To stop taking packages in for neighbours

[ElleMcElle]

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?!

It isnt really such a terrible imposition. Tbh the solution is simple say no. Of course you may well then look a bit crappy when you find someone takes one in for you. Personally I would rather you just refused than feel I cant order anything in case my neighbour takes it in and is then arsey about it. Your neighbours will just collect from sorting office when they can.

I would much rather the courier/ postman leave stuff in the bushes or back garden. It's very safe round my way. But no, they still insist on leaving it with the poor neighbours. I hate having to go round and interrupt people.
I have told all the neighbours to just leave it in the bushes/ round the back but they are too conscientious and worry about leaving them.

I wouldn't mind picking them up at the sorting office either.
YANBU op but I have no idea what you can do about it.

cansu - I have no intention of being "arsey" about it. I am perfectly nice and have a little chat when handing over the (many) packages. I don't want to make my neighbours feel bad, which is why I'm ranting about it on a anonymous internet forum instead! Once every day or so wouldn't be an imposition - but I'm fed up of the sheer volume.

If I hear someone knock on my neighbour's door or ring their doorbell, then hear it go again with no response, I know it's a missed delivery for them, so I don't bother to answer when my bell goes straight afterwards. (Terraced house so easy to hear.) I sometimes take parcels in for neighbours, but agree that it gets way too much at times.

I have a Collect Plus point about 5 minutes walk away and that's incredibly convenient, like an Amazon drop box, and you can also return unwanted items that way too. With the huge growth of online sales, lots of convenient drop boxes seems to be a good solution.

DonaldTrumpsWig - (GREAT user name, btw!) - we have several Collect Plus points nearby, although the mound of parcels often to be found in my living room suggests many people are unaware of them...

I imagine things will be very different in a few years time - we'll all have drop boxes outside our houses, or there'll be one for each street... It's the big teething issue with online shopping.

MrsMortis - thanks for the hippo box suggestion. Not cheap, are they? But it might be worth considering - thanks.

For Amazon at least, if you complain to them and say you won't accept anyone else's deliveries they will tell the depot to inform drivers not to do it. Works very well. Until they change the depot and then you have to do it again.....

I try to avoid having online deliveries to my house now because I hate the parcel-left-with-neighbour thing so much. We've never had a problem, but I don't want the interaction! (Yes, I am a miserable introvert with an anxiety problem, just in case you're wondering...)

I use click and collect or collect plus whenever possible. Much less stress.

Estelle - OOH, really? I will look into this. THANK YOU!

Awkward - Yep, when I worked out of the house, I did this too for the very same reason. But now the small talk is forced upon me. Often when I am in my PJs at weird times of day (freelancer, OK?!) or (as happened just now), I haven't realised that I've forgotten to do my bodysuit up and I've just had a conversation with the neighbour with it hanging over my jeans like an adult romper...

Liberty taking butthole

I don't mind doing it, but I do expect gratitude Especially when there's a box of expensive Crystal glass I've protected for three days waiting for the people over the road to collect it, then given up and carefully carried it over without drop-kicking it - well, I want a cheery smile and a thank you, not a grunt and the door slammed in my face.

No worries. If you have any probs tweet them, and they will sort it out ASAP.

In one of our previous houses, delivery people came to my door with a massive furniture delivery. Looked like wardrobes , bed etc. Told them I hadn't ordered anything. He showed me the paperwork, it was for next door and they had left a delivery instruction to leave it with me ! They hadn't asked, I would have said no anyway.
I refused to take it. I was heavily pregnant and no room in the hall. Delivery people were not happy. Neither was neighbour who came home that night and came to my door asking for his furniture. I told him it was back at the company. He swore at me. I gave it right back and closed the door.

I wouldn't mind picking them up at the sorting office either

I have a sticker on my door which says please take back to sorting office rather than giving to a neighbour. They are issued by Royal Mail, maybe ask for one.

But this does not solve the courier problem, and the fact that you cannot choose when ordering something. For me, Royal Mail should always be an option even if it costs a little more than someone like DPD or Yodel.

Our current house. Both immediate neighbours are lovely, we take parcels in for each other. All fine.
Neighbour across road though I refuse to take things for her. Took a parcel for her once and she never came over. A few hours after she got home I struggled across with the package assuming the delivery people hadn't put a card through her door to say were the package was. I was wrong she knew all right, she told we she was 'wondering when you would be bothered to bring over my package. ' She was fuming I hadn't come over the minute she got home.
I refuse now when delivery people come to the door with things for her.

My medical devices prescription comes, looking like a few parcels, monthly. So those with stoma bags, other long term continence needs, alternative feeding, medical oxygen, the list goes on, will get parcels.

I work, and I sleep a lot. I am very lucky that next door were willing to take the parcels of kit when they are in - I can't be running out of bags!

I also shop from home a bit - I guess maybe I shouldn't as I know someone else will take it in easily as often as me. If there are repeated similar size boxes, do consider it could be medical devices (thankfully it doesn't say on the outside!!).

If you've ever read 'The Keeper' by Luke Delaney you'd never, ever open the front door to a postie ever again.