Its another parcel one

[Parcelseverywhere]

Hi all,

I know these threads come about from time to time but im doing mine because I'm pretty fed up.

I moved in 2 years ago. I love my neighbours. They are a family and we get on really well.

The thing is one of the family runs her business from home but goes out and about each day from early till late. She receives deliveries every day. Other members of the house also order online deliveries. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I take in parcels almost every single day. To be fair some days nothing but most days we get 2 or 3 and not all come at the same time. At least 4 days a week I take in a minimum of one parcel for them.

At first I didn't mind and they do always come collect them and apologise and thank me. But after 2 years im getting pretty fed up. I wouldn't mind in normal circumstances if it was one or two now and then but the sheer amount because of the business is really excessive and its disturbing my day. I don't feel able to relax in my home because for example, today I have been feeling unwell and laid down and as soon as I drifted off there was a knock and because the delivery driver could see I was in he kept knocking for ages. It also sets my 2 dogs off barking.

Im working from home on occasion and its disturbing my meetings because the dogs will bark so I have to break off to calm them. I'm conducting therapy sessions so its actually awful for my clients.

I can't sit and watch TV during the day without having to break off etc and im now on edge wondering when the next one will come.

Then the neighbours will knock to collect them on their return and its always by sods law at my dc bedtime or dinner time.

My dh works out the house long hours and didn't understand what I was bothered about until he spent a week at home and he was shocked and annoyed at the frequency of deliveries we are now expected to take in and how disruptive it is.

I do not want to fall out with my neighbours as they are lovely people and we plan to live here forever. I'm usually quite generous and forgiving and il do anything for others so I would find it hard to say no. I feel like for now I have to just put up with it. I struggle with confrontation.

Not sure what im asking really but im annoyed today because im ill and have been woken up from my only chance to rest by this. I feel better getting it off my chest.

Just tell her that from now you'll not be able to collect any parcels because it's disrupting your job and clients have complained, so she'll need to make other arrangements.
Then put a sign on your door saying you're not taking deliveries for other neighbours.

We used to get this. Almost every day for one of a few neighbours.

Honestly, I just kept turning away the delivery people ("sorry, I can't take in a parcel" or "I'm going out in a bit" or "I won't be here later").

After some time, anyone who delivers parcels just stopped asking us

And actually you're not stopping because of yourself, you're doing it on behalf of your therapy clients who need your full attention for the time they have paid for. Would it make it easier to frame it like that ?

Not ANOTHER one of these.

You need to speak to your neighbours and have a friendly conversation, tell them that previously taking in their deliveries wasn’t a problem but now you are running therapy sessions from home it is just not feasible any more and is actually detrimental to your work. Ask them to make it clear to delivery people that parcels are not to be left with you and tell them you will be putting a note on your door saying that you do not accept any parcels that are not addressed to you. If they are decent neighbours they will understand.

YANBU at all. We take parcels in for our lovely neighbours but it is only one a week or so. They just need to get a parcel box and stop relying on you.

I may just put a note on the door when I'm working a bit like a do not disturb sign. I think business neighbour would just keep getting deliveries because she needs them and I suppose hopes someone else will take them if I won't, so i may have to direct my request to the actual delivery companies.

Just stick a note on your door saying you wont receive parcels for other addresses. Then nothing will get delivered, and the neighbours won't come round to pick them up. You don't even have to mention it to your neighbours unless they happen to ask - at which point it's easy to say it's a general thing you had to do (ie not specific to them) because it was disturbing your clients.

Job done

Step 1 - tell neighbour that the parcels are disturbing your therapy work and you can't take them in
Step 2 - put a notice on the door saying you can't take in parcels
Step 3 - disconnect your doorbell when you are working.

and don't feel guilty about it.

Great input 👌🏻

OP if they're lovely m then I think they'll understand. Could you let them know how disruptive it is and that unfortunately you won't be able to take them in anymore?

Yes a Do Not Disturb sign is a great idea - have it up pretty much all the time. That's all the interaction you need with the delivery companies.

I think an honest conversation is best here. Tell them that it's become too much / is disrupting your day and disturbing your work so unfortunately, you won't be able to take parcels from next week. Then for the rest of this week, speak to each driver to say that you will take it today but won't be doing it from next week. Next week, put a sign in the door.
Neighbour needs to get a parcel box, have the parcels redelivered on a day when she'll be home or have them directed to a pick-up point. Most courier companies have apps where you can choose this as an option so it's manageable for her.

Its such a simple solution but I do feel guilty about it, especially because I have been taking them in for 2 years and I worry the neighbours will wonder why I have suddenly stopped and I don't want to offend them.
Recently one got delivered to another house and neighbour lady came round in a panic because it had was lost and she couldn't work out from the company where it had been delivered.

Just don't answer the door unless you are expecting a parcel for you. My neighbour orders Tons of stuff from net a Porter. I used to take it in but when they were away and her mum was dog sitting she complained about taking a parcel in for me,

Now I ignore the door, or if I answer it I say no, I can't take it.

Feel guilty that your paying clients are having their paid therapy sessions interrupted if you want to feel guilty about something, not that your cheeky neighbour can no longer rely on you to offer a Royal Mail service for free

If they're lovely then talk to them.

I'm sorry but I can't keep taking in all these parcels. I'm working and it's really disruptive.
Maybe you could get a parcel box.

A lovely person would apologise profusely for being so thoughtless and would buy a big package box.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374100783829?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=jhilyas-tii&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=xuUQ3PbaT4m&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

They need to get one of these

This.

If you don't fee up to doing it face-to-face, I'd pop them a note saying just this. That you've done it for 2 years and it's now disrupting your working day and you're no longer able to accept any parcel except those that are specifically addressed to you for you. They will have to look into getting a parcel managing service whereby their post/parcels can be delivered to a PO box or something similar so that they can collect them themselves.
Then as rookie suggests, pop a note on your door to say that only packages addressed to the resident of X address will be accepted and not to ring your bell for anything else.

YABU to have been doing this for so long. As everyone says, put a NO DELIVERIES note on the door.

You don't need to speak to your neighbours. Tell the delivery driver, you are not accepting anyone else's parcels. End of. The driver won't tell the neighbour. They'll just get notified of next attempted delivery or they'll have to collect from the depot.
If you must tell your neighbours, just be honest and say you are unable to leave your work to collect parcels.

I'm a chicken so I'd start putting the Do Not Disturb note up occasionally to begin with and building it up until such a time as it's causing them problems.

They may then mention it to you and you can say "yes, I've got a lot busier lately so can't always take them in now - perhaps you'd be better having a parcel box, or a local PO Box to deliver them to, as I can't be relied upon to take them all in"

I've never seen the same delivery driver twice.
A sign is needed or OP will continue to be bothered.