To stop taking in parcels for next door

[heydoggee]

We've always taken in loads of parcels for one of our next door neighbours, at least two a week. DH works from home and I am home most of the time, so it was mildly annoying but not a huge issue.

But the last two months we have been taking in a parcel every single day. Topshop. Boohoo. New Look.

I'm not crazy about doing this right now. Especially because they're clearly not essential items and I am not happy about the extra contact involved in handling them, as I am moderately vulnerable.

AIBU to say no to the postie/couriers? Am I awful for even considering this?

@LindaEllen

It annoys me so much too. Because I'm always at home (I've always WFH) the postman and delivery people know I'm in as they can see the car on the drive. So they always choose my door to knock at, even if they're quite a few houses down the street. They'll pretty much save up the parcels and then knock at mine on the way past.

I have a job which means I have stupid hours and work very late at night/early hours of the morning. So it's not unusual for me to be only just getting up now (I'm having my breakfast currently!) or even later to allow me my full 8 hours. Yet sometimes, by midday, I've had to come downstairs and answer the door 6 times (that's an extreme, but did happen one day just before Christmas) for other people's parcels.

I don't know what to say though! If I say no, I've still had to come downstairs, and they'll still try the next day.

We used to get loads of delivery drivers choosing our house because one of us was almost always in, but like you I work shifts. In the end I used to put up a note saying 'shift worker sleeping, deliveries only for this address' and would take it down when I was not working lates/nights.

You're perfectly within your right to not take them in...I personally just dont see why not.

To me, taking in a parcel is not a huge bother. But it does seem to really irk a lot of people so I'm probably in the minority

Our local Hermes driver often tries to drop off several houses worth of parcels to one house without bothering to knock the other doors, cheeky fecker. YANBU. I stopped taking one house’s parcels after they decorated their house in U.K. flags to celebrate Brexit.

I honestly don't understand this.

She hasn't the manners to say hello yet is sending daily deliveries to your door.

Unbelievable OP.

Where is your self respect.

🙄🤷🏻‍♀️

She's neither friendly to you or grateful, but she probably arranges home deliveries knowing that you'll take them in . Either tell her that you're not happy to take in her packages or tell the delivery person. Failing that, don't answer the door.

I bet she wouldn't hesitate to inform you if any of her packages went missing!

Please tell her assuming you decide to stop.

The places these parcels are coming from seem to indicate someone who is engaging in fast fashion, the second largest cause of climate change. So you could claim a sudden burst of conscience that you cannot support this.

Or just hate Philip Green given some are from Top Shop.

All our local drivers know they can drop parcels for the houses in our cul de sac here, we will even take parcels in for our immediate neighbours, and we don't even talk, but they will do the same for us, one neighbour puts a deliver to our address on his deliverys, its no big deal, although ive had some huge parcels delivered here, my only condition is, you come and pick your own parcel up, im not looking out for when your in or coming knocking.

I used to take parcels in at our old house because I wfh and I was used to living in a neighbourhood where everyone would do it. However, on the two occasions I wasnt in the neighbours didn't take mine in. Neither did one side race around straight away to pick the parcels up. Once a delivery person tried to give me two huge boxes for one side. No not doing it. Just say no each time and eventually it will stop

Stop. A note in the door may help. I find now that couriers ring the bell to let me know there's a parcel but don't wait- i have 'safe place' note in all deliveries anyway.
Years ago I accepted a delivery for a neighbor without knowing what it was (driver just asked if I was willing to accept it before taking it out if the van). I didn't know her. It turned out to be four cases of wine. I was very pregnant no way could I take them over and she was elderly. She was furious and called the courier up and made them come back and take them from me and deliver them across the street to her.

The note has to be short I think

They won’t have time to read a lengthy note

“Due to the pandemic we are unable to take deliveries for neighbours “ or something like that?

Notice on the front door “We are shielding, please do not ring the doorbell unless contact pre arranged (e.g. delivery of essential food/medicine) or a medical emergency”

Or instead of shielding you could say isolating.