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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse to accept deliveries for neighbour?

43 replies

Iwantcollarbones · 15/12/2020 17:45

I’ve always been happy to accept deliveries for neighbours but this one I feel is spectacularly taking the piss.

I rent a flat next door to my house which I use for studying. Last month, a new tenant moved into the flat upstairs. The deliveries started to arrive a month before she moved in. She gets up to 6 deliveries a day. From what I can gather she works in a job that is based from home even when everyone else isn’t.

I’ve started to ignore the knocking of the main door (we share a hall) but it seems that she has put on her delivery notes to ring my bell if there isn’t any answer at hers. She’s not so much as said hello to me let alone asked if that’s ok.

I thought I’d look on her Instagram profile today (procrastination at its finest) and her last post was her skipping down the aisle of a plane yesterday. She’s so far received 5 deliveries and she’s not even in the bloody country.

It’s really disturbing my studying and I’m throughly pissed off at being allocated as her personal delivery bitch.

Wibu to simply refuse to accept any further deliveries for her?

OP posts:
ruby4ever · 15/12/2020 22:39

In your case I would stop taking in deliveries for her. 5 already, I would be pissed at 2 never mind 3! I take in my neighbours parcel, it's only happened on a few odd occasions, but never would I take it if it was as constant as what you described. That's taking the mick!
I did once refuse a delivery for one of my neighbours, she's a bitch that's why. Delivery guy was totally cool about it

museumsandgalleries666 · 15/12/2020 22:42

My home office is in front of a window onto the street and I'm amazed by the avalanche of deliveries to the cottage across the road ALL DAY LONG. The empty flattened boxes left outside stack up to their window! I know, I need a life😅. Op should remove batteries from doorbell.

Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst · 15/12/2020 22:51

Op I think I'd turn the buzzer off and ignore it! I wouldn't bother trying to make contact!

My partner was off work Monday, today and is tomorrow and today has taken in 6 parcels for 4 various neighbours

They've obviously all had cards and not one has been to collect them!! It's very strange isn't it?

Graphista · 15/12/2020 23:05

I used to be happy to take deliveries for neighbours until I moved here.

I am agoraphobic and while not housebound at that point I am now and neighbours soon twigged I didn't go out much even then.

One particular set of neighbours have caused me loads of grief to the point the police had to be involved to get them to stop harassing and threatening me and dd (who wasn't an adult at the time)

Final straw was when those same neighbours arranged delivery of a WARDROBE in flat pack pieces and had put my address as delivery address as they knew they'd not be in without so much as a note to tell me! I am disabled and in a small flat, even if I had been willing to accept the delivery on an emotional level it would have presented a major hazard and potential danger to me.

I refused delivery and the delivery driver was an arse about it as were the neighbours (predictably) it was only when I called the police and did it on speaker so they could hear I had that they fucked off and left me alone!

I'm sorry for my other neighbours that I no longer accept their deliveries but I have explained to them why and they understood and sympathised.

Yours is similarly taking the absolute piss!

Depending on your set up if I were you I would contact her directly to tell her in writing to bloody well pack it in! That you are NOT going to accept any more of her deliveries and she needs to make alternative arrangements. You don't need to tell her why other than it is not convenient TO YOU and not your responsibility. Also if it would work put a notice on your door saying you will only accept deliveries intended for your name AND address. NOT for her name and address. If delivery drivers still knock if you have a chain/spy hole use it (unfortunately less scrupulous drivers will toss packages into other addresses) and tell them you are refusing all deliveries for her address. Eventually the drivers catch on and stop trying it, occasionally there's an issue of you get a new one on that route. If they're doorstep deliveries left at your door, if you're able leave them at her door (frankly regardless of conditions, weather etc that's her lookout).

Total cheeky fuckery here!

NotPaloma · 16/12/2020 11:42

I stopped taking deliveries for my neighbour last year because they never bloody collect them.

YogiandBoo · 20/12/2020 19:59

I would put a note one my door and the main door that you do not accept parcels for neighbours. ZERO guilt.

Womencanlift · 20/12/2020 20:35

Since I have been wfh I have switched off the buzzer during working hours. I am on the ground floor so my button is first and tends to be the default buzzer people press for the building.

Only time I switch it on is if so am expecting something myself and even then it’s usually a courier or Amazon so you can track it and then switch it off again when the parcel is here.

I am not getting disturbed at work to be the building’s concierge or post office

hellejuice91 · 20/12/2020 20:57

The volume of deliveries and the fact that she seems to have told them specifically to come to you - YANBU

But people who go mad about the odd parcel here and there confuse me. My Husband has worked from home for years and we would take all sorts in, this in the first year in a long time he hasn't gone to do his regular 'Christmas Parcel Round', going and delivering all the parcels that we were asked to take in when the neighbours were out at work. He always enjoyed it and he got to know the neighbours a little better.

Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst · 24/12/2020 08:28

So from me posting on 15/12 - we still have 3 parcels in our hallway for 2 different neighbours! One family we think must be away and have been for a while and the other was was very rude and said to DP "we haven't ordered anything" but our concern is we've signed for these!! 🤦🏻‍♀️
I'm debating opening the "one they didn't order" and me going "oh by the way I've got your x/y/z" but dp says it's illegal to open someone's post (which I'm aware of but it's quite a big box cluttering up my hallway!

Penners99 · 24/12/2020 08:37

I have just had an Asda delivery guy turn up to my house.

I told him I had not ordered anything and was told it is for next door and I was supposed to take it for them!

No chance of that (history of issues with next door), so their delivery has gone back to the store.

I suspect I may get a visit later on.

Penners99 · 25/12/2020 08:02

Update.

4pm yesterday neighbour came round and asked for her Asda delivery. She got very angry when I told her there was nothing to collect, as I do not take in deliveries.

Then husband came round and was kicking my front door until I said I was calling the police (I didn’t).

Bookworming · 25/12/2020 08:23

Bloody hell @Penners99 they sound awful! Well done for refusing delivery.

FippertyGibbett · 25/12/2020 08:25

Refuse, and put a sign up at the bell saying you won’t take them.

andyoldlabour · 25/12/2020 11:22

Penners99

Sounds like you have our ex neighbours. Wwe were getting a constant stream of mail for them, half a dozen parcels each week, so I decided to stop accepting them as they never bothered to collect them. They relied on me or DW to deliver them.
One day we had a knock on the door (doorbell doesn't work Grin) and the neighbour (woman) waved a delivery note inm my face and asked (demanded) for her parcel. I said we didn't have any parcel for her, so she shouted at me and pointed to the delivery note.
I looked at it and suggested that she go to Specsavers. The parcel had been delivered over the road.
People who behave like this, often have anger management issues.

billy1966 · 25/12/2020 11:53

OP,
I cannot imagine why you continued to accept any parcels after the first few.

I wouldn't dream of being inconvenienced by someone so rude.

A notice on the door would have gone up after 24 hours.

CF.
Flowers

sneakysnoopysniper · 25/12/2020 12:21

I dont accept parcels for neighbours. Im disabled/semi housebound and in not position to troll along the street with their parcels. Also I dont want random people knocking on my door wanting their parcels and disturbing me. I always track/listen out for my own expected parcels or arrange for them to be left in safe place.

If a courier asks I just explain my circumstances and they are mostly ok with that.

YogiandBoo · 25/12/2020 12:40

sneakysnoopysniper Exactly! It's not rocket science and I don't know why people think their parcels are any responsibility of mine!

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