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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To send this parcel back to the sender?

109 replies

Movinghouseatlast · 15/05/2020 06:04

I feel really bad about what happened to this parcel and don't know what to do with it for the best.

Yesterday a small parcel got delivered to me by Royal Mail. I was waiting for something of a similar size, so I ripped open the plastic envelope it was in. Inside was a phone box. I don't know why but I opened the box- it wasn't sealed in any way. Anyway, the phone inside instantly slid out of the box as it was balanced at the top ( stupid packaging) and fell on the floor and the screen smashed. This all happened in around 30 seconds.

When I looked at the address on the label it was my address but someone elses name! I'm honestly mortified that I have broken someone elses phone, but it really was an accident.

I'm thinking it might be better to return the phone to the sender and get a certificate of posting.. That way the sender will send her a new phone I think?

I could probably track the perso whose name was on the label down via our local facebook page. IShe isn't in the group, but zi bet someone would know her. I would then have to give her a broken phone though.

I don't know what to do for the best. The packaging really was awful. The phone wasn't protected at all, just resting right at the top of the box. There is no paperwork in the package either.

So shall I return it to the sender with 'not known at this address'? I've tried to ask myself what I would want someone to do, and other than knowing I wouldn't want a broken phone I really don't know! Thanks for reading.

OP posts:
EarlGreyT · 15/05/2020 07:12

Isn't there some sort of scam going round where someone will turn up And collect it. I can't remember the details. But it sounded similar.

That’s exactly what I thought too.

AdoptAdaptImprove · 15/05/2020 07:13

There definitely is a scam like this where someone orders phones using your details and then a supposed courier comes to collect, claiming to have delivered accidentally to the wrong client. Best thing is to return it to the sender, and if it’s a mobile phone provider, make sure they know you haven’t ordered it or taken out a contract with them.

The new mobile phone scam delivering a problem www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49450485

missmouse101 · 15/05/2020 07:15

The person who purchased it and used someone else's address is the prat of epic proportion here. It's their own idiotic problem. As a pp said, it's likely to be a scam anyway I reckon. Get it posted back to sender OP and don't give it another thought! Smile

Danh22 · 15/05/2020 07:15

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BoomBoomsCousin · 15/05/2020 07:16

I would have opened it because quite a few things I buy on the Internet get packaged up in other boxes for protection. So if the phone box wasn’t sealed I would assume it was just being used as second hand packaging material.

OP I wouldn’t bother sending it back because that will cost you money. Wait until you are contacted and return it then, at their expense.

Iggly · 15/05/2020 07:18

OP you need to take some responsibility for the fact that you made a mistake in opening the box. You could have read the name first 🤷🏻‍♀️
Yes it was misaddressed etc but check first!

Best you can do is return to sender.

SavoyCabbage · 15/05/2020 07:18

Send it back today.

@DobbyTheHouseElk I am a supply teacher and I was in a year six class and they were getting ready to go home and a girl asked me if she could go to the phone box. The following five minutes was a pantomime of me telling her she would need to wait till after the bell and could she not go to the office if she needed to use a phone before the poor child managed to make me understand that the phone box was a box full of phones and she needed to go and get hers out of the box. She didn't even know,what a phone box was which didn't help the confusion.

userxx · 15/05/2020 07:19

@JustTurtlesAllTheWayDown we are not talking about opening the parcel, fair enough we'd all do that, but she opened the packaging of the box inside the parcel.

PennyGold · 15/05/2020 07:19

If I'd have accidentally opened the package I'd have opened the phone box purely because of the scam that's going around at the moment... (people taking out a phone contract in a different name/ address and then turning up and saying it'a theirs and you're lumped with the bill).
I'd ring the company first, ask if there's a contract on it etc and if not (simply a wrong address) I'd say it was delivered here accidentally and send it back, but mention that the box was unsealed on arrival. If they query the smashed screen I'd say you didn't even open the box.. massive companies have a budget for items damaged on arrival, and it costs them pennies to replace the screen and re-sell the phone. However, in the unlikely event it was a small business I'd probably own up.
Ignore all of the unpleasant people on here, I feel as if some people go out of their way to be unkind.

AdoptAdaptImprove · 15/05/2020 07:21

As it’s from a phone company OP really can’t ignore it - if it’s the scam I’ve linked to up thread then she might end up being responsible for the cost of the phone and contract.

FrankieDoyle · 15/05/2020 07:21

I think YABU actually, and I would definitely wouldn't have opened the phone box once I realized it wasn't something I'd ordered.

BoomBoomsCousin · 15/05/2020 07:21

Hmmm phone delivery scam details. It may be worth contacting the company that sent the phone (and your bank according to this article). In any case, definitely don’t just hand it over to someone who turns up at the door.

missmouse101 · 15/05/2020 07:23

Definitely DO NOT pay to return it OP! You clearly write 'No such name at this address. Return to sender' on it and post in a postbox or hand in to post office. Hope your own parcel arrives soon!

toomuchlikemyusername · 15/05/2020 07:23

There's some pretty harsh replies on here! Indefensible! Nosy Parker! Thick!

Given that the parcel was labelled with your address and the box inside not sealed, you did nothing wrong here OP.

If it's from a phone company, package it up and return it to them. It was sent to your address in error and, yes, what has happened is very unfortunate but if it had been sent to the correct address in the first place, and the box was properly sealed, then this would not to have happened.

LittleBoyJuly2020 · 15/05/2020 07:23

Jesus Christ, the amount of (rude and rightious) people on this post going on about you opening the box just baffles me?!

OP I too would have opened the box too, I would have assumed it was for me and wondered if I had been sent the wrong order. Which is the obvious thing anybody would do so hope these PP don't make you feel bad.

I would just return to sender, no note explaining anything. It's not your problem.

Just be vigilant in case it is a scam

winniesanderson · 15/05/2020 07:25

I might have opened the packaging too if I thought it was addressed to me. I've had lots of parcels arrive in random boxes. Before lockdown when people were often trying to be more eco friendly as well as in the last few weeks when I presume people are buying more online and the sellers are struggling to keep up with branded packaging in the demand. The worst one, which was almost a year ago now was packaged immaculately in a box of my favourite chocolates. I was gutted when I realised it wasn't full of them 😂

sunlight81 · 15/05/2020 07:25

Op - I would Deffo would have peaked in the box to see what was in it, however knowing it wasn't mine I would have been super careful!

Return to sender and forget

LittleBoyJuly2020 · 15/05/2020 07:25

Actually I wouldn't bother posting it back if it was at my expense.

Righteous*

Ohtherewearethen · 15/05/2020 07:26

It seems very strange that this was sent from a phone shop but in such poor packaging. Even second-hand, reconditioned phones would be packaged correctly. For it to just fall right out and smash seems very odd.
It's a really tricky one as, if it is a scam, you need to get in touch with the phone shop and tell them that neither you, nor anybody at your address, has ordered the phone. If it turns out to be just a typo error with the address then you'll have admitted to receiving, opening and breaking a phone belonging to somebody else.
There's no way of the phone shop getting in touch with the OP about the phone. The intended recipient will contact the phone shop saying it hasn't arrived, phone shop will say their records show it was delivered on X date. Intended recipient could argue that it hasn't arrived but they won't win if the tracking records show it was delivered to the correct address, which it was. So they could potentially lose a lot of money on a phone they will never receive.
The first thing to do is to contact the phone shop and make sure nobody has taken a contract out using your details. I guess then you could package it back up and agree to send it back and hope they believe it was damaged in transit and send a new one out to the original customer.

leolion81 · 15/05/2020 07:30

Why are people saying OP is either stupid or committed a crime for opening the box? If something arrived in an unsealed phone box I would open it too to see what's inside because as previous posters have stated, often things get mailed in second hand boxes. It could have had anything inside.
It was an accident, send it back unknown at this address and don't worry further. Someone along the line here has make a mistake and it's not you OP.

PineappleTart · 15/05/2020 07:31

For those saying the packaging sounds weird - I suspect it was an apple phone. My last upgrade was recently and when you open the box the phone is right on the top so it's pretty easy for it to fall out.

MinesAPintOfTea · 15/05/2020 07:33

Did it actually fall far/hard enough to smash? Given the scan theories, is possible you were sent a broken phone

DobbyTheHouseElk · 15/05/2020 07:34

@SavoyCabbage wow. When I was at college, I cycled there. Got my 10p, 3x rings to my parents let them know I got there and got my 10p back. Every day, same 10p. Scroll on a few years and kids today don’t know what a phone box it or was?! Wow.

pumpkinpie01 · 15/05/2020 07:34

Some people seem very surprised it wasn't packaged properly we have received various items through the post over the years packaged terribly it's not unheard of. A personalised mug a few weeks ago was just in a box no bubble wrap, tissue paper nothing ,of course it was in pieces. It's logical to package something delicate /expensive appropriately but not all staff and companies are conscientious and care. Just send it back op, did you sign for it ?

Bluntness100 · 15/05/2020 07:35

I also understand why you opened the package, but like you don’t understand why you opened the box, the packaging was clearly fine as it was delivered unscathed.

All you can do is return it as you plan, and then I assume deny you opened the box and broke it.

You need to do this because if you don’t and deny receiving it the driver could loose his job if it was insured.

I had a new iPhone to be delivered, it wasn’t and was shown to be delivered to w random address a few miles away. It was addressed correctly, I have no idea why the driver delivered it miles away (so slightly different) but the delivery company, a huge one you’ve all heard of, reported it to the police as theft and the driver lost his job.

As such, when a claim goes in if you pretend you’ve not got it, then the driver could be accused of theft. Although often they can gps track the driver, they did with mine.