Delivery driver let himself into my house

[Wineatfiveisfine]

I WFH. A delivery driver knocked quite loudly on my door a few days ago. I got to my hallway within 10 seconds to find a very tall man in my hallway setting the delivery down on a table and taking a photo, as proof of delivery.

He said “hello, delivery”. I was too shocked to form a cordial response and just said “erm, why are you in my house?” He said “delivery, thanks bye” and off he went.

We’ve raised a complaint with said company - but they’ve said this is a common occurrence (!) and that they will speak to the driver, but it won’t be taken any further.

i was terrified to find a stranger in my house - but having googled, this seems to be a common occurrence!!!! How?!?!?

This made me laugh, sorry! I could just imagine said dog wolfing it all down!

I also live in a small village. I don’t lock the door until I go to bed.
We only use the back door routinely. I recently realised the front door had been unlocked for about a week- we never use it but had a pizza delivery the previous week so had opened it.
A neighbour often asks me to check/ feed her small dog if she is out- no key needed as it’s always unlocked.
I do appreciate that it is probably not great but it’s pretty typical in rural areas.

I’m sorry OP but makes sense to lock your doors if you don’t want people walking in. Also it was common knowledge where I grew up that if you were expecting a parcel, you left your door open so the delivery driver could drop it safely inside the door. YABU.

This has never crossed my mind! Rural village here so whilst I appreciate it probably is a good idea to lock doors. Squatters and drug users are not a realistic concern. All my local friends, relatives just shout ‘come in’ when you knock on the front door - never locked!

I don’t get the OPs indignation at people suggesting she locks her doors either. I’m another that lives in a rural area with next to no crime and I work from home. But I’d never dream of leaving my front or back door unbolted (we have bolts and old fashioned key operated mortise locks). I don’t want to be the unlucky 1 incident of crime in my village. We have a lot of delivery drivers and we know many of them as regulars and our posties well but I don’t want ANYONE coming in my house uninvited, so I lock my doors at all times. We’ve also had a couple of delivery drivers for one well known company caught stealing tools from garden sheds and from the packages they were delivering. I hope the delivery driver who now knows the OP’s door is left unlocked is one of the trustworthy law abiding ones…

Yes this! I have had unwanted mice and neighbours cats coming in so do now mostly close my door 😆

Is London that bad? That’s scary. I’m in Scotland and never lock my doors if I’m in house.

Inconceivable not to have your door properly closed. I don't lock [edited, not look, ;-)] mine, it's simply that you can't open it from the outside. We live in a sleepy village in Sussex and everyone has their front door closed/locked. I also shut my windows when I leave the house. Does an insurance pay if your door isn't 'locked' and someone steals something? Stay safe OP!!

I only lock my door when I'm going out or going to bed. I live in south london

I don't know, I am not a delivery driver. But a lot of people on this thread alone have said they leave their front door unlocked for packages to be dropped off and are glad to get them, so I imagine some delivery drivers are aware of this, and try doors. As I say, what wouldn't have occurred to me is that anyone was leaving their front door unlocked for no reason at all.

Do you lock your car?

I know you shouldn’t have to..

I have lived in my village for 10 years. I can think of at least 3 occasions when I have noticed keys left in the lock of a front door ( facing the street) and have knocked to let them know. Once with a car in the street too. Residents all laughed and said- I’ve been looking for those.

But people are giving you helpful advice! Lock your door!

I had an issue in lockdown - delivery companies were insisting there was a photo with door open. Driver entered and was bitten by our dog who thought they were defending the property- not good with strangers but not a dangerous dog.

Driver was told he had no right to enter (we live remote/ rural so when we are in the house no need to lock as someone is always coming in and out).

Drivers girlfriend complained to the police and we then had 6 mth battle to avoid restrictions being placed on our dog including it not being allowed around our child, muzzled at all times, never let off the lead. With ultimate risk that if we ever breached dog could be put down. Drivers hand was bitten and it did bleed but he was not mauled.

we refused to agree to the order on the basis only the police have the right to enter a property and the driver was in the wrong - may even claimed we would pursue for trespass. Eventually it was dropped but it was worrying so we keep the door locked unless in kitchen. But the arrogance of these drivers is incredible.

This is a job I have done for years, some houses have an external door leading into a porch the delivery is done when the parcel is dropped and photographed. It’s hard sometimes to tell if it’s a porch or not, if he tried the handle and the door opened stepping in and delivering the parcel is what I would have done.
Delivery drivers get a rate per parcel and have a load of parcels to deliver before they get home to their families.
If you don’t want it to happen again lock your door.

Sorry you had a fright but in this day and age you need to keep your doors locked. I never understand why people don’t do this, it’s common sense.

Sorry, I’m firmly in the ‘if you don’t want fandoms wandering in, lock your doors!’ camp

Thankfully, this was just a delivery driver; next time it might not be…!

Maybe pop into the nearest prison and have a word with all the burglars

I'm sure they'll listen...

They do it at mine all the time. Seems the ones that don’t do that leave it in the rain at the end of the drive.

A lot of people are fine with this when wfh, so it's become more common.
Usually they can see the delivery person but are on a call.

If you're not happy with them entering, maybe a note on the door to leave it on the doormat (yes you shouldn't have to) but it's either that or locking your door as there's bound to be agency workers who'll have their own ideas.

It's telling that the company won't do much about it.

Sorry, although I agree he should not have come in, this is not reasonable or safe, wherever you live. Lock your doors.

So if you were victims of a burglary (God forbid) what would your insurance company say about the door being unlocked ?

I wfh too and am often in meetings. We have a small porch and the delivery drivers often open the door and let themselves in that far and put the parcel in. There isn’t another front door between them and the lounge just an internal door. I don’t think that’s a problem but they don’t come in the main house.

???! Why???

That’s funny because the whole post you’ve made is about someone trespassing on your property which is in fact a crime…