To not want to take in next-doors parcels?

[issiri]

I moved into my new house 3 weeks ago. My next-door neighbours must run a business of some sort as they get parcels from DHL or YODEL almost every day.

Almost every day we get a knock on our front door. "sorry to bother you, these are for your neighbours who are not answering their door"

On next-doors front door they have a sign saying "If we are not in, please leave parcels at Number **"

This has presumably always been an arrangement with the previous owners of this house. However, they have not asked us if it is ok and tbh I'm getting VERY sick of opening the door to receive more parcels and then having to wait for next-door to come knocking, usually after 9pm.

I've spoken lightheartedly to next-door saying "You do have a lot of parcels, dont you" and "I think we'll need a bigger house for your parcels"

Without causing problems between us and next-door, what I can I do about this situation?

[whois]

I like the idea of babysitting... For every 9 parcels you take in, you get an evening of babysitting from them :-)

[TheCunnyFuntWearingAPoppy]

Tell us what happened OP!

[lovebunny]

refuse to accept the parcels.

[diddl]

TBH I´m wondering why this is getting turned on to the OP.

They haven´t even had the decency to ask!

TBH, even if I had been willing to do it, the fact that they had just left up a sign would piss me off & I probably then wouldn´t.

OP has nine children to look after!!

[pmcblonde]

I don't understand why having a conversation with a nice neighbour is such a problem. Just say "I understand that you had an arrangement with the previous owners that they'd take in parcels for you. I don't mind doing it occasionally but with 9 kids in the house I'm worried about keeping so many parcels safe and undamaged. Would you mind making other arrangements? Thanks."

[quoteunquote]

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[WelshMaenad]

I just don't understand what's so difficult about taking a parcel in, especially when it fosters great neighbourly relations. I mean, once you e opened the door you've done the taxing part, surely, so why be a churlish fucker send them away?

I take parcels for a specific neighbour that works away a lot. At one point in the summer we'd piled up parcels in the double digits and not seen him for weeks, and it was starting to be a slight pain due to storing them, but if never dream if saying no. He then popped round and admitted that he had been in hospital having chemotherapy and hasn't wanted to admit that he was ill. He came back the next day with a gorgeous bottle of port and heartfelt thanks for helping him, and I was SO glad that I am not intrinsically a churlish fucker.

[babysbreath]

How did you get on?

[Katisha]

Let us know! Presumably that will happen today!

[issiri]

I have really enjoyed reading everyones replies! Some fantastic ideas. I think I will go with the christmas shopping suggestion for now, and see what happens.

[TheCunnyFuntWearingAPoppy]

I second letting the children loose on them :o

[ChaoticismyLife]

Start up your own business doing collections and charge them £10 per parcel

YANBU I take in the odd parcel for my neighbours and they do for me but it's not every day, or even every week/month.

[daisydoodoo]

if hey are out all day can hey not arrange elivery for thier office address rather than home address?

Im a regualr parcel receiver too, but i have my delivery address down as my office one, that way even if im not in the office someone else is here to take delivery and i just bring it home with me.

Id suggest that they do that and say that you cant take parcels in every day. does the parcel man come at the same time each day? could you conveniently be at the shops when hes due a few times so they get carded and realise you wont be in all the time.

[chattygirlneedsacuppa]

Or leave a sign on your door saying "Sorry, I am unable to take in any more parcels due to lack of storage facilities"

[HecatePropylaea]

Yes, Katisha. That might work. Good idea.

She could also say "wow, so many parcels. I'll be glad when your christmas shopping is finished! Have you got many more deliveries?"

That makes it clear she's thinking it's temporary and tells them she's not going to want it to continue and means that if it's not christmas gifts, they'll have to say so at which point she can say oh, well, sorry, that's not going to work for me as a long term arrangement. You'll have to make other arrangements.

[Katisha]

Next time they come to collect ask how much longer this parcel-fest is going to continue for and is it their business? Doesn't have to be said in a narky way.

Then say "Oh dear ...long pause...well please can you at least collect by 7pm" (or whatever time)

[chattygirlneedsacuppa]

Also forgot to add she never takes any parcels in for us - as she doesn't answer the door before 2 p.m. so I always have to go to the main post office to collect them when I am back from work!

[chattygirlneedsacuppa]

My neighbour is in but doesn't get up until 2 pm so doesn't answer the door (doesn't work just goes to bed late!). I am then left with huge parcels filling up my hallway until she collects them. YANBU!

[Mousefunk]

I don't really understand why you'd order parcels every day knowing you won't be in to collect them..

[diddl]

I think it´s really rude of them to leave their sign up & not ask you about it.

Also, is it just me that thinks it´s odd if they are running a business but are both out all day & are therefore dependent on the goodwill of a neighbour?

I think that you have to tell them "no can do" tbh.

Or just leave the parcels outside your house for them to collect.

[kige]

Don't answer the door when the delivery people ring the bell. I have had to start doing this - my neighbours have a fair few parcels and I have taken them in numerous times without complaint and handed them over politely when they come to collect them. They have often been very large (size of a car wheel).

I have stopped answering the door because:

a) sheer volume of their shite taking up space in my hall (once was so large had to open my garage for it!)
b) the fact that one of them will come home for an hour at lunch time and not bother to pick the parcel up from me , instead choosing to leave it in my hall for the rest of the day
c) the ONE time one of my parcels was delivered to them (when we were abroad for one week only - we had a card to prove they'd had it), they chucked the parcel on our (not covered) porch 5 days before we returned home . A passing relative saw it and picked it up and took it home for us!

Never again, lazy ungrateful shits.

[Justforlaughs]

Sounds like you need to bite th ebullet and speak to them. You don't need to be confrontational about it, ask if there's anyone else that could accept their parcels (mother/ friend/ other neighbour) and point out that it is a bit inconvenient to you. Many postmen will leave parcels in a designated place, we have a large garden box where ours get left if we are not in.

[anothercuppaplease]

Considering there's a note on their door, I think they should have asked you.

If I was you, I would have a polite chat with them saying that you can't accept the parcels because your children often sleep during the day and this is waking them up, or say that you work so hard with 9 children that you need to sleep during the day and you can't accept the parcels anymore.

Or speak to them and come to an arrangement. In any case, I think that speaking to them is better than refusing the parcels. I think anyway.

We do accept parcels for all our neighbours but it happens probably once or twice a week. Thats fine, no probs. But every day?...

[YouOldSlag]

If you have nine children, your house will hardly be as quiet as a library. You will need understanding neighbours.

I think it's fine to say something like you can't do after 9pm or you can't always answer the door (what with your nine children!)

Oh and OP- how do you manage with 9?