To not want delivery driver in my house?

[Laurier88]

Last week I came home from work to find a MyHermes card through the door saying my parcel had been left at the back door - fine, I'd left the back gate unlocked as my dad was meant to be coming round to mow my lawn (yes I'm that lazy!). Went into the kitchen & the parcel was on the worktop, and when I went to open the back door it was unlocked so presumed my dad had brought the parcel in and forgotten to lock it.

Turns out my dad hadn't been round, I must have forgotten to lock the back door (entirely my fault) and the delivery driver has come round the back of the house, tried the back door and found it unlocked, entered the house and left the parcel on the kitchen counter.

There is no way they could have thought someone was in - we were all out, cars gone etc. I have emailed MyHermes saying how cross I was that this has happened, and have received a snotty email back saying how their drivers are so good they go above and beyond to ensure parcels are left in a safe place, and how lucky I am it was one of their trustworthy drivers and not a thief that came in the house!

Yes, I know it's my fault for forgetting to lock the back door, but I'm quite shocked that a delivery driver would go into someone's back garden then try their back door, and enter the house when finding it unlocked.

Please be brutally honest - I am quite cross, and haven't dared tell DH as I know he would be fuming - aibu?

[Abra1d]

Poor driver. He perhaps felt he was doing his best to make sure you got your parcel in a timely way. I hope he wasn't bollocked for being perhaps a bit naive.

[Mckayz]

You left the door unlocked. He left the parcel in a safe place like he said.

Maybe you should lock the door.

[EmmelineGoulden]

Presuming the driver hasn't rummaged through your knickers or taken anything, what you had was a helpful delivery person putting your parcel out of harms way and a weakness in your security (unocked door) which you created. The driver putting the parcel in the kitchen made you feel vulnerable, but really it's the unlocked door that is the "weak link".

YANBU to not want the delivery person in your house, but they weren't unreasonable for thinking the parcel was safer inside and not knowing you hadn't left the door open on purpose or that you would prfer the parcel be left exposed. It was just unfortunate their delivery coincided with the one day you left the back door unlocked.

[SingingSilver]

You certainly shouldn't be 'grateful' that a stranger just walked into your house. We can say OP should have locked up, but it's absolutely inappropriate that the delivery person even tried the door to see if it would open!

Nothing you can do about it though OP, just take it as a lesson and make sure you always lock up in future, I'd be fastidious about that after this incident.

[Tee2072]

MyHernes corporate won't care. All if their drivers are independent owners/operators. They are allowed to do whatever they want.

[fedupofnamechanging]

I think it's nice to see a company defending its staff rather than feeding them to the wolves when a customer has an unreasonable complaint.

I think it's probably instinctive to try a back door if you knock and no one answers or maybe you left it ajar. You are lucky you weren't burgled, so stop being whingey and he grateful your parcel was delivered safely and nothing bad happened.

Poor driver - does you a good turn and gets bitched about!

[YesIamYourSisterInLaw]

What would happen if the customer said there was some money on the kitchen table which has now gone?

What would happen if the customer said her underwear had been taken out of the washing basket?

The same thing that would happen if the customer had been robbed- nothing.
You made a mistake op, we've all done it. Just think of this a lucky wake up call, it could have been worse

[starfishmummy]

Mil is always going on about people leaving stuff in her tiny hall or even just inside the living room but she doesn't ever lock the front door!

Even though she has been bulged by someone who walked through the door and went straight upstairs while she was in the garden. Sigh.

[Laurier88]

Thanks everyone - I wasn't trying to get the driver into trouble, was just a bit shocked. I know it wasn't DH as he works away, and checked with family/neighbours before contacting MyHermes.

Yes, I was definitely at fault for being dim enough to go out and leave a door unlocked! I suppose it could have been worse, I have a rather nasty little pug and two very territorial potbellied pigs who were loose in the house - might have come home to find I was being sued for them attacking the driver!

[PhallicGiraffe]

This is ultimately your fault for leaving the door open. The driver was just making sure the package was in a safe place, doing his job properly. He's not a thief, he is working, and just wants to complete his job. Surely if he wanted to nick something, he would just take your parcel?
Just get over yourself, and lock your door...

[Earthworms]

I think I'd warn Hermes that their policy is leaving drivers open to all sorts of potential issues. Pug bites, pig bites or false accusations.

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

I actually don't agree that it comes down to the op leaving the door unlocked. I think it comes down to the driver trying the door. I cant understand why it is acceptable for him to do this at all. Whether the door was locked or unlocked, I don't think the driver should have been trying to gain entry to the house. So YANBU, I would be very cross if this happened and would not be happy with Hermes' response either.

[RevoltingPeasant]

Heffa exactly. Who the jeff goes around trying people's doors once it's clear they're out?!

Well, I definitely won't be using Hermes!

Although I did recently forget to lock our front door for a whole day, 7-7 luckily we have nothing worth stealing!

[weakestlink]

YABU - he probably thought you had left the back door open for him to leave the parcel!
We live in the countryside and if I know I am expecting a delivery but have to pop out I always leave the door open.

[Trills]

I agree with PhallicGiraffe - the delivery drivers are supposed to try to find a safe place.

If the door is open, what better "safe place" than inside the house?

Better that than making no attempt to look for a safe place to leave it and leaving the "come to our depot 50 miles away" card, or throwing a package over a fence without and thought as to whether it will survive the landing.

[Scruffey]

Yabu
The driver tried to help you
It was your fault for leaving both your gate and door unlocked
Can't believe you complained! Driver probably though it was left open for him!
In your shoes, I would have thought, silly me for leaving everything unlocked, lucky I didn't get burgled and bonus I got my parcel even though I was out.

Yab
Vvvvu

[phantomnamechanger]

If the door is open, what better "safe place" than inside the house?


actually I would say the opposite is true - driver should have taken parcel away with him, because leaving it in the UNLOCKED house, is not safe at all - it could get nicked by the next random that walks in, then it really is his word against the OPs about whether it was delivered

(lock the door next time OP, next time you may not be so lucky)

[HairyWorm]

Yeah, the door should have been locked but it is not OK to enter someone's property uninvited. I don't believe an unlocked door constitutes an invitation.

One thing that occurred to me is that I don't always answer the door. i.e. if I'm busy, half dressed, on a phone call or I've seen the charity/religious door knockers prowling. The last thing I want is someone thinking it's OK to try the door anyway. If I've not answered it's because I don't want to see/speak to the person on the other side.

I get from this thread that this is more acceptable in the country but still..... I'm not comfortable with a stranger thinking it's OK to try the door and enter your house.

[HeffalumpTheFlump]

But the door wasn't left open, it was unlocked. So to find out if it was unlocked he would have to try and open it. I seriously don't see why this is acceptable. Why would he do this when no one was in and there was evidently a 'safe place' by the back door to leave the parcel?

As hairyworm says, an unlocked door does not constitute an invitation. If it did, anyone who doesn't lock their front door when they are in is automatically inviting anyone in off the street. That surely isn't right?

[Plomino]

Our local delivery driver did it once . Unfortunately he disturbed the sleeping and somewhat territorial greyhound , who decided not to let him back out of the house , and stood between him and the front door wagging his tail and just daring him to run for the exit .

Good thing I was only round the corner , and got home minutes of him arriving . He's not tried to come in again since , but leaves stuff in the boot of the car ever since .

[WhyMeWhyNot]

My parcels always get thrown into my neighbours garden. I've complained to no avail. I can look out my upstairs window and watch my parcels go through all manner of weather before the neighbours are around.

[BinarySolo]

What was in the parcel, op?

[manticlimactic]

Somehow a MyHermes driver managed to get a parcel in my shed. I thought I'd locked it but I hadn't put the padlock on properly. Why he didn't use the catflap like he normally did is beyond me.

[Fandan]

The my Hermes delivery women who comes to mine doesn't even bother to knock my door, she just opens it and places the parcel behind my front door.
When you go in my front door there is a small vestibule and then a further internal door, that I mainly try to keep closed as we have a rather large German shepherd who doesn't take kindly to people chapping my door, I dread to think what would happen if she done this when the internal door was left open

[revealall]

Delivery driver coming in wouldn't worry me - doing his job and probably has lots of others to do that day and doesn't want to have to come back. Lots of people don't lock their doors and he doesn't give a shit about me and my life.

I hate it when people I know come in when I'm not there. They know me and therefore can be much more judgmental (or a bit nosey in one friends case).