To refuse to take in neighbour's packages!

[DisgruntledGoat]

Neighbours moved in a few months ago. Since then I've taken in at least half a dozen packages for them because they seem to be rarely at home. I don't mind taking in neighbour's packages but these new neighbours are rubbish at collecting them. I've had the current one since Saturday morning. The previous one which was about 2 weeks ago also sat there for several days before it was collected. It's been the same since the start. With the first one that came shortly after they moved in I thought the delivery guy hadn't put a card through their door so when they didn't pick it up I kept going round but there was never anyone in. Eventually I saw him walking down the road while I was in my car and I'd just tried to deliver it again so I had it with me. I flagged him down by honking my horn and waving my arms like an idiot, rolled down window and handed it to him to which he said, "oh yeah, I meant to pick that up". I just feel it's a bit disrespectful to know your neighbour has taken in your deliveries but to not bother to pick them up until you can be arsed to. I know someone was home on Sunday as I drove past him as he was playing outside his house with his kids - he actually waved as i drove by to my house but he still didn't come and collect it! My AIBU is should I stop taking in their packages? Or is that really bitchy un-neighbourly?

[Temporary2002]

Sorry you can't take it in as you have just had a fengshui specialist work on your house and it would throw everything totally off.
Sorry, can't take it in as house is currently infested with bedbugs/fleas/ants.
Shout through window "Sorry, leave it in their garden, I am indisposed at the moment.

[GabsAlot]

just say youre not taking in anymore parcels for neighbours and thats that

@mulberry72 i cant believee it what a cheek!

[lalalalyra]

I'm a SAHM so we're the unoffical street post office. We also get them for the street behind. I don't accept them for 3 houses - 1 in my street that never collects (ordered a microwave then went on holiday for a fortnight meaning it sat in my hall) and is rude if you didn't deliver quick enough for her liking, 1 man that I don't like as he's rude, aggressive and was violent to his wife so because I'm here myself a lot I won't have him to my door and 1 from the street behind who always has arguments with the couriers because they ignore where they are supposed to deliver too (they work in an extension/shed thingy in their garden).

[DisgruntledGoat]

That's funny goodwife

[TheGoodWife16]

Just remembered the time I told the postman I couldn't take a parcel for horrible NDN as we were going away on holiday that day (we weren't) and might not see them.... it was just before Christmas and I was expecting several parcels myself! So, for the next three days, he 'helpfully' kept the parcels I was expecting at the sorting office and popped a card through the post! I can only claim stress and ill health caused my weird behaviour/web of lies.

[TheGoodWife16]

Our neighbours kindly took in a large boxed Christmas tree and kept hold of it for a week before coming round with it one evening.... no card had been left and we'd lodged an undelivered order with the company! Felt really bad, but they laughed it off. We generally reciprocated, so it was usually an even playing field of parcel collection. I've refused to take a parcel for other NDN as they don't even acknowledge our existence - and I told the postie exactly that!

[Mulberry72]

I stopped doing it altogether as my neighbours cottoned on to the fact that I'm at home all do and were asking for parcels to be left with me without even having the decency to ask me first!

One neighbour has an item of frozen food delivered on a weekly basis and the delivery man said that she'd said I wouldn't mind popping it in my freezer for her, I just tell him I've no room in my freezer to fit it in now.

[IloveBanff]

CheesyWeez did you get an apology when they found the notes? I hope you did. How sodding rude and ungrateful!

[rattieofcarcassone]

Yanbu, but on the other side of this: my local amazon guys ignore our wishes constantly so it may not be his fault. We don't want our stuff delivered to the neighbours, we've specified a safe place but usually we ask for packages to be delivered elsewhere if I won't be in; they just ignore it and leave things with our racist twat neighbours or the other ones who pretend not to have anything they also ignore the signs on the door that say "I am in, please knock loudly and ring the doorbell!"
It's really frustrating, especially as we often have deliveries of massive 30l bags of cat litter, so we can't get them delivered to any of the local pick up points (either can't drive there or they don't accept large items)!

[DisgruntledGoat]

Thanks for all the feedback. The post office is now closed

[CheesyWeez]

Don't take any more parcels in for them OP. The postman won't mind. Tell the postie they never come round to collect and they're bunging up your hall with their stuff.

I took a parcel in for a new neighbour and put a note in their postbox. Later I saw them in their garden and took the parcel round and they gave me a mouthful saying they'd been ringing the company and no wonder it got lost if random people take parcels in. There were two blooming notes in their box, 1 from me and 1 from the courier.

Another day the neighbours on the other side rang my doorbell and said "I see you've very kindly taken a parcel in from me!" So I always take in for them now.

[Hullabaloo31]

Why do you even need to say anything? Just tell the delivery man no, and that will be the end of it. It's not like he'll notify them that someone has refused! They'll just be told that their parcel couldn't be delivered.

[SantinoRice]

I understand your logic in taking the second one - they're already supposed to be coming round for 1, so it makes no difference. After they have collected these though, say "I'm sorry, I can't sign for house x, we are never in at the same time". If you even feel like you have to give a reason, which you don't.

[SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes]

Me and my neighbours take packages in for each other. It's never bothered me. If it's small I send the kids with it to save them a journey. However I will stop for one neighbour now. My parcel hadn't arrived so I emailed them. They said my neighbour signed for it 4 days ago and gave her name. I'd seen her in that time and she said nothing. I'd had no note from the courier so just thought it was lost or delayed in Transit. I don't know if she was making a point because when I went to get it she said "Well you took your time!" Yeah cheers love. I won't be taking in those reams of fabric for you anymore. definitely getting recognised now :o

[AwaywiththePixies27]

Well that's the thing isn't it? Just because you appear to be 'always in' doesn't mean that you are appointed as the streets sorting office.

I am 'always in' when the postman comes. Bless him he's a punctual fella, you can set your watch by him. I'm convinced he thinks I'm a lazy twat because he always sees me sat in the arm chair at the same time every morning. However by that time, I've already been up with DS since 4/5am, done the whole breakfast, uniforms, bookbags school run there and back and picked up any top up shopping that needs doing etc.

I also have several medical appointments that either I need to attend to, or one of the DCs needs to go to. I'm basically always popping in and out and its a bit presumptuous to think anyone who appears to be in doesn't have anything better to do than be their streets unpaid sorting office.

[Sunnymeg]

I took a parcel in one time and the item was damaged. I got grief off of the neighbour about this, even though the packaging was intact and there was no way I could have known it was damaged inside. Since then I don't take anything in, and tell couriers why.

[viques]

I refuse to take parcels for her next door because she is a nasty person ( long history of nasty) I just tell the courier I don't take them, then helpfully add to not bother trying on her other side because they can't stand her either.

I take parcels for absolutely anyone else in the street btw. But not Cxxxxx.

[mustiwearabra]

I only have one neighbour I'll take in parcels for (I'm in a block of flats) as they come for it on the day and at reasonable times. The others started taking the piss as they know I work from home and were actually leaving instructions to "deliver to number x" without even bloody asking me. I always turned those ones away. Then there were the ones who would appear at 7am or 11pm to pick their shit up. I now refuse all parcels and emailed all the couriers to request that a note be put next to my address on the route to say don't bring me parcels unless they're for me. Has worked so far!

[DisgruntledGoat]

I don't think I'd take in anything too big easytobuild as my hall isn't that big and it would definitely be in the way. However the smaller of the two packages is really quite heavy, around 5 kilos and is difficult to move for me to hoover etc. so it is quite inconvenient now after 5 days

[eddielizzard]

i would tell them you don't mind taking in their parcels as long as they collect them the same day. you don't have the space for them to hang around for days while you track them down.

i bet they don't even realise it's an imposition, or the fact that you're doing it means you're happy to do it.

when you lay down the terms that you're prepared to do it on, and they continue to not pick them up from you, then i'd stop taking them in.

[DeadGood]

"We regularly take packages for neighbours across the road... One day I'll have the nerve to say no."

Seriously, I despair. Really millifiori ? The nerve to say no? To whom, the postman? Do you really think he or she will give a shit?

Just smile and say, "sorry, I can't sign for that. Have a great day." And then close the door.

[snowgirl1]

I'd just speak to them and say 'I don't mind taking your parcels in, but you need to collect them the same day as I don't want them cluttering up my home'. Our neighbours take parcels in for us and they get wine and chocolates at Christmas as a thank you.

[Easytobuild]

I felt a bit like this the other week you say yes without thinking/asking "how big?" it wasnt until he got to the door did I realise how big the box was from the other angle lol it was a huge combi microwave in a box twice the size they didnt pick it up for 3 days I tried going round everyday (they were in and out thought all 3 days) because it was constantly in the way.

The depot here is a 30min round trip without traffic and there is always traffic, with no where to park and the queue is often out of the door so expect to be there for 20-30 mins on top of drive time so the whole thing can take way over an hour to collect a parcel. I hate the inconvenience myself and with kids it's an absolute nightmare.

So for that reason I say yes in the hope someone can return the favour. Redelivery usually says cannot be done within 48 hours after they have been the first time so its a pain if you need it fast.

Its sods law you wait in most of the day and it comes within the 10-20mins where you have to nip out!

[Tobolsk]

It's difficult in the UK I was always weary of taking parcels for neighbors.

Since we moved to the US we now live in a very safe area and never lock our door. Our postman will leave parcels on our kitchen table if we are out.

[2014newme]

If something of yours goes to their house they can say no. Same as you can. I wfh too. In a paid job not as an unpaid parcel deliverer. I say no to the deliverers. I used to say yes but an abundance of large parcels and the effort to pass them on, now I just say no.
It's not awkward as I hardly see my neighbour who has,all the parcels and I don't care what they think anyway.