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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think you don’t take in a parcel for a neighbour if you are going on holiday!

71 replies

Aliveinwanderland · 26/10/2017 09:20

A relative sent a birthday present for DS which arrived yesterday morning by Royal Mail, however we had gone out to the zoo. It was left with a neighbour that 5 doors down. Went to collect it at 4pm but no-one Home, tried again at 7:30 and again no-one Home. This morning the house next to them says they went on holiday at lunchtime yesterday (about an hour after taking in my parcel) and they won’t be back for 2 weeks!!!

Surely they should have just said no to the postman!

OP posts:
Fattymcfaterson · 26/10/2017 09:25

Maybe they were in a bit of a rush (leaving in an hr for holiday after all) and just took it in without realising

Orangealien · 26/10/2017 09:28

Maybe they thought you'd be round before they went.

Or maybe they didn't want to tell a random stranger they were going on holiday, leaving them open to burglary.

Yerazig · 26/10/2017 09:35

This happened to me my neighbours took the parcel in and left for the weekend. They’re friends with my live in landlord and didn’t give her a text to let her know. I was notified that it had been delivered but not where or to whom. It was only when they came back on the Sunday or Monday they let us know.

londonista · 26/10/2017 09:36

YANBU / I wouldn’t have taken that parcel. I know most of my neighbours so I don’t tend to take parcels for people I don’t know anyway. Some people don’t come and collect them for ages, which is pretty rude.

Original poster
Aliveinwanderland · 26/10/2017 09:36

They don’t need to give the postman a reason- just no sorry we can’t take it in would do! Then at least it would go to the sorting office rather than be stuck in their hall for 2 weeks!

OP posts:
londonista · 26/10/2017 09:36

Sorry not saying you are rude OP!

JacquesHammer · 26/10/2017 09:36

Or maybe they didn't want to tell a random stranger they were going on holiday, leaving them open to burglary

They wouldn't need to. "Sorry, we don't see them much so won't be able to take it".

YaNBU OP they're thoughtless

RhiWrites · 26/10/2017 09:38

A postie isn't a "random stranger".

OOAOML · 26/10/2017 09:40

I wouldn't have - although we had a very pushy delivery person on the day we were moving house who didn't seem to understand why we wouldn't take in a parcel for a neighbour Hmm

sunandmoonshine · 26/10/2017 09:43

Yep that's nuts. They should never have taken it in. It pissed me off enough a few months back, when my catalogue order (£177 worth!) came when I was out, and a neighbour took it in, and they had gone away for two days. I know it sounds ungrateful, but I don't WANT people to take stuff in for me. (Nor do I want to take stuff in for other people......... too much hassle, and too much risk of stuff getting damaged and going missing and ME getting blamed. Fuck that!)

I have since given instructions for the courier to put it in my shed at the side of the house, but yeah, that irked me, so being made to wait two weeks would have REALLY pissed me off.

BeFire · 26/10/2017 09:44

Slightly OT but parcel taking in etiquette is that you go and collect your parcel from the person who takes it in for you isn't it?
I've had 2 parcels for 2 different houses on my street for a few days now and neither of them have been to get them. I wish I'd said no.

Your neighbour may be like me OP and said yes without thinking.

Mirrormirrorotw · 26/10/2017 09:45

YADNBU

They knew they were off on holiday, there was no guarantee you'd be home before the left, and they knew they would be away for two weeks. Thoughtless.

Crunchymum · 26/10/2017 09:47

Can you reorder it and send the one in the hallway back in a few weeks?

Not ideal but a possible solution.

londonista · 26/10/2017 09:47

BeFire - it absolutely is.
Although there is quite a funny spectacle in our street, the evening trading of Amazon parcels, but we’re all pretty good friends so I don’t mind walking them over occasionally. If someone brings me one of mine (eg if I didn’t want to go and knock when I got in at 10pm), id still apologise that they had to bother etc.

Decorhate · 26/10/2017 09:48

We discovered that a workman working in the empty house next door had taken in a package for us, only when the landlord found it and brought it around. Royal Mail had not left us a card (and we were not expecting a delivery). It turned out to be some extremely important legal documents which would have been a nightmare to replace.

I subsequently found out you can phone us & ask Royal Mail not to leave things with neighbours if you would rather they didn't...

LizTaylorsFabulousTurban · 26/10/2017 09:52

BeFire my next door neighbour was really angry with me for leaving a parcel with her for two days and had a right go at me. The note that the delivery co left said it was with the other neighbour and I had been trying to catch them when they were in.

(Mind you annoyed neighbour didn't even seem to be placated when I showed her the note - I wish she wouldn't take parcels in actually).

Slartybartfast · 26/10/2017 09:52

probably just in a hurry, and didnt like to say no.
i said no to the postman for my neighbours once and he was so shocked and perturbed

londonista · 26/10/2017 09:53

Decor, a letter from doctor for my husband was misdirected to a neighbour. It was sent 18 Dec and they had opened it by accident, and they didn’t give it to us until 20 Jan.
In the letter the doctor was asking my husband to phone in ASAP after some test results. I don’t know who would read that and not go out of their way to repost it.
In the end the surgery called us on 24 December when we hadn’t replied.
But even so, they didn’t know that!

BeFire · 26/10/2017 09:53

Thanks london i don't know either of them but would happily take parcels over if I saw anyone coming or going. The clutter is annoying me Blush

Slartybartfast · 26/10/2017 09:54

i wouldnt say thoughtless, that seems a bit moany
unless it is perishable it will be ok

TheMaddHugger · 26/10/2017 09:56

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PandorasXbox · 26/10/2017 10:01

Yes it’s a bit odd. Sounds like they just took it off the postman without thinking and plonked it down to carry on getting ready to leave. Easily done I guess if you’re trying to remember everything you’ve got to do.

SlothMama · 26/10/2017 10:12

It was daft of them to do that, I'd be pretty annoyed if I were you OP

Hateloggingin · 26/10/2017 10:14

Befire- they may not have been left a note so don't know you have the parcel. I'd go round and take them.

OnASummersDay · 26/10/2017 10:18

YANBU - I'm sure there was no malice behind it and they just took it without thinking, but it must be very frustrating for you!