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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Delivery driver leaving rat poison in my hallway

110 replies

lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 22:46

AIBU to complain to Amazon about their delivery driver today? It's really freaked me out.
I was home during my lunch break today and was in the kitchen seeing to our new weeny rescue pup. I heard the front door open and a male voice and thought it was my other half home early from work.
I went into the garden to see to the pup and when I came back in I saw 2 Amazon parcels on the floor in the hallway and I then had delivery notifications on my phone saying 'parcel handed to resident'.
My OH was no where to be seen and didn't come home til much later so it wasn't him.
I then concluded that the driver opened my front door and put the parcels there without even knocking or leaving them in the safe place as is noted.
I'm really freaked out that someone opened the front door...one thing is he could of let the pup out who isn't allowed out yet as too young and also one of the boxes contained rat poison which the pup then could of gotten hold of.
I'm guessing it wasn't our usual guy as he knows where to leave them and I've never had anyone just open the door before.
I can't see any way to complain to Amazon online but I can escalate it to a phone call.
I guess lesson learned to lock the door either way but as I was going back out shortly I don't usually bother.
But surely that's just so unprofessional?

OP posts:
INX · 14/10/2025 23:14

lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:06

I guess it depends where you live. We have a very very low crime rate. Small village street and neighbours all look out for each other. The council changed the doors a few years ago so they don't automatically lock when shut so if we are just home for a few minutes in-between jobs and back and forth to our vehicles we don't lock the door.
Once we are in and obviously if we are out doors are locked.

Show quote history

You're not in and out every single minute of the day.

You've just got yourself into a lazy habit that's all.

People still get burgled, raped and murdered in small villages.

And people can easily intrude on your home as you found out today.

INX · 14/10/2025 23:15

Also, no matter where I lived I'd want to protect my dogs from being accidentally let out.

DysonLover1 · 14/10/2025 23:17

lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:14

I heard the door open and then a male voice to assumed it to be my OH as wouldn't expect anyone else to just be opening my front door!
It wasnt very loud and when my OH didn't appear I assumed he had gone back to his van for something.
I was distracted by letting the puppy out in my lunch break. It was only when I saw the parcels and that OH van wasn't there I realised the Amazon delivery driver had just opened the door and left the boxes there on the floor.

Show quote history

I would just never leave my door unlocked

Original poster
lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:26

Ok guess the general theme is this is totally my fault for not locking the door and not realising that delivery drivers just go round opening front doors if they can without knocking and that's totally fine. Even so as I said my instructions are leave in safe place and there is even a note on the front door itself saying leave parcels in the box.
My issue is he didn't even knock the door. I'm not on about rapists and axe murderers ex cetera wandering into the house.. obviously if they wanted to get in a lock isn't going to stop them...he is there to do a professional job!

OP posts:
Original poster
lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:29

INX · 14/10/2025 23:15

Also, no matter where I lived I'd want to protect my dogs from being accidentally let out.

We've had a dog free house for most of this year after losing our previous dog so we've only just got this weeny rescue pup so yes we do need to think about that now. As I said I've never had an issue before...everyone knocks the door so I have time to secure the pup...I stupidly thought that's why there are knockers on doors!

OP posts:
Happygolucky314 · 14/10/2025 23:32
  1. lock and unlock your door
  2. stop making it sound like you’re new puppy was at your front door waiting for it to be open your puppy was with you according to the story being let out so therefore he wouldn’t of darted it out the front
  3. just lock your door no excuses. I live where I do and if I have to take several trips to the car one after another I do that with door open. Once I’m done I lock it no matter time or day because it stops anyone just opening it up.
  4. just lock your door and be done with the issue an stop with the excuses
Falalfn · 14/10/2025 23:39

Lock your door. If you don't want to lock it for your own protection, then lock it for your dog's protection. It's totally ridiculous to have it unlocked when you have a puppy. You must lock it, or stuff like this will happen. Or worse.

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 14/10/2025 23:43

How was he to know the boxes contained rat poison? I thought you meant deliberately. And if the contents were visible, how was he to know something in your home was at risk from it?

This is on you to improve your security.

sosorryimnotsorry · 14/10/2025 23:44

I’m sorry but people shouldn’t have to keep their doors locked. Delivery drivers should not open front doors and let themselves in unless it is explicitly stated in the delivery instructions. There is no excuses for not reading delivery instructions either - it’s part of their job. It’s not ok in any other profession to not do the task correctly because you haven’t read the instructions correctly. Delivery drivers are no different.

Original poster
lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:44

Happygolucky314 · 14/10/2025 23:32

  1. lock and unlock your door
  2. stop making it sound like you’re new puppy was at your front door waiting for it to be open your puppy was with you according to the story being let out so therefore he wouldn’t of darted it out the front
  3. just lock your door no excuses. I live where I do and if I have to take several trips to the car one after another I do that with door open. Once I’m done I lock it no matter time or day because it stops anyone just opening it up.
  4. just lock your door and be done with the issue an stop with the excuses

Never said puppy was at the door..I said he could have let pup out. So if you're bringing shopping in from your car on the drive so you unlock and relock your front door for each carry bag? 😂😂
I come home, I let pup out to garden...I came in to put kettle on whilst keeping eye on pup who is in and out back garden before I unload my work stuff from car ... sometimes my OH comes back from work at same time and has to unload stuff from his van. Sometimes I'm only home for 5 minutes..sometimes half an hour. It's a small house so I can hear the door unless at bottom of garden.
Not saying I shouldn't lock my door but surely in his professional job role shouldn't just be opening random doors without even knocking??

OP posts:
Original poster
lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:47

AtomHeartMotherOfGod · 14/10/2025 23:43

How was he to know the boxes contained rat poison? I thought you meant deliberately. And if the contents were visible, how was he to know something in your home was at risk from it?

This is on you to improve your security.

It wouldn't have fitted through the letter box and if I'm not home the pup is in his crate so he wouldn't have access to it.
Instructions for delivery are 'leave in safe place'.. instructions on the front door itself are 'leave in safe place'
Yes I will be locking door after this but my issue is he should not just be letting himself in to people's homes.

OP posts:
Original poster
lonelylou09 · 14/10/2025 23:50

sosorryimnotsorry · 14/10/2025 23:44

I’m sorry but people shouldn’t have to keep their doors locked. Delivery drivers should not open front doors and let themselves in unless it is explicitly stated in the delivery instructions. There is no excuses for not reading delivery instructions either - it’s part of their job. It’s not ok in any other profession to not do the task correctly because you haven’t read the instructions correctly. Delivery drivers are no different.

Thank you.
We had a Morrisons delivery today and he went next door first . It was a couple of hours before our slot so I went and asked him if he wanted to do ours next and he said ' yes I was going to give you a knock anyway'
Not ..oh yes I was just going to try your door and leave it in your hallway!
For all those people who say lock the door...do you ever just forget? Even once? Does that give someone the right to just come in?

OP posts:
lazyarse123 · 15/10/2025 00:09

We keep our door locked and are usually in. I have a safe space on Amazon but we are very quiet people wise where we live. Retirement park so no passing people really.
We had a lot of deliveries last year and they were really good, we only missed a couple and they were put in safe space but we have a new driver and he just rings the bell and drives off, usually we are in but he doesn't know that and just leaves them on doorstep. The door is glass so his photo makes it look like the parcels are inside. I always do the feedback as not a good delivery but it never changes. We don't use the lockers because we buy a lot of vinyls.

sittingonabeach · 15/10/2025 00:14

If I was bringing things into the house I would bring things into the hall (with other doors leading into the hall closed so dog can’t get into the hall and then out of the front door). Then close and lock front door and then take things from the hall to where they are meant to be (also take off shoes in hall).

If door is unlocked as you or DH are taking things in and out of the house wouldn’t one of you have seen the delivery driver @lonelylou09

For those of you who don’t lock the front door I assume you don’t have young children who might open it.

MasterOfOne · 15/10/2025 00:17

What I don't understand is even if you are rural - does your home insurance not state a clause about security measures i.e. keeping doors and windows locked?

It might not be an amazon driver next time regardless of how safe and rural the village you live in.

In this day and age, if you are this worried about strange people letting themselves in your homes, this is easily solved by locking your doors?

marsala1 · 15/10/2025 00:17

I lock my front door most of the time, but not religiously , but leave my back door open ( it's a sliding glass door) for the dogs to let themselves in and out if we are going to be out more than a few hours. If someone is brave enough to get past our barky shepherds and labs good luck to them. The only thing worth any money is the tv. Bit big and hard to carry with growling snapping dogs surrounding you. Maybe everyone else on MN has valuable jewels? We do live regionally semi-rural. So pretty much every car is noticed going down the street, so that makes a difference. Although I lived in the city for years and would still not always lock my door. I've been known to leave my keys in the car when I go in to pay for petrol.

MasterOfOne · 15/10/2025 00:19

marsala1 · 15/10/2025 00:17

I lock my front door most of the time, but not religiously , but leave my back door open ( it's a sliding glass door) for the dogs to let themselves in and out if we are going to be out more than a few hours. If someone is brave enough to get past our barky shepherds and labs good luck to them. The only thing worth any money is the tv. Bit big and hard to carry with growling snapping dogs surrounding you. Maybe everyone else on MN has valuable jewels? We do live regionally semi-rural. So pretty much every car is noticed going down the street, so that makes a difference. Although I lived in the city for years and would still not always lock my door. I've been known to leave my keys in the car when I go in to pay for petrol.

If your car was stolen on such occasion- would you tell insurance exactly that?

HelenaWaiting · 15/10/2025 00:25

Why, in the name of God, are you ordering rat poison with a tiny puppy in the house? The consequences of a puppy ingesting it would be dire. If you have a rat problem, there are humane ways of addressing it. YABU for buying rat poison and YABVVVU for leaving your door unlocked.

LavenderHaze04 · 15/10/2025 03:08

I actually cannot believe how ridiculous most people are on Mumsnet. Seriously, what is wrong with so many of you?? A poster could write 'the sky is blue' and you'd argue they were wrong till you're blue in the face and for what?

Of course OP should keep the door locked as a rule, but it is absolutely NOT OKAY for a stranger to let themselves into her house?! Regardless of the reason?! I'm sorry you're being piled on OP, definitely complain.

Thunderpants88 · 15/10/2025 04:27

ShenandoahRiver · 14/10/2025 22:52

Your title makes it sound as if he deliberately left rat poison in your hallway.

I think this was intentional from the OP to get people to click on their post

Thunderpants88 · 15/10/2025 04:29

MasterOfOne · 15/10/2025 00:19

If your car was stolen on such occasion- would you tell insurance exactly that?

Show quote history

The truth. If someone leaves their can unlocked in a car park it doesn’t invalidate their insurance. It’s theft to steal someone’s car wether is is unlocked or not

bozzabollix · 15/10/2025 04:30

Please don’t use the rat poison, it’s easy for your puppy to get secondary poisoning, let alone other wild animals who may eat the dead rats. It’s an absolutely horrific death for whoever eats it too.

RubySquid · 15/10/2025 04:30

sittingonabeach · 14/10/2025 22:50

So many people don’t lock their doors - why?

It seems weird. Need a key to open my front door from the othside Never known a front door otherwise

RubySquid · 15/10/2025 04:32

MasterOfOne · 15/10/2025 00:17

What I don't understand is even if you are rural - does your home insurance not state a clause about security measures i.e. keeping doors and windows locked?

It might not be an amazon driver next time regardless of how safe and rural the village you live in.

In this day and age, if you are this worried about strange people letting themselves in your homes, this is easily solved by locking your doors?

Why would Insurance compant expect you to have doors and windows locked while you are at hone

WiddlinDiddlin · 15/10/2025 04:33

I've had Amazon open the door and put stuff in, its happening more because people are suggesting safe spaces that aren't then complaining when packages go walkabout. Also in rural areas people often tell delivery drivers to do this - I live in such an area, it is very common for delivery drivers round here to be told to walk in, leave parcels on a hall table etc.

The take home lesson is - exit doors should be secured if you have a puppy, because anyone can leave them open - or leave something where pup could get to it.

And the other one is that if you give strangers any other option than the one you want them to use, they'll pick one of those alternatives, because... sods law. So make the parcel box clear, and lock the door, give them no alternative.