Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

AIBU to be a petty as the neighbours?

69 replies

Notmyhouse · 16/04/2021 18:07

I live at 42 Petty Crescent which is a cul de sac off Petty Avenue. 42 Petty Avenue is about 12 houses away from me, it’s a small business on a residential street.

Very occasionally my post is delivered there. I collected one parcel which was delivered inside the business about 4 years ago and another a few months ago which was left outside their door by the courier (they probably weren’t even aware of that one as it was the weekend, I was waiting for the parcel and guessed where it was from the delivery photo).
A few times letters have been delivered to my house for them in error and I just post it through their letter box without a second thought - it takes 30 seconds at most.

A few weeks ago a small package arrived at my house with my normal post delivery. CRESCENT NOT AVENUE!!!!!! was scrawled across the envelope. They clearly made the effort to put it in the postbox rather than my door when it was delivered to them in error.

Today Royal Mail delivered a tracked package for them to my house - it came through the letter box and assuming it was for one of my children didn’t look at it straight away.

AIBU to make the same petty point they did and delay them getting the package by putting it back into the post system rather than just doing what I would normally do and delivering it to them?

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 16/04/2021 18:51

If you're putting it through their door without knocking they may have no idea it was addressed wrong - they're just opening their post ...

queenofthenorthwest · 16/04/2021 18:54

Can you not just knock and have a conversation with them?

1Morewineplease · 16/04/2021 18:56

Yep!

Reinventinganna · 16/04/2021 18:58

Have you actually tried talking to them?

GNCQ · 16/04/2021 19:01

To be fair, the petty message isn't directed at you really is it.

I think perhaps your postie should lead to read so I'd probably go along with it. Cross it off and re-write in big caps. Then re post. You're doing a public service.

GNCQ · 16/04/2021 19:03

Number 1 Petty Avenue and Number 1 Petty Crescent probably have the same problems. Maybe big bold letters and a repost should be a convention for your community!

Interviewedundercaution · 16/04/2021 19:04

I'd go and see them, or email them. Better for both of you if you can cooperate.

GNCQ · 16/04/2021 19:04

^lead to read is obviously learn to read

ChocOrange1 · 16/04/2021 19:06

My mum and dad's house is the worst for this. They live at 5 New Road. About 1 mile away is 5 New Road East. Same road name and number but with "east" tacked on. And theirs isn't "west", there is no New Road West.
Recently they applied for planning permission, obviously wrote down the correct address but the planning office changed to New Road East and then got shirty when they didn't respond!

JustSleepAlready · 16/04/2021 19:06

Think it was probably a dig at the delivery person/Royal Mail than a dig at you tbh.

underneaththeash · 16/04/2021 19:08

So they’ve dropped a parcel off for you, but you won’t for them?
We have a house in the village with a slightly similar name, different road (imagine ours is called Dovecote and theirs Doveland) but our house has easier parking. I have to check every single parcel and reckon 10% are for the wrong house.

I’ve made contact with the owner of the other house abs she’s either collect, if I miss the postie, or I’ll deliver when I’m passing. But it’s bloody annoying abs I have stuck things back in the post box with arrows etc on.
Levels of customer service are shockingly awful at the moment and it’s annoying. I can do my job properly, it really annoys me that every single other customer facing person cannot do theirs,

AbbieLexie · 16/04/2021 19:08

My neighbour tells me she has sent my post back ! She explained it was a point of principle.

SamMil · 16/04/2021 19:18

I doubt this is personal in any way. If I was at work and a letter came for the wrong address, I'd just mark it as wrong address and send it back. They might even have post collected if they're a business. Either way, it's much easier to send back in the post than take time out of their day after work especially to deliver it to you.

If it was a residential address, I think it would be different (I'd definitely drop in to one of my neighbours).

malmi · 16/04/2021 19:21

They are obviously doing this so the royal mail/the postie know that they are misdelivering items. They will be happy if you do the same as it shows that you also want things to be delivered correctly and not to have to run around doing the postie's job for them.

RulesDontApply2Me · 16/04/2021 19:21

Erm, think you’re missing something here.
What was in the package?
If it’s good, keep it, and deny all knowledge. It’s not a crime to accept a gift from a stranger ... even in DHL uniform.
If it’s rubbish, throw it in the bin.

muddyford · 16/04/2021 20:00

Our post used to go, occasionally, to the same house number a street away. We left the occupants a card with our address and 'phone number and either he'd drop it off or we'd collect. The most entertaining time was when a windscreen repair van, intended for my Golf, ended up there and the bemused house owner gave the driver an Amazon parcel of ours to take with him to us!

theemmadilemma · 16/04/2021 20:22

Yes my take is they're fed up with the postie and trying to make a point assuming it was your correct address.

Upamountain43 · 17/04/2021 07:00

My first thought was it was for the postman or a friendly message to you like oh look another one.

Way over thinking this.

Singlebutmarried · 17/04/2021 09:45

Any gaps in the packaging? That you could you know. Put glitter in?

Lovethewater · 17/04/2021 09:58

We had a similar issue tho the other No 21 is about a mile and a half further along from us. Did used to drop post round, but in the end I think it was only by writing on the envelope highlighting the address that the post office made more of an effort to deliver correctly.

KindleRemote · 17/04/2021 10:06

They're not having a pop at you OP. They're clearly taking a pop at the postal staff who can't do their job properly.

I've had it before when we lived at a Court and Street backed onto us. My current house has the same address as some flats in another part of town. I've had parcels go AWOL and when I've contacted the courier, it turns out they've gone to the flats. I'm not going across town to get my stuff because some numpty can't read the correct postcode.

Gothichouse40 · 17/04/2021 10:08

If it's a parcel I would just take it over to them.

GabriellaMontez · 17/04/2021 10:11

Walk round. Knock and discuss. They have no idea you sometimes post things through.

Ask how they'd like to play it in future.

PriestessofPing · 17/04/2021 10:12

My first thought would be they are sending it back to the sorting office so the posties get it into their heads the difference between the two addresses - not to be petty to you. But doing the same for their post might reinforce the point.

PegasusReturns · 17/04/2021 10:14

I’d pop it in the post and I’d go round to tell them I had.

But I can be the very definition of petty.

Flip

1 2 3