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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU? Neighbour parcel delivery...

51 replies

Loveandstuff · 15/05/2019 15:19

We had a new neighbour opposite to us move in recently. One day, Royal Mail knocked on our door asking us to take in a parcel for them as they were out. That was fine. But, 3 weeks went by and their parcel was still by our front door. I mean, WTH? I was being stubborn as I believe it’s their responsibility to pick their parcel up. She came to the front door and said (in a rather snotty way), ‘You have our parcel, I think it’s been here for awhile’.
How is it my responsibility to deliver it to them? AIBU? What do other people do?

OP posts:
Justmuddlingalong · 15/05/2019 16:31

"I'm terribly sorry that the service fell short of your expectations. In future I suggest you use another parcel delivery service." 😁

NannyRed · 15/05/2019 16:31

I work from home, I’m the ‘go-to’ neighbour for the postman. I always take in parcels but ask postie “have you dropped them a card?”
It’s their responsibility to collect, you are not the postman.

If they’ve not collected that night, I give them a Knock, tell them to come collect.

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 15/05/2019 16:33

Postmen don’t always drop a card in. My poor neighbours had a huge parcel for me for nearly a week. The parcelforce guy hadn’t dropped a card in and the neighbours assumed we were away as our car was actually in the garage for repairs.

If no one comes within 24 hours to collect when I’ve taken something in intend to assume no card has been left and go and knock on.

onalongsabbatical · 15/05/2019 16:34

YANBU - in her place I'd have been saying, you've got our parcel, I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to come and collect it, it was really kind of you to take it in, it's nice to meet you.
How hard can it be?

SoupDragon · 15/05/2019 16:34

If they’ve not collected that night, I give them a Knock, tell them to come collect.

You go round there without the parcel to tell them to come to yours to collect the parcel...? Confused

Andylion · 15/05/2019 16:37

"I take neighbour's packages and vice versa, and we have found that although we're told a card will be dropped - it's not.*

But would the neighbour know that OP had the package if a card hadn't been dropped?

PuppyMonkey · 15/05/2019 16:38

Could be the postie’s card got kicked under the sideboard or something. And they were frantically ringing up the sender trying to track the parcel, only to be told it was delivered three weeks ago across the road.

YY I know it’s not your responsibility AT ALL, but after 3 weeks, I might have just popped over to theirs to enquire if they did actually know you had the parcel. Also you could have had a nosy at their house, maybe she’d invite you in for a cuppa - you never know where these things might lead.Grin

MustardScreams · 15/05/2019 16:40

What a massive overreaction for something that means literally nothing. Who cares who takes it back?! I’ve forgotten to collect parcels before and my neighbours bring it over no issues. I’m glad I don’t live on your street.

ZippyBungleandGeorge · 15/05/2019 16:42

I tend to drop parcels off to my neighbours so they don't knock when it's not convenient

myusernameisnotmyusername · 15/05/2019 16:44

Ha ha. This reminds me of last Christmas when we ordered DD's presents off Amazon. I got home from work with her to a card saying they'd been delivered to next door-but one and decided to wait until DP got home so DD couldn't see. Anyway the retired guy from that house appeared st the the front door about five minutes later with a stony expression holding a massive stack of Amazon boxes!

Dodgylooking · 15/05/2019 16:44

Im a sahm and i get so sick of taking in parcels for my neighbours. Its like they assume its ok because im there anyway. Around christmas time i end up going up and down our road dropping everyones parcels off because DD want to open them. Ive just stopped answering the door now because i know the parcels are not for me

Crazzzycat · 15/05/2019 16:51

I have neighbours like this. They used to mistake my house for a sorting office with free 24 hr delivery.

When they just moved in, I dropped their parcels off a few times. I stopped when it became clear that they somehow expected me to do this. No thank you, no “sorry we should have picked that up”, or anything.

So no, YANBU at all. It’s not a service you need to provide as a neighbour

PantsyMcPantsface · 15/05/2019 16:52

I tend to knock and drop it in as soon as I see them be obviously at home - although I'm at the point I'm considering refusing taking in for the family over the road who all have massive internet shopping habits but are never in to take deliveries, ignore the door when you go to try to drop it off to them and then don't come and collect it for days on end. I don't have the space to babysit packages for long.

mabelsgarden · 15/05/2019 16:53

And this is why never take parcels in for anyone! And I don't care what anyone thinks or how grumpy it makes me. I don't want them to take them in for me either. I am capable of arranging for delivery to Argos or Tesco etc, and I can pick it up when I go there. I don't want anyone taking my packages in for me, nor will I take other peoples packages in. That is my choice, and my right, and I don't owe anyone an explanation.

Had far too much drama in the past with neighbours, with parcels and packages, including a time when DH signed for a package for someone, and he took it round for them, and they reported it to the company a few weeks later as undelivered, and my DH had signed for it! So, without going into great detail, it caused us quite a bit of bother!

Never again! People can blurt out as many passive-aggressive remarks as they like; like they are glad I am not their neighbour and 'a little kindness goes a long way' and similar predictable lines that some people come out with, but I am entitled to my views.

Witchend · 15/05/2019 16:55

If the parcel bothered you by being there then why wouldn't you take it round?
I've taken in a fair number of parcels and taken them round to find that they either didn't leave a card, or the card was marked with wrong house number/my name (wrongly spelt so not really identifiable as it said something else) /neighbours (when we were 3 doors away)

StCharlotte · 15/05/2019 16:59

‘You have our parcel, I think it’s been here for awhile’.

And what did you reply?

Reaah · 15/05/2019 17:02

I would of replied "yes, it took you almost 3 weeks to collect it"

BuggerOffAndGoodDayToYou · 15/05/2019 17:03

But would the neighbour know that OP had the package if a card hadn't been dropped?

Neighbour probably chased the sender or checked tracking and saw it had been delivered to OP. Neighbour probably then wondered why OP had hung onto it for so long....

MayLeaveADentInYourSofa · 15/05/2019 17:17

I think the neighbourly thing to do would have been to take it to them. Especially as they are new to the street.

If it becomes a repeated situation then think again, but for a first 'offence' assume they didn't see the card.

Deadringer · 15/05/2019 17:18

In my world, which I am beginning to think is on a different planet to the average mumsneter, if a parcel is left with me I watch out for my neighbour and drop it in to them straight away and they do they same for me. It's normal and accepted and part of being neighbourly.

Jinglejanglefish · 15/05/2019 17:36

if a parcel is left with me I watch out for my neighbour and drop it in to them straight away

Well sorry but most people have better things to do.

I would probably give it a few days to see if they collect and if they didn't id take it over. It definitely doesn't seem like much of a big deal.

LizB62A · 15/05/2019 17:37

".....and can she collect it promptly next time?"

I wouldn't let there be a "next time" Smile

SoupDragon · 15/05/2019 17:55

Well sorry but most people have better things to do.

Yeah, us nice people who take parcels round if we see the neighbour I see back simply have fuck all to do 🙄 It's no that we are nice and neighbourly or anything like that.

LadyRannaldini · 15/05/2019 18:58

Tell her not to worry, it won't happen again.

Original poster
Loveandstuff · 15/05/2019 19:40

Thing is, last time I took a parcel for next door, they didn’t collect it within 24hrs, so I went round and they said “well we weren’t expecting anything so just assumed it was a mistake.” Turned out, funnily enough it was for them! Maybe it’s once bitten situ!

OP posts: