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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fed up with the amount of parcels we take in for our DNeighbour

31 replies

Postie2nd · 02/07/2025 20:40

Our DNeighbour is a lovely lady but it’s almost daily now that we have to take parcels in for her. She works full time in an office so isn’t in for most of them.

I didn’t mind at first but she then has to come round to get them and this is often when we are giving our DC their dinner.

YABU - just suck it up as it’s not that big a deal
YANBU - it’s excessive so have a word with the DNeighbour

OP posts:
Cherrysoup · 02/07/2025 20:43

Are you letting her into the house? If I take in a parcel for next door, I just hand it to them, they don’t come in. Are they interrupting your dc’s meals? Alternatively, start refusing parcels and suggest she uses Inpost!

Arcadia · 02/07/2025 20:44

I have this. Nice neighbours but go out a lot/don’t answer their door much and order lots of stuff! You don’t have to accept parcels on their behalf so just don’t answer the door if you are not expecting anything g yourself!

Original poster
Postie2nd · 02/07/2025 20:44

Cherrysoup · 02/07/2025 20:43

Are you letting her into the house? If I take in a parcel for next door, I just hand it to them, they don’t come in. Are they interrupting your dc’s meals? Alternatively, start refusing parcels and suggest she uses Inpost!

She doesn’t come in but often there is some small talk and I can’t really shut the door on her mid conversation!

OP posts:
Redglitter · 02/07/2025 20:44

You dont HAVE to take them in. Just say no to the courier when they come to the door. The more you take in the more you'll be known as the easiest drop off.

juicelooseabootthishoose · 02/07/2025 20:45

they should use inpost lockers!

BIWI · 02/07/2025 20:45

Two options:

  1. refuse to take them from the courier
  2. talk to your neighbour and tell her it’s not convenient to take so many parcels
Viobioscore48 · 02/07/2025 20:45

Ask your neighbour to direct somewhere else, explain it disrupts tea-time/just isn't working anymore/ trying to reorganise hall/ or just thr truth - that there's a lot of parcels . Ask if she can sort a safe place out. Then stop taking in the parcels if delivery drivers knock on.

Arlanymor · 02/07/2025 20:45

So either stop accepting then or ask her to come at a time that doesn't clash with dinner? I think you're nice for doing it and it's great to be neighbourly, but if it's not working for you then you either need to stop altogether or ask her to comply with a few basics that will stop it being a frustrating experience for you.

Cherrysoup · 02/07/2025 20:48

Postie2nd · 02/07/2025 20:44

She doesn’t come in but often there is some small talk and I can’t really shut the door on her mid conversation!

Show quote history

Yeah, you can. Open door ‘2 secs, Lianne, I’ll grab your parcel. Here you go, mid feeding Jack, see you!’

VehicleTracker77 · 02/07/2025 20:50

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

landlordhell · 02/07/2025 20:51

Just don’t answer the door. We get lots delivered but they leave it in a safe place. Is there anywhere?

latetothefisting · 02/07/2025 21:02

unless you've ordered something yourself, just stop answering the door when you see it's a delivery? No need for any conversation or drama.

I doubt she'll be as brazen to come round and say 'Have you stopped taking my deliveries?" and even if she does you can just look bemused and say "No, but with the nice weather we're out and about/ in the the garden a lot more so can't have been in/heard them knocking."

hulahooper2 · 02/07/2025 21:04

just don’t accept them , tell the courier you won’t be in later for it to be collected , repeat repeat repeat

Branleuse · 02/07/2025 21:05

when this was happening to me, I told the postman that I was no longer taking in parcels for that neighbour, because it was an excessive amount, disturbing me, and was making my hall feel like a sorting office. Plus, the neighbour didnt collect them quick enough.
I did have to keep on though, and im pretty sure i put a note on my door at one point to stop asking because i was unfortunately only able to take parcels for this address and no others.

IfYouPutASausageInItItsNotAViennetta · 02/07/2025 21:06

Can she not get herself a secure parcel box and make it very clear to delivery people to use it?

Even a literal 5-second handover every day is still a distraction from what you were doing and another thing to have to think about.

kikikaka · 02/07/2025 21:09

I don’t think you can blame the neighbour to be fair. We have a shed out front and if I know I won’t be home I always leave a note to leave in that safe place but they never listen and deliver to my neighbour and

Zov · 02/07/2025 21:11

YANBU. A woman across the road from me (who moved in 3 years ago) saw fit to name me as a 'parcel drop off point,' if she wasn't in or didn't answer the door. I soon put a stop to it by refusing to answer the door when I saw the courier at her house - not getting a response even though she was in - and trotting over to mine... Cheeky devil knocked and knocked and knocked for about 2-3 minutes. I ignored him, and sat there with my headphones in.

4 or 5 days later, I heard her (in her front garden) ranting to someone over the phone and saying her kid's £500 laptop had disappeared. The courier tried to deliver it and she hadn't heard him, and the neighbour across the road (me!) didn't answer the door. The laptop had been sent back and the sender/company she used didn't know where it was! She didn't even fecking ask me to be her parcel drop off servant. Like fuck was I taking it in. I had taken 4 or 5 in for her at that point, (over several months) and when I went to take them over I had to wait AGES to give it to her, as she rarely answered the door! (She never came to get them!)

We didn't even really have anything to do with each other. (Other than a quick 'hello!') Why on earth did she think she could use me as a drop off point when she couldn't be arsed to answer the door, couldn't hear the door, or wasn't in?! Cheeky cow. After the laptop went AWOL I got no more parcels of hers. Result!

(I don't know if it ever turned up, and I don't care.)

GoldDuster · 02/07/2025 21:14

Hello, would you take a parcel for number 7?

No, I'm not going to be able to do that for you, thanks.

This should stop the issue.

Longhotsummers · 02/07/2025 21:16

There’s no need to take parcels in anymore. She can get them delivered to a pick up point. Keep refusing to answer the door and she’ll work it out.
I do so for several neighbours’ deliveries now as I was being disturbed multiple times a day.

ArcticBells · 02/07/2025 21:45

Love the way you even put a D before neighbour! Darling, dear, dreadful?! Is it compulsory on MN ?

SaturdayDream · 02/07/2025 21:48

Stop taking them in.

I have stopped taking them in for any of my neighbours as I found I was stuck waiting around for them to come and collect large deliveries. If I’m not expecting my own I ignore the door or say no if they catch me off guard.

Murdoch1949 · 02/07/2025 21:49

Why not say to courier "No I can't take the parcel?" I have a professionally printed sign on my front door instructing couriers to never leave parcels with neighbours. On just one occasion they did and I contacted the seller and got them to make the courier return to redeliver the item. I have a large, lockable parcel safe, your neighbour needs one.

BallerinaRadio · 02/07/2025 21:51

ArcticBells · 02/07/2025 21:45

Love the way you even put a D before neighbour! Darling, dear, dreadful?! Is it compulsory on MN ?

Yeah I didn't even read about the parcels I couldn't get past DNeighbour why are you putting a D you're not even shortening it you're making it longer!

SaturdayDream · 02/07/2025 21:51

Zov · 02/07/2025 21:11

YANBU. A woman across the road from me (who moved in 3 years ago) saw fit to name me as a 'parcel drop off point,' if she wasn't in or didn't answer the door. I soon put a stop to it by refusing to answer the door when I saw the courier at her house - not getting a response even though she was in - and trotting over to mine... Cheeky devil knocked and knocked and knocked for about 2-3 minutes. I ignored him, and sat there with my headphones in.

4 or 5 days later, I heard her (in her front garden) ranting to someone over the phone and saying her kid's £500 laptop had disappeared. The courier tried to deliver it and she hadn't heard him, and the neighbour across the road (me!) didn't answer the door. The laptop had been sent back and the sender/company she used didn't know where it was! She didn't even fecking ask me to be her parcel drop off servant. Like fuck was I taking it in. I had taken 4 or 5 in for her at that point, (over several months) and when I went to take them over I had to wait AGES to give it to her, as she rarely answered the door! (She never came to get them!)

We didn't even really have anything to do with each other. (Other than a quick 'hello!') Why on earth did she think she could use me as a drop off point when she couldn't be arsed to answer the door, couldn't hear the door, or wasn't in?! Cheeky cow. After the laptop went AWOL I got no more parcels of hers. Result!

(I don't know if it ever turned up, and I don't care.)

My neighbour who I had never even had a smile from put me down as their drop off when they weren’t home. After I found out I put a stop to accepting any for anyone.

Started17June2025 · 02/07/2025 21:52

You don't have to take the parcels. Just politely tell the courier unfortunately you can't accept any at the moment. They can try another neighbour.