Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

To stop taking packages in for neighbours

93 replies

ElleMcElle · 29/11/2016 13:45

I work from home, and my day is CONSTANTLY interrupted by delivery guys with packages for the neighbours - sometimes people who live many doors away! It seems petty to refuse to take them in - particularly once my day has already been interrupted and I'm standing there with the door open - but I'm starting to feel like a bloody sorting office! And for each package I take in, that's another interruption later in the day when the neighbour picks it up. (Assuming they remember to - sometimes I have to take it round myself to get it out of my house).

The situation is getting worse in the run up to Christmas, and our new neighbours are particularly bad offenders: having recently moved in, they're having more than one package delivered every single day!

I don't want to stop answering the door completely, as it might be something for me! And I don't want to get on the wrong side of the neighbours - I'm sure there'll come a time when I'm out and one of my packages comes to them. But I feel like Santa at the moment, with all these boxes in my front room! And every time it happens, it interrupts my train of thought.

Any ideas?!

OP posts:

whateveryousay · 29/11/2016 13:49

Ask for your own stuff to be delivered to a 'safe place' in the event that you are out. For eg. Amazon deliver parcels to our shed. Then just don't answer your door?

MangoBiscuit · 29/11/2016 13:52

I think it boils down to three options. Putting up with it for the sake of neighbourly relations. Making a point of not taking in the parcels, and putting a sign up on your door saying so, so hopefully they don't ring the bell in the first place. Or doing as whateveryousay suggests, and not answering the door. You may also need to turn off your doorbell during working hours for a bit.

Original poster

ElleMcElle · 29/11/2016 13:53

There isn't really a safe place, unfortunately - we live mid-terrace on a reasonably busy London street - nowhere in tiny front garden to put it except wheelie bin and I don't want to be rooting around in there for things! There's also a pretty good chance of the delivery to the bin being observed and someone helping themselves.

OP posts:

Original poster

ElleMcElle · 29/11/2016 13:56

I wondered about a sign on the door, but it might look a bit passive-aggressive if a neighbour saw it, and if they end up taking a package in for me, I would then be . I honestly don't mind doing it occasionally - it's just the volume that's getting silly!

OP posts:

WeAreEternal · 29/11/2016 14:00

I had this problem when I worked from home.
In the end I put a notice on the door that said "only deliveries addresses to this address accepted"
They still knocked for a while but I just refused to take them in and after a while it stopped.

Royal Mail were the worst for it as the postie knew when I would be in and would make a bee line for my house with several people's parcels.

It felt really mean but it needed to be done. you are not a sorting office, they are quite capable of Collecting the parcels from the actual sorting office or organising a redelivery for a time when they will be in.

Pidlan · 29/11/2016 14:02

Only answer the door when you're expecting a package.

WeAreEternal · 29/11/2016 14:02

It's one thing if the neighbors pop round and ask if you mind but it's not them at fault it's the delivery people.

Trifleorbust · 29/11/2016 14:05

You could put up a sign that says you only accept packages for the houses either side or up to 2 doors either side, or whatever you are comfortable with?

Original poster

ElleMcElle · 29/11/2016 14:08

I do think it's a bit inconsiderate of the neighbours, to be honest. We all know how the system works - if you order an online delivery at the weekend, knowing you'll be at work all week, then your neighbours will inevitably end up having to deal with it. When my husband has smaller things delivered, he has them sent to his office.

OP posts:

StefCWS · 29/11/2016 14:10

don't answer the door, if the neighbours say anything say you had nipped out. Plus orders give you the options now for evening and weekend orders so they are taking the piss

stumblymonkey · 29/11/2016 14:11

As someone who does a lot of online ordering....I actually put NOT to leave with neighbour's but because a lot of couriers are paid on successful delivery only they leave it with them anyway

So TBH I'm not sure your neighbours would be able to stop it if they wanted to...

OracleofDelphi · 29/11/2016 14:11

this happens to us all the time because we work from home. I never accept parcels for people I dont know as they could claim you never gave it to them. So if they are asking you for neighbours 10 doors up just say you only accept ones for your immediate neighbours.

So for me it is literally the people either side. One side were such arses after I accepted a delivery - claiming it was damaged and my fault for signing for it (!!!), that I stopped doing it for them. Every time a delivery came for them I just said no sorry I cant accept parcels for them.

After a while I think similar delivery drivers are on similar routes, and they stopped asking. So I now only accept parcels for the ones that are nice and that I like. Just say no if you dont want to, and dont open the door if you arent expecting anything

GashleyCrumbTiny · 29/11/2016 14:11

Do you have one of those collection points that you could use for your stuff so you can safely ignore the doorbell? We have two corner shops and storage lockers at the local students' union that you can select as a delivery address. (If you do presumably your neighbours would be using this, but thought it worth suggesting!)

FannyWincham · 29/11/2016 14:13

I don't know if this is true nationally but certainly around here they have closed several sorting offices and have clearly told the posties not to take parcels back there unless they absolutely have to. We have taken in parcels for people in the next street before now.

tictactoad · 29/11/2016 14:13

You are turning yourself into an unpaid sorting office/delivery service.
All the time you do it everyone will let you. Put a note up saying you will only accept deliveries for your own address and point to it silently if other deliveries persist. The drivers will soon get the message.

Alternatively carry on as you are and seethe.

Wookiecookies · 29/11/2016 14:13

I dont mind it, as it is reciprocated, however I get why it would be irritating. I agree with a sign saying that you will only accept parcels addressed to yourselves. It's not passive aggressive at all, especially if you are busy, you are not a sorting office!

So, to conclude, YANBU.

RedHelenB · 29/11/2016 14:16

It-s a few moments out of your life, it's called being neighbourly!
If you are really busy just don't answer the door but I think YABU.

KrissyKringlefromCandyCaneLane · 29/11/2016 14:17

I am a SAHM and also act as an unofficial depot for our neighbourhood as I'm usually the only person in our road home during the day.

I don't mind too much as the neighbours are very nice and are grateful. I get the occasional box of chocolates for my trouble!

It is a pain in the arse sometimes though especially when there are several deliveries in a short space of time and I'm trying to eat my lunch.

YANBU op, if it is inconvenient for you then you're absolutely within your rights to refuse.

When do have some weird neighbours who refuse to take in other peoples parcels (fair enough, up to them) but will leave instructions for their parcels to be left with me if they know they'll be at work.
Bit cheeky imo.

Potatoooooo · 29/11/2016 14:21

If you're working, why are you answering the door?
I take parcels for all my neighbours as they do for me. I don't see the issue unless you tell them no. If they continue to request their parcels be delivered to you then refuse to take it.
The delivery drivers might actually just be taking them to neighbours as a standard and has nothing to do with the person whom its meant for.

One of my delivery drivers does this for all of my street, he will knock several doors down to leave the parcel with them and then leave a card.

Again though, if you're meant to be working then don't answer the door.

Original poster

ElleMcElle · 29/11/2016 14:23

Thanks for the responses! We have a stupidly small letterbox, so if I didn't answer the door, I would end up having to go to the sorting office (a good 40 min round trip) for a lot of my own packages.

I will try refusing packages and talking to the individual drivers for a week or so - see if that makes a difference. If not, it will have to be a sign on the letterbox and hope the neighbours don't see it and think I'm hostile.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 29/11/2016 14:24

I am the unofficial depot for my neighbour's too.

TBH, i don't mind too much as I feel sorry for the delivery drivers.

As I have teenagers, I send them out to deliver them when I notice the recipients are back so we tend not to get disturbed later on.

SoupDragon · 29/11/2016 14:25

the flip side is that my regular postman leaves parcels behind my recycling box for me as he knows I'll be back soon!

indigox · 29/11/2016 14:25

Just refuse when they ask. If you know when you're getting parcels can you avoid answering the door outside of those days/times?

interstellarcloudofdust · 29/11/2016 14:25

YANBU. I work from home as well and get pestered to take in parcels for neighbours all the time. I'm not doing it anymore. I'm sick of couriers lying to me, not bothering to put cards thru doors, neighbours not bothering to collect etc.

WindyCat · 29/11/2016 14:26

I would have agreed with you, it is annoying. I work from home, and at least once a day I take parcels in for other people. While it's not a big thing, I'm easily distracted and sometimes it takes me a while to get back to work. Yesterday though I only went to the supermarket for a few bits (no more than 45 minutes, if that), and when I came back I'd had 4 deliveries (Royal Mail, dpd, my Hermes and Amazon) taken in by a new neighbour 5 doors up. I was really grateful, I don't drive and have no idea where the delivery offices are for most of those places, so I've decided to never moan about taking in other people's things again.

Flip

1 2 3 4