Neighbours not collecting parcels

[Babyyodasmacarons]

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

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

[Sootybear]

We stopped taking in parcels for our ndn. At the time my son was home in the day as he worked evenings so he was always answering the door. One day I had just come home from work, had just stepped in. Next door appeared , where is my parcel. I said I don't think we've had your parcel. He then got a bit nasty and I felt he was accusing us of stealing his parcel. Infact my son had taken it in but I didn't know , I had just got in. Well after that I decided we would not accept any of their parcels again. They had loads delivered . Delivery guy just left them on the front doorstep after that. Some people are not worth being nice to.

[ChristmasFluff]

I had neighbours like this - they wouldn't even answer the door when they were in, so the postie would knock me up at 8.30 on a weekend, and then I'd have to keep banging on their door and they wouldn't answer for DAYS. I stopped trying to deliver their parcels, but they still would wait about a week to come and get them. I eventually put a sign on my door saying I wouldn't take post for them.

Do that.

[Scarlett1251]

Stop accepting them, I have. I work from home in conference calls etc. and don’t want the doorbell to keep ringing and interrupting when the parcels are not even for me. Then I just want to relax in the evening without thinking I’ve got to take the parcel round or someone might come to the door.

[eaglejulesk]

It’s quite normal in England for couriers to leave parcels with neighbours if the parcel recipient doesn’t answer the door.

I’m not sure if all delivery companies do it, but most of them do.

Okay, thanks for the explanation. Surely it takes more time though, having to find a neighbour actually at home to take the parcel?

[switswooo]

Technically it's your fault too now if the item is broken, because it wasn't checked and sent back. So there's a reason for you to not bother anymore.

I absolutely think OP's DH should stop accepting parcels for them, but the above is bullshit. Neighbours who accept parcels are not responsible for checking something is broken and sending it back.

[JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn]

Just stop accepting them. I had this with a CF neighbour that knew I was working from home. My hallway was bunged with parcels that they never collected and they didn't even say thank you when I got fed up waiting and took them to their door. So I just say no if I'm asked now. Simple.

[LostAcre]

@eaglejulesk

Genuine question - why are the neighbours' parcels being taken to your house? Here (NZ) they are either left on the doorstep, or you get a card asking you to collect them from a depot. Much easier all round.

It’s quite normal in England for couriers to leave parcels with neighbours if the parcel recipient doesn’t answer the door.

I’m not sure if all delivery companies do it, but most of them do.

[tulippa]

Yanbu. We used take in a lot of stuff for old neighbours (DH has always WFH) and even though some of it was huge mirrors and heavy bags of cat litter they were always grateful and would sometimes bake up cakes as a thank you.
Our current neighbours end up having loads of stuff left with because they never answer the door even if they're in which makes it hard to pass things on to them as they don't answer the door to us either. I just leave their parcels in our damp porch and let them collect whenever.

[DillonPanthersTexas]

Way before lockdown I used to work from home quite often. Word soon got out on the street that the bloke in number 32 was 'in' during the daytime so the parcels started to arrive. At first I did not mind and in fairness people were pretty thankful when they came to collect but it soon became an expected service that I would provide. Two things that happened that made me refuse all parcels except from my immediate neighbour who does not take the piss. First, was the snotty attitude from one person whose parcel I did not take in as I was at the time on a conference call. The other was a large package that I had for over a week without the recipient bothering to collect it. I eventually walked it up the road and delivered it myself only to have the door opened by someone on the phone who just grabbed the package and closed the door again without so much as a hello or thanks. Well fuck the both of you. It was weird as parcels kept on getting left in my recycling bins or on the doorstep and I used to just leave them there. Work eventually got out and it stopped.

[PoodleMoth]

Personally I just take them round as I don't see it as a big inconvenience. I also feel sorry for the delivery drivers who only get paid for the trip if the parcel is actually delivered,with some if the have to make 2/3 journeys they only get paid for one

[LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow]

Imo "Handed to Resident" is the latest scam....I've had a lot of bother with this and the parcels invariably turn up within 24-48 hours. One was handed to me on the Friday lunchtime apparently, I actually found it on the front step on Tuesday afternoon. Interestingly it was bone dry in spite of the fact that it had rained constantly from the Friday to Tuesday breakfast.

They say that because it means they do not have to take a photo of the door, a) because they are not actually there, and b)because you can obviously dispute if the parcel has been incorrectly delivered,

It means they could not be arsed to come out and deliver it, so its scanned as delivered and you can wait till they do fancy coming out to deliver it sometime at their convenience.

[NoddyWithAVoddy]

I'd just throw it at her door and tell her not to have any more sent to mine. Either she has it delivered when she's home, or uses a collection point, of which my house isn't.

[IntermittentParps]

I felt that she was being a CF and kept telling her I was going out.

Don't know why you didn't just tell her you're not the effing concierge.

[sneakysnoopysniper]

Now I just say I dont take in packages for neighbours. Couriers can get very arsey . I know they get paid by the parcel delivered if self employed but thats not my problem. They opted to do that job. Im not going to do it for them. When Im expecting a package I make sure Im listening out for a knock and keeping an eye on my CCTV.

[TerribleCustomerCervix]

Your DP is being a bit of a mug- at this time of year I’d assume the reason they weren’t collecting things was because the parcels are mainly Christmas presents and you’re acting as a free storage unit.

[salsmum]

I'm caring for my dd in her apartment and very often when checking the post in the communal foyer I find as many as 6 parcels on the top where the delivery driver has dumped and run. To stop them being stolen I do deliver for them... but ( I've posted about this before) when the woman opposite started knocking on the door in the mornings questioning me if I was going out as she was expecting a parcel I felt that she was being a CF and kept telling her I was going out. I think she got the msg finally

[eaglejulesk]

Genuine question - why are the neighbours' parcels being taken to your house? Here (NZ) they are either left on the doorstep, or you get a card asking you to collect them from a depot. Much easier all round.

[BlackCatShadow]

I think if your DP doesn’t mind taking the parcels in and doesn’t mind taking them round, then leave him to it. Why get involved?

[blackpoolsneighbour]

Are you sure they are getting a card ? Our Hermes driver drops parcels for all and sundry and never leaves a card

[Sinful8]

Op latley for me amazon tracking just says "handed to resident" has been a nightmare trying to find which bloody resident as they actually mean a neighbour but haven't put a number down

[EveryDayIsADuvetDay]

Don't accept any parcels for them in the future
you don't have to bother to tell them you won't - they can't be arsed to collect them from you.
Return the ones you have to the sender.

[sneakysnoopysniper]

The parcel was addressed to my company name (I run an online business) rather than to me in person. She said "I didnt know if was for you!" My nephew said "Well you bloody well knew it wasn't for YOU so you obviously intended to keep it." She had kept it in her house for 2 weeks. He threatened her with the police and she was in tears by the end of the conversation.

[Womencanlift]

@sneakysnoopysniper what was her excuse for opening it?

[sneakysnoopysniper]

My next door neighbour actually tried to steal a parcel once. The courier mis-delivered it and the cheeky mare opened and kept it. It was not til we rang and the courier company told me where they had left the package that I knew where to go.

Went around with large male relative and at first the neighbour denied having the parcel. Relative says "Well I just spoke to the courier who described your house and described your son who signed for it so I advise you to check again. Otherwise Im going to ring the police and report a theft." And he got his phone out. She scuttled in and came out with the unwrapped parcel and which point we both started on her and she dissolved into tears. We again threatened her with the police if she accepted any more of my parcels. I told her I intended to inform all the regular couriers and post people that the neighbour at X was dishonest.

Amazon parcels are great because you can specify a safe place. With anything else I leave a note on the door - PLEASE BANG LOUDLY/IM AT HOME. DO NOT LEAVE AT NO X .

[katy1213]

I've stopped accepting for other people. By the time you've refused half a dozen times, the delivery people get the message and stop knocking. WFH doesn't mean that I operate a concierge service for the rest of the street.