...to refuse any more parcels for next door neighbours?

[Justmuddlingalong]

I think my next door neighbours have put me down as the official 'taker-inner' of their parcels, without asking. I am at home during the day, so always take in parcels. But it's getting ridiculous. I've taken in 2 separate deliveries today alone, for next door. They work all day, Mon-Fri, so the postman and numerous delivery drivers knock on my door, and I'm getting pissed off with it. When they get home, I take the parcels to their door, where I get a grunt in what I presume is thanks. Dp is nightshift, so it's annoying him too. I don't want to be unneighbourly, but should I just start refusing to take in next door's many parcels?

[chipshop]

One of my neighbours is exactly the same! I work from home so am always getting knocks for parcels. I'm fine to do it for all my neighbours except the rude one, a young mum two doors down. Never collects, never thanks, just grunts when I knock on her door with her massive boxes.

So I decided she was taking the p and that I was going to refuse her parcels. But I refused one and the delivery driver looked so upset I shouted back after him and took it. They get paid peanuts don't they these drivers, always look stressed to me. So yeah that didn't work.

[Doyouthinktheysaurus]

I work nights and turn the doorbell off when I'm sleeping. I also put a note to leave my own deliveries in a safe place if I'm expecting one.

I'd just put a note saying don't knock unless the delivery is for you.

I have no issue taking in neighbours parcels if I'm around but I'd possibly kill someone if I got woken up for someone else's parcel.

[WiIdfire]

I struggle with online shopping. Its hard to avoid (maternity clothes for stupidly tall, chubby women, anyone?) but equally Im at work all week - out from 7am to 7pm. My strategy is to wait for the 'we tried to deliver' card, then go fetch it from the depot on a Saturday. I wish they wouldnt bother the neighbours, but not sure how to stop them. I cant have parcels delivered to work sadly. I also felt particularly guilty, as with my last parcel they tried to deliver it three times!!! And it was cold out. Felt awful.

So until there is an Amazon locker (blimmin amazing idea!) equivalent, I will keep my internet shopping to a minimum and continue taking round choccies for the neighbours (who are lovely and say they dont mind at all) - but what else can I do???

Hate it, but more hate the people who say 'gosh, why are you out christmas shopping on a saturday with all the crowds? Why dont you do it all online like I do?' Grrrr. (Bitter, me?)

[OnlyLovers]

why bother shopping online if you know you'll never be in to take the delivery?!" Get it delivered to work or named day delivery

A lot of workplaces (including mine) are strict about personal deliveries and instruct the pastrami/reception not to accept them.

And named-day delivery is often really expensive.

I think being in sometimes, being a good neighbour and having nice neighbours is enough to get round these problems. I do appreciate though that not everyone is or has these things!

[fairgame]

Just say no. Most places offer collect+ for free or a small charge, maybe suggest to them that they try that instead.

[LadySybilLikesSloeGin]

Although I work from home, I still have to do the school run etc so I'll only order things for when I know I'm going to be home to receive them, like the school holidays or I'll pay extra for a weekend.

I took a patio set in for one side once. It sat in my study for 2 days (in a massive box) until I went around and nudged them. I ended up helping him to carry it around which wasn't fun either.

[StarOnTheTree]

I work from home and I take parcels in all the time. It doesn't bother me but then my neighbours always collect the same day. It's mostly my next door neighbour and the regular delivery people will try his business which is round the corner, his house and then my house. One even said it's about time I got a freebie from the neighbour's business, I agree

[Justmuddlingalong]

Well, tonight I chapped the door, NDN opened door, tutted and then did his weird grunting thank you noise. That's my career as a parcel delivery/depot worker officially over. The sign is on the door!

[expatinscotland]

What a dobber.

NO more taking in their parcels.

[cozietoesie]

I work from home and take in for the neighbours if I know the name and it's not so large that it will take over the hall. It's mainly for the delivery guys though - I seem to recall that they have pretty ropey T&Cs and that non-delivery can hit them hard. (The neighbours pick up promptly and say thank you as well.)

[weeblueberry]

Well, tonight I chapped the door, NDN opened door, tutted and then did his weird grunting thank you noise.

Is it always the man you give the parcel to? Just wondering if his wife is going a bit mad with the Internet shopping which is pissing him off?

Not that you shouldn't put the sign on the door obviously because I do think you need to stop taking things in for them either way.

[NeedaDiscoNap]

YADNBU!

I'm on mat leave and my neighbour seems to think I'm his PA. I have no issue with taking in the odd parcel (live in a cul-de-sac, we all take in parcels for each other) but he has recently started having specialist food deliveries that have 'do not return to depot' stamped on them.

Not once has he asked me if I mind taking in three a week - and the driver now doesn't even bother knocking on his door now, even when his car is there . He also doesn't bloody come and pick them up either. He can be in the house for hours but always sends his girlfriend round when she gets in from work. So annoying!

[expatinscotland]

Then put a note on the door, Need. He can only do this if you allow it. He's taking the piss.

'Deliveries for this address ONLY. No other deliveries will be accepted. Thank you.'

[Justmuddlingalong]

The parcels are equally addressed to them both. NeedaDisco, my wee sign says 'Before you knock...post+parcels accepted for this address only, thanks'

[AntiHop]

As a pp said, some delivery drivers only get paid if a parcel is delivered and are on zero hours contracts . So for their sakes, take the parcel.

What really annoys me is when delivery drivers press several bells for my block of flats at once so they don't have to wait to see of one household answers before trying another. It unnecessarily disturbs more households. But it is because they are under so much time pressure.

[expatinscotland]

'As a pp said, some delivery drivers only get paid if a parcel is delivered and are on zero hours contracts . So for their sakes, take the parcel.'

That's not the OP's fault! And did you know, when you take their parcel, you are legally responsible for it?

Once they see the note and you say NO they can find another neighbour to play mug to these rude arseholes.

[Justmuddlingalong]

As a pp said, some delivery drivers only get paid if a parcel is delivered and are on zero hours contracts . So for their sakes, take the parcel.

AntiHop,without wanting to come across as uncaring, my initial thought to your post is 'tough titty'.

[SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires]

AntiHop, without wanting to come across as uncaring, my initial thought to your post is "tough titty".

So Just, please give everyone your reason why it's "tough titty" to AntiHop?

Or are you the type of person to use neighbours as an "unoffical collection point".?
Would you be happy, if your neighbours started to change you (for storage) say...50£ a hour...until you decided to collect? Plus would you be happy to pay the storage fee?

[Redglitter]

I feel your pain. I live in a block of 6 flats and I work shifts. All the blooming delivery drivers seem to have clocked this and I'm their first port of call if my neighbours aren't in. I've stopped delivering them now it's one thing getting woken up to take the bloody delivery I sure as hell aren't going to deliver them

[tiggy2610]

We have a nightmare delivery driver who likes to cause chaos on our street. Our NDN is a shift worker and growing up with a dad who worked shifts I always schedule my deliveries for a time when I am around OR leave instructions on the door to leave in our garden box by the front door or with neighbour to the right.

We live in a small hamlet with a regular delivery driver - 90% of the time he delivers when he fancies, often on days that aren't specified and will ALWAYS drop it with neighbour to the left if that fails he will drop it at any house on the street that answers the door. He has even broken our gas meter box at the front to leave parcels in there.

NDN came round one night and, quite rightly, asked us if we could stop requesting parcels be sent to his address, it was only when DH showed him the note that was pinned to the front door specifying not to deliver it to him that he realised we weren't complete twats.

The next time it happened he questioned the delivery driver who said "I don't care what it says mate, I wont get paid for the delivery unless it's delivered and I know you're in!" even after that the delivery driver continues to deliver to any address that will take it!

Sorry, that turned into a bit of a rant there didn't it...

Absolutely no need for your neighbours to be so rude. Even with the above scenario we always apologies profusely and thank neighbours who take in our parcelsx as do neighbours who come to collect from us. A refusal note on door is the least they can expect!

[MidniteScribbler]

As a pp said, some delivery drivers only get paid if a parcel is delivered and are on zero hours contracts . So for their sakes, take the parcel.

This is not the fault of the OP. She has no contract with either the company sending the parcel, the courier company, or the next door neighbour. It is the neighbour who is causing the delivery drivers a loss, not the OP.

Anyone who gets lots of parcels delivered could invest in a parcel safe, or get it delivered to an appropriate collection point. Fortunately this neighbour taking in parcels madness has not reached Australian shores, but there is no way I would ever expect my neighbours to regularly take in parcels for me, and especially not several per week. If people are going to shop online, then they need to take personal responsibility for the parcels that are going to arrive for them.

[GrinAndTonic]

Here some of the delivery drivers don't even bother to attempt a delivery. They just stick a 'we tried to deliver your parcel but you weren't home so pick it up at the post office' in the letterbox. They don't knock or anything or attempt to deliver it!

There is no way I would want my neighbours to take on the responsibility of signing for my packages. Completely unfair to them.

[Redglitter]

While I appreciate drivers might be on zero contracts I work shifts. If I've only got to bed at 7 am I really don't appreciate getting woken at 9 to take in a neighbours parcel.

[Romann]

Tell them one of these is the last delivery you'll be accepting for them!

[NadiaWadia]

Those look really good, but they're a bit pricey, Romann

I get quite a bit of online shopping, and the delivery guys are always going to my neighbours. I would like to stop them doing this, as I find it a bit embarrassing and I don't see why my neighbours should be bothered (although they have not complained). I have told them to refuse it if it's inconvenient. I would prefer the driver put the item under the gate, leave it on the doorstep (very safe cul-de-sac) or even take it back to the depot rather than bother the neighbours all the time. I don't know how to tell them this though. Any ideas?

Last week I had two deliveries by Royal Mail, and I was in (with no music or TV/radio/hoover on) and the postman definitely didn't even knock, just went straight to the neighbours. First thing I heard was when he pushed the card through the door saying where the parcel was. Two days later he did it again to the neighbour on the other side. I can only guess it was because I had no car parked in the drive and he assumed I was out. I suppose they probably have an impossible workload, but he shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, must have taken him more time to write out the card whereas if he'd just knocked I would have answered!