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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DPD driver stole money from my porch - AIBU?

174 replies

Snorkers · 14/12/2018 17:06

I left £190 in cash under a plant pot in my porch for a delivery of logs today while i took the dogs for a quick toilet trip (15 mins). I live out in the sticks and no one has any reason to be on my property unless they are delivering something.
My neighbour saw the delivery driver behaving suspiciously, spending far longer than needed at my door and lifting up the pot in question.
My parcel was then put in a weird place next to a drain.
When I got back 5 mins later the money was gone.
OK I know it is not a secure place and I certainly won't be doing it again, but I live in a tiny little village with no through traffic.
I am trying to report to the police, but DPD are not interested.
AIBU to expect them to question the driver?

OP posts:
Bombardier25966 · 14/12/2018 18:55

OP has said the leaving money is normal and never had an issue

Courier deliveries are normal too, hundreds of thousands every day yet a relatively miniscule amount of related thefts.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 14/12/2018 19:05

My neighbour would not do it - he is old, rich and semi disabled

I don’t understand. Which one of these points makes someone inherently morally upstanding? Confused

Mayrhofen · 14/12/2018 19:13

I know I am missing the point, but if you were expecting logs why didn't the dog pee in the garden until he had been? And why don't you bank transfer the log man? I transfer the window cleaner these days, he said he accepts it as no one ever has cash.

Surely, if you live rural you have a drive to collect cash to pay the log man, why would you do that?

Not having a go, just curious.

slashlover · 14/12/2018 19:18

The reason i am doubly suspicious is that the parcel was left somewhere it's never been left before, almost as if they did not want to draw attention to the fact they had even been near the usual place

Or it was a seasonal driver who was employed for Christmas, were instructions written on the parcel?

caterpuller · 14/12/2018 19:20

How did the dpd driver know to look under the pot plant?

ExcitedForChristmas18 · 14/12/2018 19:22

People presuming the delivery driver is a thief? How do you know the OP isn't making it up, she can't prove she left the money there?! Maybe she is trying to scam compensation from the courier service..
I have deliveries at least three times a week..they knock on the door, by the time I get to the door, they are already back in their van! They have that many deliveries to do, they haven't got time to be lifting up plant pots, rooting for money! 🤔

goldengummybear · 14/12/2018 19:24

Somebody on our local FB page recorded footage of someone stealing from her doorstep. Thames Valley Police allegedly told her that they don't investigate thefts of stuff under £200. I don't know if the policy is true but she posted footage of this person stealing

C8H10N4O2 · 14/12/2018 19:29

Gotta remember these drivers are paid per delivery, this close to Xmas I'm not surprised if he chanced it....

Oh yes obviously the rich neighbour can't be a thief because he is rich, the poor delivery man must be a thief because he is (assumedly) poor.

I also gather he's not your usual driver

Where do you get that from? The parcel was first the OP's and then the DH's but I don't see a mention of the driver not being the OP's regular chap.

There is nothing suspicious about drivers waiting a couple of minutes to give someone time to get to a door. They are all supposed to, I wish more of them did.

Especially where residents may be disabled like, for instance, the neighbour outside working on his car.

The hypothetical thieving driver presumably also has friends and neighbours who would describe him as above reproach because they know him just like the OP knows her neighbour and log man.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 14/12/2018 19:30

How did the dpd driver know to look under the pot plant?

It’s baffling. Seemingly his instincts aren’t so good, as he didn’t have the sense not to act suspiciously in the vicinity for a noticeable length of time, but he has special cash-detecting skills. 🤔

Maybe it’s like the theory of if you kiss enough frogs: if you lift enough plant pots ...

PattiStanger · 14/12/2018 19:38

Obviously I have no idea what happened but it's totally believable for me, I live in a place where people leave things outside their houses for others to pick up, if you're rural this isn't unusual at all.

Neither are neighbours looking out for you, of course the neighbour didn't take the money From my house I could see a delivery man at my nearest neighbour and would register if he'd been there longer than normal, usually they can't get back in their vans quickly enough and while I might not immediately think they were up to no good I'd remember it later and no way would anyone's assumption be that I'd taken the money, that's just daft.

No helpful suggestions but I can totally see that this happened

Secretisout · 14/12/2018 19:53

Anyone else ever received a text from police telling you your investigation was closed??

Tinkety · 14/12/2018 19:53

Neither are neighbours looking out for you, of course the neighbour didn't take the money From my house I could see a delivery man at my nearest neighbour and would register if he'd been there longer than normal

Yes but the driver would have to be bloody stupid to hang around for longer than normal looking suspicious, lifting up pot plants & stealing money knowing full well there’s a neighbour outside who’s witnessing all of it.

Oddsocksandmeatballs · 14/12/2018 19:54

I live rurally and can imagine doing exactly what you have done. We have invested in CCTV and a hard drive recorder though, could you do the same?

combatbarbie · 14/12/2018 20:01

@C8H10N402 erm everyone is giving an assumption or opinion..... many of us also live or have lived in rough areas where this would be an opportunity.

I think given the Ops summary that the neighbour is not the thief.....

My comment about normal driver is fair game, it may well be a seasonal driver, a seasonal driver is more likely to be an opportunist, it's not me being a snob it's just how it is, they are low paid, very likely to have children and it's Christmas.

As has been said multiple times, they don't usually wait for a door to be answered if your upstairs, it's very much a dump and run as their wages are crap so for the neighbour to say he was there unusually longer than normal strengthens the argument and so does leaving it in a completly random place.

I think it's a seasonal temp, he's moved the pot to make way for the parcel and spotted it.....dithered over it, took it but to make it look less suspicious has left the parcel nowhere near the porch as if he was never there hence the longer drop time.

Sadly we don't live in a fairy bubble where no-one ever does wrong things.....the world is full of opportunists, thiefs, liars.....given the summary of events it really doesn't take much processing to figure it out but with no solid proof it's never going to be a conviction but we will make assumptions because we are human.

Valasca · 14/12/2018 20:05

I get a text from dpd a delivery will be made the next day. Then another email and text with exact delivery hour window. And yet you had no idea he was coming? Whoever ordered it, got bombarded with notices.

You can even track their cars in live time on the app.

So the neighbour is out on the drive tinkering with his car, watches you put money under a pot and then helpfully suggests the delivery guy must’ve done it.

The neighbour could have moved the parcel.

Fingerprints would be pointless, as you’ve already told us delivery drivers move the pot on a regularly basis. Of course his fingerprints would be all over it.

combatbarbie · 14/12/2018 20:05

Secretisout yes I have..... my allocated officer was on nights so best way for him to update was via text followed up by me calling him between a set timeframe. We are in 21st century y'know...it's still documentary evidence if required.

Neverunderfed · 14/12/2018 20:07

The op already said that people tend to leave parcels behind the pot. So he moved the pot to put the parcel in the place delivery drivers normally do, saw the cash, pocketed it and put the parcel elsewhere so it would look like he hadn't touched the pot. Except someone saw him touch the pot. So why would he then put the parcel elsewhere? When you hear hooves think horses not zebras. Which is most likely?

I can't transfer cash to our log man, we have used a few and none have that facility. Even cheques aren't appreciated.

PattiStanger · 14/12/2018 20:09

Tinkety - did the OP say the driver knew the neighbour was watching? I may have missed that bit.

Even if he did the lure of free money might have been too much, theives aren't always rational, it's easy to imagine the scenario imo. Driver rings the bell, no one comes, he goes to put the parcel behind the pot, sees the money, is tempted, waits a little while to make sure no one's in, takes the money and leaves the parcel well away from the pot.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 14/12/2018 20:18

did the OP say the driver knew the neighbour was watching? I may have missed that bit

Apparently the neighbour was easily visible, as he wondered why the driver didn't leave the parcel with him:

"He just said that he noticed the delivery driver hanging about and wondered why he did not drop the parcel with him as he was out working on his car"

This driver really needs to hone his theft technique. He's drawn a shit-tonne of attention to himself in direct view of a witness.

FloofenHoofen · 14/12/2018 20:18

Learn from the mistake and get CCTV installed. It was a silly mistake to put it there, especially as you already knew delivery drivers usually leave your parcels there as well.
I'm sorry it's been stolen, you could always try going to a solicitor and getting them to write a threatening letter to DPD? Not really sure what else you could do to try and get your money back.

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 14/12/2018 20:30

I'm sorry it's been stolen, you could always try going to a solicitor and getting them to write a threatening letter to DPD?

Saying what? 'The police have declined to investigate an alleged theft, so despite having no actual evidence I wish to instigate civil proceedings against you and your driver on the basis of the fact that my neighbour says he hung around a bit too long'?

FloofenHoofen · 14/12/2018 20:36

Well it's worth a try isn't it. Only trying to help SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst

SheCameFromGreeceSheHadaThirst · 14/12/2018 20:51

Well it's worth a try isn't it

Yeah, if the OP finds a solicitor who likes working for free on cases with no merit.

DotForShort · 14/12/2018 20:58

Were you taking the dogs out when the theft occurred? Or going to town because you wanted to? Or did you take the dogs to town?

APlanerideawayyy1 · 14/12/2018 21:09

Why pay for CCTV ? pay online or cheque