AIBU To not want to take parcels?

[moonbeamdream]

I'm currently on maternity leave hence I'm home a lot more than usual at the moment.

Usually I don't mind taking parcels for neighbours, but the last week we have taken at least 2 parcels a day for various neighbours. The neighbours to our left usually get home from work between 4-10pm, the lady next door always arrives home before her partner but he's always sent to collect said parcels from us. Most of the parcels we have taken have been for these neighbours.

At the moment I have four parcels in my porch, and tonight I just thought to myself why should I take parcels for the whole street when only a couple of neighbours take them for us?

AIBU do you not want to take parcel to anybody any more? Part from those that take them for us obviously. I always try and be neighbourly but this is getting beyond a joke. Even the post lady has commented that we are the only house that seems to take everyone's parcels. She even tries to use alternative neighbours as she understands it must be annoying, I think partly it's because I would like it if a neighbour took a parcel for me.

How do I say no if somebody tries to deliver a parcel for neighbour? I know it's easy to just say no but sometimes it's quite hard if that makes sense?

Sorry for such a long post about such a trivial problem

All my neighbours are lovely and I'm usually in in day so happy to take, as I know how bloody annoying it is when they've left a card and your heart sinks. Then how lovely it is when you see it's gone to a neighbour's :-)

"Sorry I can't, try number 23."

Job done.

As someone said above ^ I hate having to go to a neighbour's house to get any parcel, or for them to come to me, as you feel like you have to chat/offer coffee etc.

I've taken in plenty of parcels for neighbours at various addresses over the years and had neighbours do the same for me. I can honestly say none of us have ever felt the need for extended chats and certainly no invitations to come in for coffee have been made. It's just a quick transaction and off we go to our respective home again. Maybe we've all been antisocial sods and have been breaching parcel handover etiquette?

How bizarre - If I am not home (Oz) they either (a) leave it at the front door if I have indicated that it' ok to do so, (b) leave me a card saying it's at the post office up the road or (c) leave a card which lets me make alternative arrangements including having the parcel delivered to work. Leaving it with someone else without authority means they are still liable for it.

YANBU to not want to be the parcel pick up point for your neighbours.

Put a sign on your door. "Baby sleeping. No parcels for neighbours".
Fwiw i had a small row with the Next lady once after moving into a new house when she knocked for the 4th time that week with a delivery for 10 doors down.

We used to take parcels in for our neibours, it was usually four a week.

I was leaving to go shopping one day and the neibour was leaving for work at the same time, he said to me oh, are you going out? I've got a delivery coming later.
I asked if his daughter was home to take it and he said oh she doesn't like answering the door so i use your address for my deliveries…

So, when the driver comes to your door with parcels, don't say any of the above lies just say no, I'm not taking parcels anymore.
Now they don't even attempt to leave them here.

I've taken in plenty of parcels for neighbours at various addresses over the years and had neighbours do the same for me. I can honestly say none of us have ever felt the need for extended chats and certainly no invitations to come in for coffee have been made. It's just a quick transaction and off we go to our respective home again. Maybe we've all been antisocial sods and have been breaching parcel handover etiquette?

Same. Me and DH take for neighbours. Our neighbours take for us. We all understand that it's annoying that couriers deliver during the working day (or pay a fortune for saturday delivery and spend all day waiting in).
Neighbour: hiya, we think youve taken a parcel for us
DH: yeah sure. One second. (Hands parcel over)
Neighbour: cheers have a good evening
Everyone goes home.

You won't always be on mat leave and people will have to take parcels for you again soon. I'd lump it for now as it may pay back in the future. See it as your turn.

I find I get several when I'm off at home but that several for us go to other neighbours when I'm at work. I'm doing my share.

I just say no, sorry.
I work from home and would soon become the parcel collection depot for the street. I was once asked to take in a huge parcel about four feet square for a neighbour, possibly a mirror or picture. No way.
If I wanted to store and deliver parcels I would work at the post office.
I don't understand why you are taking the parcels in if you don't want to🤔

I'm forever taking them in for our neighbours. Currently at home with a broken limb and they're still expecting me to go round with them (even though the postie has left a card!)

I will be telling the postie sorry but no can do now!

YABU

We live in a community. Part of that entails helping out our neighbours. If I happen to be in, it is no skin off my nose to take in a parcel for someone else. I can get parcels every week. I think it helps a little towards fostering a nice community feel.

This is a short window of time for you, and I'm sure you'll appreciate a neighbour taking in your items when you need it, saving you having to go all the way to the depo especially when you have a newborn.

Neither does it matter if the gesture is reciprocated or not. You ought to just be the nicest person you can be regardless of what other people choose to do.

Of course a heavy item in your condition is a no no understandably.

There are periods of time where we've had loads for next door. We've also had deliveries go to others' homes too although I try to get most things delivered to work. I am sympathetic because many work places don't allow this any more and our sorting office has moved to a very inconvenient location.

The volume the OP is talking about sounds quite high and if it persisted I think I would use the 'we're going on holiday' excuse a bit.

Imagine being accused of stealing something!

I take them for neighbours either side and 2 houses opposite, I know them and get on with them. I've stopped taking them for anyone else since I got stuck with a parcel for weeks, it's a long and boring story involving rented house, wrong address and the people it was intended for moving. I smile and say no, make up an excuse about not being in later.

I am pretty good at taking parcels in but I totally get why someone wouldn't want to do it a lot.

I don't like people coming round in the evening. It sets the dogs off
I am always a bit ansty until the parcel is collected.
Stuff gets ruined if it sticks around this house to long. A kid will trouble it or my OH will fall on it or the dogs will pee on it.

I do it when I can but have no trouble saying no if its a neighbour I know will be troublesome. I don't want them taking my stuff in either.

I think it's a nice neighbourly thing to but then I only have one neighbour and I'm not sure I'd feel the same if it was multiple times a day from all directions.

We all take parcels in for one another here. I'm a SAHM and home all day so I don't mind. It's a nice thing to do and opportunities to do nice things for people are few and far between these days.

YABU. It's part of being a good neighbour.

opportunities to do nice things for people are few and far between these days.
Really? Why do you say that?

Don't open the door or just say 'no' it's not that difficult surely? If my bell rings I look our of the window & don't answer if I'm not expecting anything or don't know the person

YABU it's s good neighbourly thing to do and you won't always be on mat leave

we have a safe place for purs but I'll take for out neighbours and they will for us. We are all pretty self sufficient but will help out if anyone needs it with things like shopping etc.

However, parcels here aren't an every day occurrence and none of us would dream of using another's address.

If it feels as though one in particular is taking the p**s, could you talk to them about it? Otherwise I personally would carry on.

At Christmas DP answered the door and came back saying it was a parcel for a few doors down. It turned out to be a massive rug, which sat in our vestibule for days until we caught them in, and DP ended up having to lug it down for them. Now we only take for the immediate neighbours.

YABU and I'm genuinely surprised at the amount of miserable people on here saying you're not (except the woman who was accused of stealing her neighbours parcel after giving it to her - that's awful and completely understandable why she says no!)

Is it really that much hassle? Really? We work full time. We have a parcel safe and also moved the bolt on the side gate so it could be opened from the top so that parcels could be left in the garden. But occasionally a courier will still leave with a neighbour because of any number of reasons. I'm incredibly grateful to them for taking it in for me and tell them that. There are times I'm at home - working, day off, sick and of course when I was on maternity leave. I always reciprocate. I'll also take in parcels for neighbours I don't know. Why? Because it's a neighbourly thing to do. It's kind.

On valentines we got home to a parcel note saying one had been left over the gate. We hadn't ordered anything. Checked - had someone else's name on but our address. I wemtvround knocking on EVERY door trying to find the lady, then went and fetched it to carry it down to her. It was the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. She was very appreciative and had no idea who had sent them!

Wish I had a vestibule.

Refuse on the grounds that you aren't a storage depot.