume you can block on your phone as well as Whatsapp. There will be no awkwardness.

Or get your DH to do it!

@Moaningturtle

I’ve ordered the book linked up thread, thank you for the recommendation.

Just to be clear the garage is full of our crap not theirs, with the possible exemption of the virgin router! It probably is in there, DH would find it hard to chuck a perfectly good thing that “might” (will never) come in “handy”

With the assertiveness, I have tried but it’s like I physically can’t do it. I just can’t bear the thought of how awkward it would feel, especially if I’m face to face with someone. It’s like a phobia, I can’t physically do it. I really don’t want to be a walk over. I want to work on it, or pray menopause hits soon!!

There must be a point at which you would snap and do it? All you have to do is lower your snap threshold

oh and here is a good mantra
"Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys"

I had this over my desk at work.....but I used it as a warning sign!

Lmao no. They should’ve taken care of that, not you. You didn’t pay for it, and you’re not on the contract. They are. Block them please!! For your sake!

They don’t want to be responsible adults? Let them deal with those consequences! 🤣

Don’t worry about the Virgin Media thing, they will be charged £50 and it might teach therm not to be so disorganised in future!

@Moaningturtle

I’ve ordered the book linked up thread, thank you for the recommendation.

Just to be clear the garage is full of our crap not theirs, with the possible exemption of the virgin router! It probably is in there, DH would find it hard to chuck a perfectly good thing that “might” (will never) come in “handy”

With the assertiveness, I have tried but it’s like I physically can’t do it. I just can’t bear the thought of how awkward it would feel, especially if I’m face to face with someone. It’s like a phobia, I can’t physically do it. I really don’t want to be a walk over. I want to work on it, or pray menopause hits soon!!

I recommend getting a Ring doorbell, then you know who's knocking and can decide if you want to open the door to them. Parcel delivery? Ask who it's for, and if not you, say no thanks, return to sender then switch off microphone and break connection. Virgin Media? Say we're new owners and don't have a contract with you stop harrassing us then switch off microphone and break connection. Phone calls? BLOCK!

Also useful for friends / relatives you don't want to see who turn up unexpectedly, just tell them you're not home then switch off microphone and break connection.

My Ring doorbell is worth every penny of the £100 I paid for it!

They sound pretty dodgy. If you sign for a parcel and then hand it over to them or someone else. They could claim that they didn’t receive it and it’s your signature on it. Block them now!

Once again, I am astounded at the way house sales are handled in England. (I'm assuming it's England as I know it's different in Scotland.)

There are lots of things we don't do well in the US, but property transfers is not one of them. In my state (and I think in most states), the buyer does a walk-through the day before, or sometimes the morning of, the closing of the sale. This is to make sure that the house is vacant and in the condition specified in the contract.

The only time I ever had any contact with sellers after closing was when a seller's cat disappeared while they were moving out. Happily, she (the cat) showed up at the house a few days after we moved in; we called the seller who came and got her.

Moving is stressful enough without having to go through what OP has. You have gone well above and beyond for these sellers, OP. Time for some quite enjoyment of your new house.