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!

I sometimes think I live in the only street in the UK where I only very occasionally get deliveries for my neighbours and where I know I can nominate any one of about seven of them to take in a delivery for me without being arsey about it should the need arise.

Or is all this angst just MN world?

Nip it in the bud now and don't answer door, it'll be even worse when they're banging on the door and wake baby up

Also when baby is here. You get them to sleep and have a little snooze yourself, being woken by the door is the worst thing ever, especially when it’s not even stuff for you 😩

Your neighbours sound rude and unfriendly. I'm one of a handful of people who work from home a lot so I take in a lot of parcels. If things don't get collected with 24 hours, I message the neighbour or put a note through their door. It's great to have a reciprocal 'service' when I'm not in.

For me it's a nice neighbourly thing to do. I'm sorry it's all one way with your neighbours.

This drives me nuts.

I have no problems taking the parcels in, but it’s the space they take up and the fact the neighbor next door expects me to deliver the parcel to her.

I’m now on strike. Took a parcel in on Monday (driver said he was leaving a card) have been next door about 5 times (and I actually think she’s in but doesn’t answer the door). So it’s now in my hallway. If she doesn’t collect today it will be dumped outside her door tomorrow and I won’t be taking any further parcels in.

@LighthouseSouth Delivery men due to how they are paid find it easier to leave parcels with one person on a street,who is always in. They don't bother checking if the person who the parcel is for is actually in. However they can be trained not to do so.

Most courier companies now deliberately don't have depots you can go to, and while you can use parcel shops if the product is bulky they have to reattempt delivery another day. For this reason only it is worth having one or at the most two designated neighbours but they need to be in a decent amount of time.

I have this a lot with my neighbours. They are always going on holiday and also always ordering things online! I'm at a point where I just say no now - especially if it's a big giant box. I'm pregnant too and need the space! And also always at home and the car is always on the drive so im an easy target lol.

I now tell delivery drivers I'm going away so it's probably best if they leave it with another neighbour lol. Or I tell them they have fallen out with us and they wouldn't want us to have their parcel lol.

I had a massive box in my house for 2 weeks as something was delivered literally 10 mins after they got in a taxi to the airport.

And like others have said, if I see them coming.....I just don't answer

Just say no. No reason is needed. Neither is an apology. Refuse to accept deliveries not for your address. You don't want delivery drivers rattling your letterbox when you've just settled the baby when it arrives.

It's crazy to take in neighbors parcels and then to complain about it. If you don't want to then just refuse. If you can't be straight we the the drivers just make up an excuse. Tell them you work shift work or something 🤷🏻‍♀️
Alternatively you could put a sign on the door saying that you are unable to take your neighbours parcels in.

It really is as simple as that.

Wine neighbour just knocked on.

Waved his sorry I missed you card at me.

"Yes this is yours here" stood looking blankly at me to pass it to him.

Stood staring blankly back, "you'll have to step in to pick it up I'm pregnant"

"Gosh that's heavy. See you"

CF. My balls have definitely dropped, will only be taking in for my other next door neighbours who are lovely and return the favour putting up sign, I'm telling everyone I'm going on holiday for two weeks from now on. They can kiss my big pregnant bottom.

Dews what if it's for you? In the ops case when she has a newborn she may well receive parcels she hasn't ordered, as gifts

There certainly seem to be a lot of miserable people about. My ebay stuff goes click and collect or if absolutely necessary to my work address. Amazon have instructions to leave on the back doorstep but on the odd occasion when a neighbour has been approached they've been absolutely lovely and I have of course thanked them very sincerely.

I’ve had at least two occasions where parcels of mine have been delivered to neighbours and no note has been left for me so I had no idea until a couple of days later when the neighbours mentioned. Once it was a large box containing a vacuum cleaner, felt bad about that but I had no way of knowing. Not sure how helpful that is to you op but if you’re being left with parcels for days this might be why.

Answer for future Amazon delivery people - 'I won't take it in when you return either.' You can add a sorry if you wish, smile, and shut the door.
You're about to be a Mum - time to learn to say no, and how to be the bad guy. That's said with love and a grin - you'll get there

Wine neighbour sounds like a right arse.
I'd have waved him off with a cheery "You're welcome!"

Just tell the delivery guy no, if he's arsey, shut the door in his face and speak to yor neighbours.

Sign onthe door "we do not accept parcels not addressed to this property, please do not ask"

My neighbour rang me up from work one day and said can I grab a pen and paper, which I duly did, she then asked me to write a message and leave it on her front door. The message said "any parcels please knock at No.12" you can guess who lives at No.12!

You need one of these - then you can answer the door from anywhere and decide if you are in or not. Good for security too. en-uk.ring.com/collections/video-doorbells/products/video-doorbell?variant=3657948168203

It's not generally the neighbours being CFs, it's the delivery guys. The neighbours have no choice over when the item is going to be delivered, the couriers just knock on any door where they think someone will be in, because they don't want to have to take the parcel back and redeliver. I WfH and regularly take in parcels for neighbours, it's really no big deal. I think it's OK to ask people not to knock/ring once you have a sleeping baby, though.

I worked from home a lot until recently and took parcels for my street (about ten houses) all the time, but also had keys for everyone's house so could just open their houses for the delivery driver if it was bulky. Now I work in town and sometimes need one of them to pop in and let the dog out for a pee or feed the cats or something if I'm running late home (they all have keys for my house too). It's a godsend.

I guess that's just village life though.

OP to paraphrase an old MN cliche, you don’t have a delivery driver problem, you have a shit neighbour problem.

You so realise it’s probably not the neighbour? Delivery drivers tend to always leave it with a neighbour regardless.

I really cannot understand the problem with taking in parcels. We always do and thankfully our neighbours aren’t so bloody miserable that they do to.

Your neighbours are cheeky! My elderly neighbour gladly takes parcels in but I thank her profusely as I hate to inconvenience anyone. I know what you mean about pushy drivers, there is a neighbour I won't take parcels in for due to previous fuckery and I said no to him about 5 times. There are other neighbours they can go to!