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:

SuburbanRhonda · 29/11/2016 15:08

Many years ago my neighbour took in a full-size pool table for me so I always take in parcels for neighbors now!

Only those I know though.

CozumelFox · 29/11/2016 15:09

I ended up as the local sorting office last Christmas. My tiny hallway was piled high with the parcels of 4-5 neighbours - including a fucking rabbit hutch! - and although I did feel a bit of Christmassy cheer as I handed them out at the weekend (I NEVER deliver, do that once and they think you're their slave) it really does get a bit much. There's no room in the hall at the best of times.

People should have their stuff delivered to work. I mean, I have mine delivered to my house because I'm here, but if I wasn't I'd redirect, because otherwise I'm just sending my neighbours things or cluttering up the local post office.

gamerchick · 29/11/2016 15:10

I'm in the same boat but It's known amongst all of the different companies I'll take in a parcel if they need it. Especially this time of year and I'd rather they come here than take abuse from a disgruntled person who doesn't want to help them out.

I care nothing for the neighbours.

RB68 · 29/11/2016 15:16

stick a sign up saying parcels for this address only

seven201 · 29/11/2016 15:20

I can't get things delivered to work and outside of big towns there often isn't a nearby click and collect. I always leave a note at ordering to say chuck it over my gate and also have a similar note on my front door, but it still often ends up at the neighbour's. If im ordering using Amazon prime I always try and do it to arrive on a Saturday. I'm on mat leave at the mo and don't mind taking in parcels. I do find it a bit annoying when no-one comes to get them though! I think you should start saying no to the delivery drivers and they'll know to not bother knocking.

MatildaTheCat · 29/11/2016 15:23

There are many alternatives offered when ordering stuff online including click and collect etc. I would take one more parcel for each neighbour and when they collect it say that you won't be able to take in any more parcels due to the interruption of your work so please can they make new arrangements?

I'm in SW London and there are about 5 different options nearby.

Then mean it and put a sign on the door stating that you cannot take parcels for anyone other than your own address. Nobody would consider it ok to be constantly interrupted in their work office to do small favours for neighbour's so you are quite entities to feel the same.

littlesallyracket · 29/11/2016 15:27

If you refuse a package, the neighbours won't know that - they'll just assume there was nobody around. So I don't think you need to worry about offending them.

Katy07 · 29/11/2016 15:29

I feel so much better now because I always avoid taking in parcels. I can see the vans coming and unless I'm expecting a delivery (and I'll watch to see that they come to me first - like just now, spooky!) I'll bugger off to the kitchen to hide I hate having to wait for neighbours to get home because I get unsettled and some of the neighbours seem to think that because I work from home they can use me as a delivery point without having the courtesy to ask first. So I don't anymore. There are a couple that I might take in for but not the others. Maybe it's a bit selfish but no more than their noisy parties etc.

LongDivision · 29/11/2016 15:36

I'd answer the door, but tell the driver that you can't accept the package as you'll be away or very busy for the next few days.

SoupDragon · 29/11/2016 15:38

Today I took in a parcel for over the road. The delivery driver was happy, 10 yr old DD was happy as she wanted to take it over and the neighbours were happy as they got their parcel. I wasn't inconvenienced at all! :o

Luckily it works here though. The neighbours are all nice.

Albadross · 29/11/2016 15:39

I just tell the courier I'm going to be out for the next 3 days and refuse

SapphireStrange · 29/11/2016 15:41

I work at home too and it can be a bit inconvenient.

Then again, my neighbours always take in parcels for my household when necessary, so I think it's fair enough.

If any specific person was an arse about it I'd stop taking their parcels in, but we're all nice on my street as far as I can tell!

Mistletoetastic · 29/11/2016 15:46

I work from home, unless they are bulky items or they were trying to deliver something to the paedophile at no.16 (yes really) I normally take in parcels, if I am on the mobile phone I use a head set and I know the local couriers now. I never deliver the parcels, they can come to me. It hasn't caused an issue.

My neighbours recently took in a very bulky item for me recently and I was very grateful, I didn't get any dispatch notice so wasn't aware that it was on the way. I apologised and thanked them.

Thingywhatsit · 29/11/2016 15:51

I get all my stuff delivered to my mums - she is the delivery depot for their group of 5 houses! All the couriers/postman know where the safe place is so often neighbours stuff is left there too. She doesn't mind doing it and always get lovely Xmas presents from them. She lives in a rural area and neighbours are all lovely. I took in a parcel for one of my neighbours when we moved into new house, but they were arses so once was enough! I have no where safe for my parcels to be left and I'd have to drive 30 mins to sorting office to collect, so I just have it all sent to my mums and then collect as and when. Plus side is all the Xmas presents are now being stored there as she always says - "oh leave it here til Xmas"!

ProseccoBitch · 29/11/2016 15:55

My neighbours are all too far away for this to happen to me so no personal experience, but I do hate unexpected callers as it sends the dogs crazy so if it were me I'd put a sign on the door saying what a PP suggested, deliveries addressed to this address only please, or similar. Also you'll be letting your heat out every time you open the door at this time of year!

hatsandbagsandshoes · 29/11/2016 15:56

We had the opposite, our NDNs accepting all of our parcels, literally pouncing on delivery people to leave our parcels with them, even when we were in sometimes! I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but sometimes when I got home from work I didn't want to have to pop round (and have a long chat) or have them come round to mine (and have a long chat!). After a parcel went missing somewhere along the line, I put a sign up on my door asking for parcels not to be delivered to neighbours, and have since not been asked to take a parcel for anyone else. So maybe that is an angle worth trying.

gettingbythistime · 29/11/2016 15:58

You are being too nice. I stopped taking in neighbours pkgs as he stopped collecting them and his doorbell doesn't work when I would go round to him with them. Our house is very small and already cluttered . I tell delivery people I won't take them in and why. I dont give it a second thought. I do take packages for my other neighbour though as she is a mucker 😊

BMW6 · 29/11/2016 16:00

I am the sorting depot for our street - two yesterday for different neighbours. The usual delivery lady is always so grateful (as are the neighbours) and I'm happy to take anything within reason (I wouldn't take in something large and heavy tho (like a washing macine) as hall long and narrow.

blitheringbuzzards1234 · 29/11/2016 16:11

I can see why this is annoying if it's too frequent. I take stuff in for my immediate neighbours on each side and it's no trouble - they're nice people and I always get a pleasant thank you and a box of chocs at Christmas for being co-operative.

I once accepted a heavy box for a lady over the road which she insisted on carrying by herself though I was afraid that she might give herself a hernia.

VintagePerfumista · 29/11/2016 16:11

As you said, it seems petty not to.

Presumably it's worse because it's Christmas.

sizeofalentil · 29/11/2016 16:12

Oh God… I'm basically your neighbour. I'm not actually your neighbour, but I've done the same thing to my poor neighbours since moving in :(

In defence of these people - I always, ALWAYS pay extra for, or ask for, Saturday delivery, but people (looking at you Ikea and Hermes…) just deliver whatever day they damn well please, despite this.

Also, our postman delivers straight to our neighbour - doesn't even try our door. DH and I both often wfh a few times a week and have seen him skipping our house and going straight to theirs with our stuff. So would be worth you telling the postman face-to-face that you won't be accepting anyone's parcels from now on.

TheWayYouLookTonight · 29/11/2016 16:25

People should have their stuff delivered to work.

I would absolutely do this if it was allowed where I work - sadly it's not.

VinoTime · 29/11/2016 16:26

A neighbour across the street from me was doing up a car last year, meaning various packages nearly every day of the week for quite some time. He of course worked full time and I was working night shift so I was always home during the day, y'know...trying to sleep. You can guess who was initially getting landed with the bloody parcels, can't you?

I reached week 3 and just about lost the plot through sleep deprivation. Took his packages to him as soon as I saw him drive up that night and had a word, explaining that my sleep was being interrupted multiple times a day taking in his deliveries, and could he please from now on request that deliverers were not made to my house during the week. Know what he said? "Oh, I always tell them to deliver to you because you're home during the day and I'm not. I didn't think it would be a problem." Further explained that I was a night shift worker doing an incredibly physically demanding job, and could not do so safely without a proper sleep. Very nicely told him that I wasn't here to act as a post office for him. Suggested he maybe tried to target his deliveries on a Saturday. Response? "Yeah, but I like to go out on Saturdays."

I walked away twitching, assuming the matter was sorted.

Oh no no!

The following week I'm enjoying a lovely deep sleep when my dog starts going absolutely crazy. Startle awake thinking somebody's trying to burgle the house, only to find a delivery man stashing parcels for across the road in my DD's outdoor toy lockup in our back garden. Just about charged at the poor bloke asking him what on earth he was doing, only for him to show me his little device screen with the delivery instructions reading: Leave in safe place at no XX

Grabbed the packages and threw them over the neighbours fence, not giving a single shit that it was raining or if they broke (I'm really not at my best when tired). Padlocked the fence to ensure that couldn't happen again and refused to take in further deliveries from then on. The drivers eventually knew not to bother and sleep was finally restored! Suffice to say neighbour and I did not exchange Christmas cards last year...

Liberty taking butthole.

Katedotness1963 · 29/11/2016 16:27

Years ago I did bar work in the evenings so was home during the day. It didn't take long for the UPS delivery man to figure it out and he ended up at our door most days dropping stuff off for the whole street. It went on like that for the best part of the year till someone got a parcel with broken contents and instead of returning it, went to the driver asking how they could make me replace the item because I must have been the one that broke it.
He told them he'd been dropping things off with me for a long time, nothing had ever been damaged before, it was unlikely to have been me and they had no proof anyway. I thanked him and told him I wouldn't be taking in anyone's parcels again. He understood.

Most people were thankful but you do get the odd one who complains they "came round earlier and you were out" like you were supposed to sit around waiting.

Andylion · 29/11/2016 16:50

People should have their stuff delivered to work.

Where would they drop off at work? Years ago, I worked in an office in the mail room, relieving on reception when required, (three times a month). If I'd had to sign for personal, non-work-related parcels, (which could have gone to either the mail-room or reception), while still doing my other duties, I'd have been a bit pissed off. You'd have, potentially, in an office of 30, a helluva lot of distraction from my responsibilities, especially at this time of year.

Flip

1 2 3 4