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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think neighbours should come and collect their parcel?

264 replies

bibbitybobbityyhat · 10/12/2016 21:51

Dh took in a fairly large parcel (think box of wine size) for our neighbours on Thursday or maybe even Wednesday afternoon - I can't remember.

It has been in our narrow one person width hallway since then.

Aibu to be a wee bit pissed off now?

And

Wwyd?

OP posts:
BobbieDog · 11/12/2016 18:30

Its starting to annoy me taking neighbours parcels in.

They call round for it at teatime when im eating my tea or have my hands full preparing it or they come knocking for it at 8pm when i hate answering the door at night.

They even knock for it when i have gone to bed (before 9pm) and they can see all the lights are out.

I only said to dh yesterday that im going to start refusing them.

SoupDragon · 11/12/2016 18:42

I bet they weren't fibbing about the card. Especially if it was a courier who didn't want to waste valuable time writing a card and walking back to the house to deliver it. They have a ridiculously short time allocated per delivery.

JassyRadlett · 11/12/2016 19:14

They call round for it at teatime when im eating my tea or have my hands full preparing it or they come knocking for it at 8pm when i hate answering the door at night.

So when should they call for it? Confused

BobbieDog · 11/12/2016 19:17

Before tea say 4pm or during daytime hours

Anniegetyourgun · 11/12/2016 19:17

I've probably mentioned this one before, but a couple of years back a courier tried to deliver a parcel which I pointed out was for the correct house number but the wrong street. He said oh... would I take the parcel anyway? No I wouldn't, cheeky fecker! Doing favours for near neighbours is fair enough on the odd occasion; doing home deliveries around town, for which the courier is paid whilst I am not, would be quite another.

BobbieDog · 11/12/2016 19:18

Tbh i would prefer them to call during the day and if they work full time and cant do that i prefer not to take it in

JassyRadlett · 11/12/2016 19:29

Before tea say 4pm or during daytime hours

Then yeah, best all round that you refuse to take them, frankly. Most people's schedules are going to conflict with yours.

auntyemaily · 11/12/2016 20:01

Op I work from home and kind of get you- once the drivers know who is normally in they do tend to make a beeline. Neighbours then tend to come round early evening when I'm trying to get kids bathed etc so it is mildly irritating, however, I do normally take the parcels to be neighbourly.

BUT what I really wanted to tell you is my DH put a little camera on our drive which gives a good view of the street- it's like a cul desac so possibly easier to do than on a straight road- but anyway the monitor is on my desk so I can decide whether to answer the door or not. I can avoid people with clipboards, leaflets, and also if I do wished, people going door to door trying to get rid of parcels. ''Tis fab. Grin

Crunchymum · 11/12/2016 20:31

Well I've had the reverse. Somebody sent me a parcel and addressed it incorrectly. They told me they'd sent it to 11a (we live at 12a) and I know those neighbours very well so contacted them - no parcel or card or anthing.

Was in the midst of my an eBay dispute when my newish neighbour from 12b knocked and asked if I was "Crunchy".... turns out the seller had addressed my parcel to top flat, 12 Ebay Road...

Thankfully my new neighbour bothered to do some door knocking.

Door numbers and names and addresses have been changed to protect privacy Grin

YorkshireLass2012 · 11/12/2016 20:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

footballmum · 11/12/2016 20:51

Even though the OP has been a bit U in not popping round to neighbours sooner to tell them they have their parcel (and then moan about it cluttering up her hallway) I do agree with her points about people who work full time having their parcels delivered to home. I've got fab neighbours who are either retired or SAHM and happily take in my parcels but at this time of year when I've literally got two or theee parcels a day arriving, I wouldn't dream of expecting them to take delivery of them ,so I've had them all delivered to work.

Out of interest, a PP mentioned Amazon lockers. I've seen them around but for the life of me can't see how to get my parcels delivered to one when I complete my order! Sorry for the slight de-rail but does anyone know how it's done?

EnormousTiger · 11/12/2016 21:27

I've had two parcels for a house with this name and one was top of the range new apple lap top but different name and address. I found the true owner on a Companise house google search - 10 mins drive from here and took both round to the correct house. Despite identical house name only time we've been muddled up. I hope I get my reward in heaven... they were very thankful I'd done it. My son is a postman and says sometimes people come to the door with virtually nothing on and you just try not to look down or else it's an important parcel, the cleaner is in and she refuses to answer the door even though she's in which then annoys the owner.

CozumelFox · 11/12/2016 21:46

If you take it round, they sit on their plump little arses thinking they've got magic elves who not only take their parcels in, but will scurry right up to their doors to deliver them.

Ho ho no, I do not take parcels round. I'm not braving the wind, rain and snow to drag their shit to them.

I have one neighbour who takes weeks to collect parcels, but I still take them in because I feel bad for the delivery people.

But nope, I'm not their servant, and I'd sooner trip over it for a week than do their dirty work.

When I worked, I had my parcels delivered to my office. Unless this was recently outlawed, they can do the same, instead of expecting me to be their personal sorting office.

JassyRadlett · 11/12/2016 21:57

When I worked, I had my parcels delivered to my office. Unless this was recently outlawed, they can do the same, instead of expecting me to be their personal sorting office

Actually an increasing number of workplaces ban this now. I know mine does, and many others I'm aware of.

I generally pay extra for times delivery for the day I'm regularly at home, but my neighbours are lovely and have never shown any irritation the times courier people have ignored my 'safe place' instructions and left the parcel with them. We reciprocate when able. Some people are lucky enough to have Doddle locally. But not everyone is in that boat.

DeepanKrispanEven · 11/12/2016 22:01

Well ... drumroll ... they hadn't had a card. So I wbu to be annoyed at the neighbours but I maintain I wnbu about having an unwanted parcel in my house for days.

OK, you're annoyed that you had an unwanted parcel in your house for days. You accept that it wasn't your neighbour's fault that you had the unwanted parcel there for days. You could have resolved the problem on day 1 by taking it round to them or putting a note through their door. Can we take it therefore that you are annoyed at yourself?

Original poster
bibbitybobbityyhat · 11/12/2016 22:03

Gosh, I can't remember what YorkshireLass said to get deleted? It barely registered with me compared to the completely barking absurd level of vitriol aimed my way last night Confused. I suppose someone must have reported.

OP posts:
Original poster
bibbitybobbityyhat · 11/12/2016 22:07

No, deepan.

It's not usual to take parcels round to neighbours is it? I've never done it before in my many years of accepting parcels for neighbours.

You expect them to come and collect from you. You expect the courier company to have left a card through their door.

So I am not annoyed at myself.

OP posts:
Ginslinger · 11/12/2016 22:12

I've noticed that you've had a bit of a hammering on threads recently, bibbity and I don't understand why.

MrsBB1982 · 11/12/2016 22:22

Merry Christmas one and all.

It's a busy time of year and delivery people are paid diddly squat.

Perhaps a bit of neighbourly kindness wouldn't go amiss?!

Maybe I'm biased. We're in a small group of roads and we've always been happy to take in each others parcels. Also my house is in chaos all the time so another bit of mess probably doesnt matter too much!!

DailyMailyFaily · 11/12/2016 22:43

Information on AMAZON LOCKERS here

It depends on the carrier but It's also possible to get parcels delivered to various collection points. I know Hermes and Collect+ have loads. It's often also possible to pay a little extra to have weekend or evening deliveries.

Another alternative is to buy a parcel drop box, the delivery guy or woman puts the parcel in the box then drop the key through the letterbox.

The OP says she doesn't mind taking in parcels for most of her neighbours it just the one who is taking liberties that she is objecting to.

To think neighbours should come and collect their parcel?
glitterazi · 12/12/2016 01:05

I'm a SAHM and don't mind taking parcels in for neighbours.
I'm totally inclined to believe the neighbour who said they didn't have a card, as delivery drivers DON'T always leave a note saying where the parcel has been left. Even when they say they will.
I know this because after a week of waiting for one lot of parcel owners to come pick the goddamn thing up, I took it round myself.
They were very thankful, and had no idea it was left with us!

melj1213 · 12/12/2016 01:15

I do agree with her points about people who work full time having their parcels delivered to home... I wouldn't dream of expecting them to take delivery of them ,so I've had them all delivered to work.

Neither do I! But, as many of us have said, if the delivery driver takes it upon themselves to deliver to the neighbours instead of following the explicit instructions we have put on delivery forms to leave the parcel in X location if tthere is nobody in, how is that our fault they are left with our parcels?

I work full time in a supermarket in customer services ... I am not allowed to get parcels delivered to work, it's bad enough if a friend/family member drops something off to me while I'm on the clock, and I then have to take it upstairs to my locker, never mind a parcel! So, when I order things and I know they may be delivered while I'm at work, and there is no "click and collect" option then I will specifically put "Please leave in outhouse in back yeard if not in for delivery" in the delivery comments ... I expect the delivery driver to either follow the instructions I have left or take the parcel back, I do not expect him to deliver to neighbours, nor do I expect the neighbours to take the parcel.

melj1213 · 12/12/2016 01:23

It's not usual to take parcels round to neighbours is it?

It is if they haven't come to collect it and you are getting pissed off at it cluttering up your hallway.

You expect them to come and collect from you. You expect the courier company to have left a card through their door.

True, but you also expect people to use common sense. If I have a parcel that hasn't been picked up after a day or so, I give people the benefit of the doubt and assume they aren't aware that I have their parcel (for whatever reason) and either take it round or let them know (text/call/note through the door) that I have had it a day or two and they need to arrange to collect it.

MissMargie · 12/12/2016 04:24

Just don't answer the door or tell delivery guy you can't take it for them.
They aren't there to know.
I've had neighbours work form home and not answer the door.
But they've happily let me take their stuff in, and then not been around (or not answering) to take it off me. And of course don't reciprocate with my stuff as they don't answer the door grrrrr.

Don't take it in. Who's to know. This must happen a lot to delivery guys.

5to2 · 12/12/2016 04:37

Such drama over nothing.

  1. Knock on your neighbour's door when they are in. Tell them you have their stuff.
  1. They trot round and pick up their stuff.
  1. You tell them politely that you'd rather not receive their parcels any more, as there are too many and you are finding it burdensome.

But of course, you knew that.

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