Neighbour keeps taking in our parcels without asking

[StayceGerste]

This is a small thing but it’s starting to annoy me more than it probably should.
Our neighbour takes in our parcels whenever we’re out, which is kind, but she then opens the outer packaging “to check what it is” and comments on it when we collect it. Nothing malicious, just overly curious.
I appreciate the help, but I also don’t love someone knowing exactly what I’ve ordered every time.

It’s a joke.

More than one person has suggested it..

I don’t think anyone is actually serious

I do. People do think that the CF would be utterly horrified and regretful if she opened a box containing something so personal. It's not 1950. And the neighbour is an absolute CF.

Send ‘yourself’ a Jiffy bag full of glitter when you’re going to be out.

It certainly is illegal. You're referring to theft law but there is a specific law about mail.

😂😂😂😂

It is illegal to open someone else's mail without permission or a reasonable excuse- she has neither. Tell her this. Tell her to stop opening your parcels.
I also have a parcel box and they are pretty useful for items upto a certain size.

Is the OP going to come back to this post, I wonder?

Well quite aside from it being a ridiculous waste of police time, there’s no evidence of dishonesty nor intention to permanently deprive so it wouldn’t go anywhere near an offence of theft.

OP - either tell her not to do it or arrange for your parcels to be left elsewhere.

Is she okay? Because that’s wildly unacceptable. A 5 year old might open someone else’s parcel but it’s got to be very unusual for an adult neighbour to do this. I’m not confrontational at all but I’d never let her get her hands on my parcels again. Can you have parcels sent to a local pick-up point or send them to work or a family members house?

Oh you've reminded me of something my Mum used to do. She'd leave her front door unlocked and shout 'come in' & get the poor, poor delivery person (usually male) to pop the parcel into her hand whilst she was on the commode in her living room. They probably need therapy to get over that🙈 & yes that was definitely the beginning of memory issues/cognitive dysfunction after her stroke plus congestive heart failure side effects shortly before her death 🙁

“I appreciate you taking my parcels but can you stop opening them. I am unsure why you are opening them when my name is on the outside of the box?”

If she persists, or gets defensive “please feel free to refuse taking the parcels, I understand it’s a commitment and I’m not asking you to do that”

The problem with that is that there are so many couriers who have a very basic grasp of the English language and just leave parcels on the doorstep even in the rain.

I'm sorry and I apologise for my reply/ sense of humour but I would love to be in that position and would order some adult toys. Also maybe pack up a parcel and send it to yourself with a note in it ( from phantom sender , )mentioning your nosey neighbour. !!!!

Of course not.

I am defending the Op because I absolutely don’t the parcel service is that controllable.

How can you say “stay in” when websites say 3- 5 working days? I would love to have a job where I could ask for a 2 hour window of leave when I got the delivery email on the given morning.
It’s all very well giving drivers a “ safe place” when many them don’t bother or your well meaning neighbour takes them in first.
Or it’s a package you were never expecting.
These are excuses. This is genuinely how it works in my bit of the uk.

My worse delivery was Tool Station. Online only bargain drill, delivered by courier not available to deliver to the shop ( 1 mile away), . “ Left a tried to deliver” card . Gave them a safe space instruction.Got a “tried to deliver” card next day . Last attempt and they took it to their collection depot over 25 miles away which closed at 5.30. So impossible. I never got my drill.

You can choose not to have deliveries if you cannot be home and you are not happy with them going to a neighbour. It’s called personal responsibility.

Brilliant!!!! 🤣🤣🤣😊

Have you asked her to not open them? She might genuinely feel she is helping you out - ie food/flowers that light spoil.

If she doesn’t respond to a polite request then you may need to look into alternative solutions - but having somewhere parcel can be left is invaluable so I would try and not upset her.

My problem is that I am actually in when my neighbour takes my mail/deliveries. Drivers just press any bell to gain access to the building and leave in communal area and because she is almost always prowling around, she takes the items to her flat regardless of whether we are in or not. She does not open them though !

You aren’t getting this at all are you.

How can you exercise personal responsibility over an order you didn’t make yourself ie a gift? You can’t. But it won’t stop a neighbour taking them in or them being left in the rain or dropped to the wrong house.

How can the Op exercise personal responsibility over a change in courier?
Or an mis written label ( see dildo above)? Or a delay in order? Or a super quick delivery?

Perhaps because people don’t get sent gifts with such regularity, I’m not talking about gifts.

This isn't a good idea unless your safe place is properly safe i.e. items can't be stolen from it. If you do this, you aren't legally entitled a refund if items are stolen.

HHHHHH