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Original poster

Strange parcels being delivered.

78 replies

Strangeparcels · 14/10/2022 18:44

Firstly, I've name changed for this, because I have mentioned it to several people in real life.
About a month ago, while I was out, my husband got a delivery of a box of 3200 paper towels for a paper towel dispenser. Unfortunately it was left on the doorstep, or he would have questioned it at the time. The address was ours, but said to Emergency Personnel. He looked up the sender to report it, but the seller went out of business 2 years ago.
An hour later, another much larger parcel arrived. Fortunately, this one required signing for and since it was also our address, but not for us, he refused it at the door. He did notice that this was from a different company, however.
We left the parcel unopened for several weeks (after having asked our neighbours if anyone was missing a big box of paper towels), just incase anyone contacted us about it.
Eventually, I opened it in case it actually contained a million pounds, but it was just paper towels.
It's been sitting on our landing ever since.
Unfortunately, yesterday another identical box of paper towels arrived - same closed down business address!
I have a horrible feeling that this is a monthly order that is just going to keep turning up, but there is no one to contact to stop it!

What do I do?????
I don't want thousands of paper towels 😭

OP posts:
Original poster
Strangeparcels · 15/10/2022 08:47

SarahDippity · 15/10/2022 00:18

There’s a possible scam in that one day you might get an ‘overdue payment’ notice for an extortionate amount, and proof of delivery. I would be seeking to notify the company (via Companies house registered business address) and putting up a notice saying ‘no deliveries from xyz company.’

We haven't actually accepted them, they've turned up on our doorstep and deliverer is no longer there.
I've looked up the laws on unsolicited parcels and they would be acting illegally to try to charge us for them.

OP posts:
Keyansier · 15/10/2022 08:49

Strangeparcels · 15/10/2022 08:47

We haven't actually accepted them, they've turned up on our doorstep and deliverer is no longer there.
I've looked up the laws on unsolicited parcels and they would be acting illegally to try to charge us for them.

Show quote history

You are being so naïve accepting all of these large parcels you don't know where have come from into your house. You need to report this to police. Even just so it's on file.

Original poster
Strangeparcels · 15/10/2022 08:49

SE4mumofboys · 15/10/2022 08:45

But would they? I think mine would look totally confused by that

Show quote history

I work in a school, but unfortunately we don't have any of the correct dispensers, so although we could use them in class on an ad-hoc basis, we don't really have room to store them.
I guess I could give each class a few bundles to use instead of tissues though, or for mopping up spills during art etc.

OP posts:
ChaseDreams · 15/10/2022 08:50

Keyansier · 14/10/2022 20:43

I just mentioned stealth boast because that's how it came across as in the OP. But more importantly I said OP should contact the police just in case it's something more serious as if it's true, it sounds highly suspicious.

Madness! Confused

Original poster
Strangeparcels · 15/10/2022 08:52

Keyansier · 15/10/2022 08:49

You are being so naïve accepting all of these large parcels you don't know where have come from into your house. You need to report this to police. Even just so it's on file.

Show quote history

We HAVEN'T accepted them. They have arrived and been left.
If we had actually seen the deliverer we could refuse them, as my husband did with the second random parcel.
We aren't being naive, there is nothing we can currently do about it!

OP posts:
AlisonDonut · 15/10/2022 08:52

Keyansier · 15/10/2022 08:49

You are being so naïve accepting all of these large parcels you don't know where have come from into your house. You need to report this to police. Even just so it's on file.

Show quote history

What is this file and why would a police officer note it down? What crime has been committed?

Happybara · 15/10/2022 08:58

www.gamauk.com/Product_Catalog/Gama_Catalogue.pdf

This is the UK distributor for Selpak (paper towels are listed on page 58) scroll to the end of the doc and there are contact details for their sales office, maybe they can identify who is shipping them the paper towels to you?

UWhatNow · 15/10/2022 09:01

Queenie8 · 15/10/2022 00:12

Donate the paper towels to your local school. They'd be very grateful of them.

I was going to say this - schools are really struggling financially and they’d use them no problem.

Ariela · 15/10/2022 09:04

Is there a barcode label on the delivery label? If you know the name of the courier, one could email in with the barcode to the courier and complain that you now have two parcels delivered in error.

Cheeseandlobster · 15/10/2022 09:05

Keyansier · 14/10/2022 20:43

I just mentioned stealth boast because that's how it came across as in the OP. But more importantly I said OP should contact the police just in case it's something more serious as if it's true, it sounds highly suspicious.

Stealth boast and involving the police? What planet are you on? Weirdest post I have seen in ages

ThatsTheWayIHikeIt · 15/10/2022 09:07

A paper towel stealth boast 😂😂. Yeah OP, read the room, most of us have to make do with cotton towels to dry our hands on. I aspire to paper towels, and regularly trawl the Internet day dreaming about dispensers, but I know it's just a fantasy.

Keyansier · 15/10/2022 09:10

Strangeparcels · 15/10/2022 08:52

We HAVEN'T accepted them. They have arrived and been left.
If we had actually seen the deliverer we could refuse them, as my husband did with the second random parcel.
We aren't being naive, there is nothing we can currently do about it!

Show quote history

You are taking them into your house. You could have been seen taking multiple large parcels into your house. It could be a mistake, it could be a mild scam, or it could be something inherently more dangerous. At this point, I've mentioned it multiple times so just do what you want (or as little as you want) to your own peril.

CeratopsofthePharoahs · 15/10/2022 09:10

I think I know who ordered all the paper towels...

CosmopolitanPlease · 15/10/2022 09:17

So jealous of your paper towels OP. Have you considered becoming an influencer?

TheMildManneredMilitant · 15/10/2022 09:17

Is there a chance they were delivered by Amazon? It doesn't always have Amazon branding on.

I had the same and there had been another account set up in my name and address but they hadn't accessed payment details at all. I think as pp said it was a scam in that people use it so they can look like legitimate 'customers' and review their own products. I ended up with a couple of very random items for free!

PuppyMonkey · 15/10/2022 09:20

I’d be wary OP, it starts with paper towels and then the next thing you’re getting involved in toilet roll, napkins… SERVIETTES. Sad

Left · 15/10/2022 09:21

Strangeparcels · 15/10/2022 08:43

Could be a brushing scam. The companies that have this as their address are all a 'one person' director, and seem to move quite frequently. I don't understand why the address still states the old company's name though.

If the old company name is on the delivery note, it might just be that it’s printed through a stock system and they don’t want to pay a fee/license to get it changed.

Is the director on LinkedIn? Might be a way to contact them.

Byfleet · 15/10/2022 09:26

@Keyansier what? Who would boast that they had a large number of paper towels that they did not want? People boast about their children doing well at school or having an expensive car or large house. They don’t boast about having lots of paper towels. Not in my universe anyway.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 15/10/2022 11:51

AlisonDonut · 15/10/2022 08:52

What is this file and why would a police officer note it down? What crime has been committed?

Show quote history

It's a special file, all forces have them specially labelled and kept safe for the “logging” of events by mumsnetters. I believe they are coloured in Mumsnet blue to make them easy to identify when suspicious reports come in

Separate sections for men out for walks, strangers taking photographs, wrong numbers, misdelivered packages etc

I'm surprised you haven't heard of them.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 15/10/2022 11:53

Keyansier · 14/10/2022 20:43

I just mentioned stealth boast because that's how it came across as in the OP. But more importantly I said OP should contact the police just in case it's something more serious as if it's true, it sounds highly suspicious.

Why would anyone boast about receiving paper towels? WTF.

Herejustforthisone · 15/10/2022 18:09

Keyansier · 15/10/2022 08:49

You are being so naïve accepting all of these large parcels you don't know where have come from into your house. You need to report this to police. Even just so it's on file.

Show quote history

Did you not bother to read literally the first line of the post you replied to?

Ah. You’re the ‘stealth boast’ poster. Nevermind.

Also, what do you think is contained within the paper towels that makes taking them inside so dangerous? Paper thin explosives? What would they be for? Tiny 2D spies? The next big virus to come out of China? Tiny spy bot things like in Minority Report? I mean, I’m struggling to imagine.

Keyansier · 15/10/2022 20:24

Herejustforthisone · 15/10/2022 18:09

Did you not bother to read literally the first line of the post you replied to?

Ah. You’re the ‘stealth boast’ poster. Nevermind.

Also, what do you think is contained within the paper towels that makes taking them inside so dangerous? Paper thin explosives? What would they be for? Tiny 2D spies? The next big virus to come out of China? Tiny spy bot things like in Minority Report? I mean, I’m struggling to imagine.

Show quote history

Ah. You’re the ‘stealth boast’ poster. Nevermind.

What?

Also, what do you think is contained within the paper towels that makes taking them inside so dangerous? Paper thin explosives? What would they be for?

Already provided explanation upthread.

Goldpaw · 15/10/2022 20:36

Of course it's a stealth boast.

The OP has a landing big enough to store a large box of paper towels on.

😝

incognitopurple · 15/10/2022 21:06

Also came to say it should be reported. Even just reading half of it - something is off

Keyansier · 16/10/2022 23:17

incognitopurple · 15/10/2022 21:06

Also came to say it should be reported. Even just reading half of it - something is off

Exactly, but OP thinks they're above doing that for some reason