Mat leave and taking in neighbours delivery's

[LunaNightSky]

Just started mat leave and waiting for
baby.

Over the last week every day I've had loads of delivery drivers turn up asking me to take in parcels for our neighbours.

I usually don't mind but one of them didn't collect four days and it was a huge box blocking most of our door way. They apologised and said they went away for a few days. Fine.. I've had my own delivery's for the baby so the box was a pain in the arse to negotiate around.

Another had an amazon parcel delivered yesterday and the CF was banging on my door at 10pm last night just as I started dozing to sleep. I was so annoyed I didn't answer the door so they can just come back today.

Another delivery driver just turned up with an outer of wine for next door. Asked if I would take it in, fed up I said "I'm going out I won't be in" driver got arsey with me and said "well they won't get it until Monday then and I'll probably have to ask you to take it again" I said "right fine" so he just leaves this huge heavy box on the door step that I've had to drag in.

Arghh!

Don't accept deliveries then. Easy!

I’m a SAHM and that also means I am the streets parcel collection point!

That is a pain. I would put a notice on the door saying due to ill health you will not be taking in other people's parcels and therefore please do not disturb except for your own stuff.

You def don't want this happening once baby is here and you are knackered/trying to feed/possibly sore etc.

He dumped it?!

You have my sympathy! This used to happen to me all the time - one cheeky neighbour even put a note on their door saying that we would take in their parcels if they weren't there (we live in a block of flats and they live above us so I wasn't aware of this until the postman told me one day!).
I got so fed up of it that I have just started to say no to taking stuff in now. Just because I work from home, it doesn't mean that I am the local sorting office - especially when we get no thanks for it.
Sure, some delivery drivers will try to make out that you're being awkward, but you just need to brazen it out and tell them you're not taking it. Not your problem.
The final straw was when the woman from the upstairs flat knocked on my door at 8pm one evening to ask where her parcel was - I didn't know as it hadn't been left with me, and she said 'oh, you're usually so good'. It was as if I was her personal bloody postal service. I decided then and there not to take things in for anybody again. 10 years we'd put up with that crap for. No more!
Seriously, just get used to refusing to sign for anybody else's stuff. You'll find that it does get easier to do...

This drove me mad too. In the end I put a sign on the door that said the baby was asleep and to only knock if it was for us. I left the sign up regardless of if the baby was napping or not!

Why did you give in to the Amazon driver? Just say no. Or of that's too difficult, just say you're going away.

Oh yes I remember this well! I didn't mind initially because there was a reasonable amount of give and take but I started saying no when a delivery guy tried to get me to take in a mountain bike for next door!
I'm on ML again and fully intend to put a note saying 'please only knock with parcels for no.12'

Text/put a note through the neighbours door - Thanks for the box of wine, it's good to have our goodwill, time & inconvenience acknowledged for taking in your parcels, especially when delivery/collection often wakes the baby.

Bet everyone stops using you as their delivery point then!

Just don’t accept them- it’s not your neighbours fault, it’s the delivery drivers (who are under pressure to deliver quickly, anywhere)

Depends if it’s likely to be reciprocated by the neighbours later. When you are back at work you might be glad that people are willing to take in big boxes of nappies, the babies Christmas presents etc when you want to shop online....

When it is something heavy like wine use your pregnancy as an excuse, you can’t lift it. But mostly, stop answering the door.

I always take in parcels and don't mind but that does take the mick. Although my parcels especially the big ones always seem to come during the school run and even though I ask them to leave in a safe place they still deliver to my neighbour.

I highly recommend a doorbell camera. Now I don’t need to leave the chair to say no and if they look pushy I pretend i’m out so cannot take parcels. After the second week, the regulars stopped asking and I can be blissfully anti-social again!

I work from home and get the same problem. I don't really know our neighbours so just don't feel comfortable taking them.

I'm just really apologetic to the delivery driver, say sorry can't take them and they are generally understanding. It can feel a bit awkward sometimes though.

We've had this too op so you have my sympathies. One of my neighbours told the postie to put their parcels in my outside cupboard if I wasn't it!!

I used to have this as a shift worker. I was getting woken up early after a late shift and it was really pissing me off so for a while I put up a sign saying 'shift worker sleeping, parcels for no. xx only'. I didn't always have it up and did keep accepting parcels if I was up but it stopped me being the default option on the street.

The Amazon drivers are really pushy and I end up feeling sorry for them as I know they have targets to meet, so like I tried yesterday saying "I won't be home" "I'm going away" they end up making me cave because I don't want them to get in trouble. Will definitely have to be more ballsy in and just say no, must dig out my big girl pants.

I think what annoys me the most is my neighbours not collecting for days and also banging on the door at 10pm really loudly, who does that at 10pm?!?

Haha I like the comment about keeping the wine - I note this particular neighbour has a note on the parcel saying deliver to neighbour and he never says thank you when he comes to collect and he blanks me when I see him about.

Will definitely be getting my felt tips out to make a sign to say baby sleeping do not disturb unless for us.

Just say no - how do they normally cope when you are not on mat leave? It is amazing how quickly some people start to take advantage once they find a soft touch and how easy it is for them to find an alternative if you put your foot down.

Delivery driver was rude...but I was ordering from Amazon earlier...
I noticed that if you ask for the delivery to be left with a neighbour in the event of you being out...you are asked to nominate a house number and name.
It also highlights in red TO ASK THE NEIGHBOUR first.
So if this is what they have done...the problem is with the cheeky neighbour.
Just stop taking the deliveries...either dont answer or say no sorry and close the door...its easy.
(The LAST thing you will want is this problem when you have a newborn)
Good luck

ghli

Just say no FGS! It's not your job to take in other people's parcels. I only take them in for 2 neighbours who also take in ours. Anyone else's I say sorry, no. You need to be a bit more assertive OP!

I would defiantly refuse to take anymore parcels, If the rude one comes looking his wine, tell him you don't have it, that someone must've lifted it from where the delivery driver dumped it (he has a cheek!)

Its not fair to impose your deliveries on people when you know you'll not be in, This is why I get things delivered to where I work or where DH works instead if the delivery is to be scheduled for when we will not be home.

To put a different spin, I've been taking in parcels for years, I work evenings, and in the last few months I've had my grass cut, an out door tap fitted and a box of wine, all free from various neighbours probably as they do appreciate the hassle I've saved them. Yanbu to say no though op.

This has happened to me on a number of occasions. At first, I didn't mind helping neighbours out but I soon got very fed up. Not one neighbour actually came around and picked their parcels up. I ended up having to take the parcels to them and often I would be going backwards and forwards because they weren't in. No one ever said thank you. They just took the parcels from me. So I stopped. The Amazon driver did get stroppy but I just said it wasn't convenient and I wouldn't be around for the neighbour to collect the parcel.

Tough love time -

It's maternity leave, this is the very beginnings of your child watching the kind of adult you are and you're forming their little personality. What the hell would you say to your daughter in the same situation when she is older and on her mat leave and being used as a post office by the street?

Wouldn't you like her to have her big girl pants on and tell people, nicely and firmly that she has better things to do? You are modelling the behaviour they will eventually exhibit so start now and stick up for yourself!