Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Neighbours not collecting parcels

125 replies

Babyyodasmacarons · 03/12/2020 10:50

I understand that you can’t always be in for parcels and they don’t even turn up when planned a lot of the time. I also am very happy taking in neighbours parcels and grateful if they take in mine, but I ALWAYS collect them as soon as I am back and get the note/message.

Our neighbours on one side have at least 1 or 2 parcels delivered every day (understandable this time of year) but they never collect them. We see them come home from work at different times in the afternoon and then they are home all eve, but never come and get them.

At first DP or I would take them over and they’d always answer the door and take their parcels but after he took another 2 over Monday I said we should wait for them to come over and get them. Well, there are now 3 parcels clogging up the hallway (2 since Tuesday) and DP just wants to take them over, but I feel like they are being CFs, it’s expected and so we shouldn’t. AIBU?

They are definitely in and I know they are getting notes as the postman always says he’ll pop a note in. Unless their dogs are eating them they must be aware Confused

The other issue I have is that in the summer a valuable package came for me and they must have taken it in as when I got back at lunchtime, I had a card through the letterbox but the package was just left by the doorway (not even disguised a bit in our front garden) for anyone to see.

So the AIBU I guess (and a boring one at that) is:

YABU - just keep taking them over
YANVU - let them pick them up

..part of me wants to just put them on their doorstep but I won’t be that petty... maybe Blush

OP posts:
41weekswithno2 · 03/12/2020 10:55

Take these ones over then stop accepting them. They can set up a safe place or if that's not possible they can rearrange delivery.
I'd actually rather neighbours didn't take in parcels for me, I have a safe place set up on every retailer I use but occasionally the delivery driver ignores the instruction and I'll have to collect from a neighbour.

Floralnomad · 03/12/2020 10:56

Do neither of your choices , just stop taking them in . We had this issue and I’ve used Covid as a good excuse to not accept parcels for anyone except my immediate neighbour . I’m equally happy for my neighbours to refuse anything for me , although there is someone in at my house 95% of the time so we don’t usually miss anything .

Givemeabreak88 · 03/12/2020 10:58

I never take in parcels anymore for this reason, my neighbours never use to collect them so I stopped bothering to take them. Just stop.

timeforawine · 03/12/2020 10:58

Put them on their doorstep, don't knock, their own fault for being lazy CF's
Don't accept any more

Original poster
Babyyodasmacarons · 03/12/2020 11:01

I did think of that, it’s my DP that keeps accepting them. On the hope they actually come around and grab them!

I’m off work today and DP is WFH so if any come I won’t accept. Blush

OP posts:
Original poster
Babyyodasmacarons · 03/12/2020 11:04

COVID is actually a good reason. We should should be charging holding/courier rates (just joking)

OP posts:
lazyarse123 · 03/12/2020 11:06

@Givemeabreak88

I never take in parcels anymore for this reason, my neighbours never use to collect them so I stopped bothering to take them. Just stop.
Me too. Helps that we've fallen out with the worst culprit.
Original poster
Babyyodasmacarons · 03/12/2020 11:10

I think not taking them is the best bet, DP will probably carry on though 🙄

OP posts:
Brighterthansunflowers · 03/12/2020 11:11

Take these ones round to get them out of your house them stop accepting any more for them!

They’re using you as free storage

Timbucktime · 03/12/2020 11:11

Stop accepting the

Original poster
Babyyodasmacarons · 03/12/2020 11:14

They’re using you as free storage

Yep.

OP posts:
Serendipity79 · 03/12/2020 11:17

I'd stop accepting them. At the start of this year my new neighbours worked out that I worked from home. I take parcels in regularly for one neighbour, she asked me if I would as she's a paediatrician and works a lot of odd hours and I was happy to. The first few times I got parcels for the new neighbours I had to take them round. On the third occasion I commented that they were getting quite a few deliveries and the lady said that they worked full time, and used to get items delivered to her parents and collect them on the way home from work, but now they'd realised I worked from home and was in 99% of the time they were actually putting "deliver to next door" on the delivery instructions!

I'm such a people pleaser I didn't do anything until June this year when Covid gave me the perfect opportunity to refuse parcels on the basis that it was safer, and since around August I haven't been asked by any of the couriers to take anything in for them. Hopefully they're being delivered to her parents again!

That said, if anyone takes anything in for me - which is rare, I would always go round immediately to collect so as not to inconvenience them, I wouldn't expect home delivery!

Branleuse · 03/12/2020 11:17

stop taking them in. I stopped after one winter studying at home, my doorbell was ringing all the time and my hallway was like a fucking sorting office. My neighbour on one side was the only one that collected, so we reached an agreement. It only took a few times of telling the delivery people that i wasnt taking deliveries for others because they never collected, and then they stopped asking.

stopringingme · 03/12/2020 11:17

I will take in parcels for all my Neighbours except for one as I was fed up with them not collecting them and we knew they were home, we did knock at their door but they never answered - the last time we took a parcel in for them it was a hoover and it was in my dining room for 3 weeks, after that I refused to take any further in for them.
Also it looks like they have done the same to others as I saw the Hermes delivery driver going from door to door after he had asked me to take in a parcel for them and I refused.

TomblibooEeesTrousers · 03/12/2020 11:18

We had this problem and just started refusing to accept the deliveries or not answering the door. I know the lady next door doesn’t work and it really started to get on my nerves that the delivery drivers know me and DH are working from home so just automatically come here!!

justicedanceson · 03/12/2020 11:20

I always thought it was etiquette to take parcels round. I take them round for neighbours and them for me. Seems a bit PA not to. If you don’t want them surely you just don’t sign for them?

Homemadearmy · 03/12/2020 11:21

If you have always taken them over to them, may be they are waiting for you to drop them over as they think it's more convenient for you.
If it's a problem for you. Stop accepting them

womanthatfelltoearth · 03/12/2020 11:24

Same as others we had a neighbour that expected us to deliver their parcels. We initially stopped taking them round and they started coming round occasionally but when our hall looked like a storage facility we decided to just refuse to take them. Wish we'd moved to that decision sooner! No problem with taking for other neighbours...

PizzaForOne · 03/12/2020 11:25

It's a bit CFery of your neighbours to just wait for you to act as their personal courier service and take them to their door.

I would stop taking them in if I were you and let another neighbour. Tell the postman/driver that they end up at yours for days without collecting them. They might get annoyed but they'll just try other neighbours.

I lived in a houseshare previously and the neighbours were similar, we'd get massive boxes (imagine flatpack furniture size) clogging up the hallway for days. Both the husband and wife were in every evening and you could tell that people were in our house because of cars and the lights, but would take days for one of them to finally knock.

If I was ever in when the delivery drivers knocked with their stuff I'd refuse it.

QuestionEverythingOrBeASheep · 03/12/2020 11:29

Why are you even taking them in if it causes you so much grief. Just tell the courier no or don't answer the door. Problem solved.

CharityEscapeGoat · 03/12/2020 11:34

Stop accepting them. Tell your DH that he needs to arrange with the neighbours how they will collect / he will deliver them, & a convenient storage location until that happens...

joybrightnice · 03/12/2020 11:36

If your not expecting a parcel just don't answer the door.

BloggersBlog · 03/12/2020 11:38

A sign on the door "WE DO NOT TAKE IN PARCELS FOR OTHER HOUSES"

Sorted

Original poster
Babyyodasmacarons · 03/12/2020 11:39

Why are you even taking them in if it causes you so much grief.

Grief is a strong word, it’s just like a sorting office in our hallway.

DP was accepting them and I didn’t really have an issue as I thought it was the nice thing to do but now it’s getting silly!

OP posts:
Everydayimhuffling · 03/12/2020 11:41

Yup, stop taking them in. We take parcels for one side and not the other because of this problem! They left a huge parcel with us for about a month (DP accepted it) and since then we have refused. I complained a lot to DP about it, tbh, so I think that helped him to remember to refuse after that!