What to do when receiving parcels for addresses quite far away?

[Meeko505]

This is the third time we've received a parcel for an address quite far from ours. If it was for a neighbour we would obviously drop it off, but this address is a 30 minute walk away and I have a newborn baby. It wasn't RM so can't catch the postman. Getting quite annoyed by this happening - feels like it's becoming a semi-regular occurrence and the street name listed doesn't even sound anything like ours.

I always check the parcel actually belongs to me if it doesn’t I’ll just refuse to accept it. If it’s been left on step I’d go on local facebook page to see if anyone has a missing parcel they normally put a plea on to see if anyone has found it then I’d tell them to come and collect it. There’s no way on earth that I would go and deliver it to someone whose delivery driver had taken it to the wrong address.

Why can't you say NO?

Sorry, I should clarify that all of these parcels are just left on our doorstep so no opportunity to turn them down. None of the delivery companies around here seem to even knock.

Sorry, I didn't realise that they had just dropped it off at yours and left.

In that case, mark return to sender and stop off the next time you visit a post office.

I might post on a local FB page but we live in a big city so I'm not sure how successful I would be. I also searched the person's name on FB but there are multiple in my city so I don't really want to just start messaging all of them.

Twice we have had Amazon deliveries left in our porch for an address half a mile from us. It's the same house number but the postcode and street are nothing like ours.
The first time DH drove to hand it in at the right address but the guy didn't even thank him so the second time he contacted Amazon who told us to keep it. It was a candle which wasn't our taste so a charity shop benefitted.

Do nothing. The intended recipient will either have a card posted through their letter box in which case they should collect from you, or this person's post keeps going astray and they need to start kicking up a fuss with RM/DPD/Yodel/whoever about where their parcels are ending up.

God what a pain. I’m usually a go above and beyond person but with a newborn I just couldn’t be assed with this! I wouldn’t put a message on Facebook because I’d probably give it a few days, then return the parcel, then the person will be like ‘oh that’s mine!’ on Facebook. But then you don’t want to pay to return to sender….. I guess contact courier! And put a note on your door ‘this is not X address, that is 30 minutes away’.

Maybe leave a sign in your window or door stating that parcels must be addressed to your exact address or taken away. If it's a regular occurrence?

What's odd is that they're usually for totally different addresses - it's not just one address that we're being mixed up with. Honestly it just feels like the post people don't care. Thanks for the advice everyone, it sounds like I should keep it for a week or so and then if no claims I'll return to sender via the PO.

I wouldn’t keep at all! I’d use a big marker and write, delivered to wrong address return to sender. They can figure out where it was delivered if they wish. I’d not be having any dealings with any strangers packages.

I regularly get parcels/callers/people wanting to read the meter/takeaway deliveries for a wrong address - same house number; different post code. The satnav leads them to my house apparently. I have made a wooden plaque with my address on it which is affixed next to my front door near the bell. Perhaps just put a notice out "This is 12 Acacia Avenue" and see if it makes any difference.