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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

So annoyed with my neighbours what should I do when I see them?

281 replies

geekygardener · 27/10/2025 13:36

Every week I’m taking in parcels for a neighbour. I don’t mind the occasional one, but it can fluctuate between a couple a week to a few daily. They order a lot of stuff and are never in to receive it. I don’t know why they don’t order it to their family who live on the next street or to one of their work places. This has been going on for a number of years.
I wouldn’t mind if I’m in just pottering at home, but I often work from home and my office is next to my front door. This means delivery drivers can see I’m in sat at my desk. They will continue to knock and wait even if I don’t initially answer because I’m in a meeting or call. People on the other end of my calls can clearly hear the knocking and dog barking, so I have to cut off. It’s unprofessional, especially because I take calls from people in distress. It’s unfair to cut them off.

I have told multiple delivery drivers that I am working and can no longer take in parcels for neighbours but that seems to have made little difference.
I work nights too and I’m woken up at least three times a week by deliveries for the same neighbours and it really affects my mood.

Today I was resting after a night shift and knocking woke me. Teen dd opened the door but then came running up telling me it was a large delivery for the neighbours and the delivery driver said he needed an adult to take it. Plus it was too large and heavy for dd to take in alone. This is not the first time we have taken in packages that have been large and heavy. I had one neighbour’s wardrobe and bedside table blocking my hallway for over a week while they were on holiday.
I just lost my temper because of being woken and I gabbed the parcel said “fine” and slammed the door. The delivery driver looked shocked, I do feel guilty about that but I was just fed up. I then just sat back down and no more than 2 minutes later another delivery driver knocked with another parcel for neighbours. Dd answered again and shouted out to me that he required an adult again, I couldn’t believe it. It was a different delivery company and driver but I shouted back for her to tell them no. They handed it to her anyway and she brought it to the hallway.

I can honestly say if it was the odd occasion that’s fine and I’d be a good neighbour and take them in happily. But this is multiple times a week, often multiple times a day and is disturbing my work and rest,

I did mention it to neighbour, who is the main culprit, he just laughs and says he understands it’s annoying, but it keeps happening.

Im now left with a large heavy box in my tiny hallway. I also feel like I can’t relax because soon neighbour will come knocking on my door to collect it. So if I wanted to go back to sleep I would be woken again. I looked across and the neighbour is actually in ! Both cars are there and I can see the son playing outside. They just couldn’t be bothered to answer the door.

I have told dd not to answer the door again because she can’t deal with deliveries, which upset her a bit.

Anyway, I hate confrontation but I feel like this is taking the mick.

OP posts:
EvangelicalAboutButteredToast · 27/10/2025 18:33

I can feel my blood pressure spike just reading that! To be fair your neighbour probably hasn’t allocated you as a delivery point, he just knows they will automatically deliver to you and lets it happen.

I would put up a poster-sized sign on the door with the strongest tape available declaring you do not take in ANY parcels for an address that is not your own, and any attempt to knock will be ignored.

HappyMamma2023 · 27/10/2025 18:37

I would leave the neighbour's packages outsode ur house not let them in. They'll soon get the picture when it's at risked of being nicked

Lovemyboston · 27/10/2025 18:37

I voted YABU because you should just refuse parcels if you don’t want to take them in. Simple.

Apocketfilledwithposies · 27/10/2025 18:40

Stop accepting parcels!! Get a sign up.
Stand your ground.

Tell dd not to answer the door.
Tell neighbour going forward you will be taking in ZERO parcels and stick to it!

hattie43 · 27/10/2025 19:01

TheBeaTgoeson1 · 27/10/2025 13:41

Hello,

Due to remote working demands I am no longer able to take in any parcels that are not for this address.

Thanks.

Geeky Gardener.

This . Just stop doing it .

LetMeGoogleThat · 27/10/2025 19:31

I've got a similar neighbour, I just started refusing them. Once the inconvenience became theirs, the deliveries stopped.

No5ChalksRoad · 27/10/2025 19:38

He actually laughed at you?

I'd be angry about the parcels but the laughter would send me nuclear.

Just don't open the door. As others have said, get a Ring doorbell and you can speak to the drivers via the doorbell without ever opening your door. "No, we do not accept parcels for other households. Leave it on their doorstep."

Also I'd make a sign for your doorstep, or front gate: "Do not disturb this households with deliveries not addressed to No. X. Any parcels left without permission will be placed on the pavement. We accept no liability for others' deliveries. Fair warning."

Tavimama · 27/10/2025 20:14

Glittertwins · 27/10/2025 18:29

That’s disgusting behaviour from the neighbours @Tavimama

I know. She wasn't in good health and I think it broke her heart.

Okiedokie123 · 27/10/2025 20:17

Have you spoken to the neighbours? If not why not?

OnTheBoardwalk · 27/10/2025 20:52

With lockers, pick up points and named day delivery there is no excuse for not getting your delivery anymore

i also work from home and schedule my post and pay extra around my meetings. I could have 20 people watching me host a meeting. No way am I going to say BRB there’s a parcel for a neighbour I need to take

If I answer the door I just now say nope. The regular drivers now get this

best was when neighbour with daily deliveries for all the family stuck a big note on her door saying if not in knock on boardwalk. She wasn’t being a CF but I don’t think she realised what that did to my working day

Jamesblonde2 · 27/10/2025 20:53

Put a note on your door to say you don’t take deliveries for neighbours. Then when they all get the message, take it back down. Simple.

OnTheBoardwalk · 27/10/2025 20:58

Jamesblonde2 · 27/10/2025 20:53

Put a note on your door to say you don’t take deliveries for neighbours. Then when they all get the message, take it back down. Simple.

Yes and also the note

jackdunnock · 27/10/2025 21:00

Put a sign on your front door saying you charge a £25 fee to accept neighbour's parcels, and to only knock if the delivery person agrees to pay the fee.

Friendlygingercat · 27/10/2025 22:01

Its not "unneighbourly to refuse to accept parcels. With christmas coming up the delivery services will be ramping up. That means couriers delivering from early am up to 10 pm and in the dark. Do you want to be opening the door on cold dark winter evenings when you simply want to have supper and relax. If you accept a parcel then you are implicitly accepting responsibility to keep it safely. So not only have you the inconvenience of being knocked on by couriers, but also being disturbed again when the neighbours call for them at random times. Then there are the lazy sods who fail to pick them up and you have the hassle of taking them over to find they may not be in. Or they dont answer the door. Meanwhile the parcels (possibly large and bulky) are cluttering up your hall.

Other people's work schedules and online activities are not your problem. All the platforms will deliver to drop of locations or safe lockers where recipients can pick them up in person. No one works 24 hours 7 days a week.

As for the neighbour who laughed send him a glitter bomb from an "unknown" donor and have a good laugh. Been there, done it, got the t-shirt.

Bufftailed · 27/10/2025 22:03

MidnightPatrol · 27/10/2025 13:37

I’d put up a sign on your door saying you will not take parcels for other houses.

Then I would knock and say what you’ve said here - it’s too much, you work nights and it’s distributing your sleep
etc.

This. Sign on the door. Tell the neighbours. Sounds so annoying

pestowithwalnuts · 27/10/2025 22:29

Just put a note on the door saying you aren't taking parcels for ..number whatever...
Add another note when you are sleeping in saying .." night worker sleeping..knock on pain of death "
If the delivery man sees you sat at your desk and knocks despite there being a note saying not to..open the door..point to the note and then shut the door.
A

BlingersMcBling · 27/10/2025 22:35

They should use drop off service. Just don’t answer the door or take deliveries. They’ll soon use a drop off service. They are being unreasonable. All you can do is speak to them politely just saying you work nights etc. If they are normal people they’ll apologise and stop it.. if not, just don’t answer the door again.

ThisChirpyFox · 27/10/2025 22:42

geekygardener · 27/10/2025 13:36

Every week I’m taking in parcels for a neighbour. I don’t mind the occasional one, but it can fluctuate between a couple a week to a few daily. They order a lot of stuff and are never in to receive it. I don’t know why they don’t order it to their family who live on the next street or to one of their work places. This has been going on for a number of years.
I wouldn’t mind if I’m in just pottering at home, but I often work from home and my office is next to my front door. This means delivery drivers can see I’m in sat at my desk. They will continue to knock and wait even if I don’t initially answer because I’m in a meeting or call. People on the other end of my calls can clearly hear the knocking and dog barking, so I have to cut off. It’s unprofessional, especially because I take calls from people in distress. It’s unfair to cut them off.

I have told multiple delivery drivers that I am working and can no longer take in parcels for neighbours but that seems to have made little difference.
I work nights too and I’m woken up at least three times a week by deliveries for the same neighbours and it really affects my mood.

Today I was resting after a night shift and knocking woke me. Teen dd opened the door but then came running up telling me it was a large delivery for the neighbours and the delivery driver said he needed an adult to take it. Plus it was too large and heavy for dd to take in alone. This is not the first time we have taken in packages that have been large and heavy. I had one neighbour’s wardrobe and bedside table blocking my hallway for over a week while they were on holiday.
I just lost my temper because of being woken and I gabbed the parcel said “fine” and slammed the door. The delivery driver looked shocked, I do feel guilty about that but I was just fed up. I then just sat back down and no more than 2 minutes later another delivery driver knocked with another parcel for neighbours. Dd answered again and shouted out to me that he required an adult again, I couldn’t believe it. It was a different delivery company and driver but I shouted back for her to tell them no. They handed it to her anyway and she brought it to the hallway.

I can honestly say if it was the odd occasion that’s fine and I’d be a good neighbour and take them in happily. But this is multiple times a week, often multiple times a day and is disturbing my work and rest,

I did mention it to neighbour, who is the main culprit, he just laughs and says he understands it’s annoying, but it keeps happening.

Im now left with a large heavy box in my tiny hallway. I also feel like I can’t relax because soon neighbour will come knocking on my door to collect it. So if I wanted to go back to sleep I would be woken again. I looked across and the neighbour is actually in ! Both cars are there and I can see the son playing outside. They just couldn’t be bothered to answer the door.

I have told dd not to answer the door again because she can’t deal with deliveries, which upset her a bit.

Anyway, I hate confrontation but I feel like this is taking the mick.

Don't put this on your daughter because a grown up, go to the door and say no. Put a sign up saying no parcels will be taken for others and if left will be binned.

Honestly you've taken the parcels got so long, why would the neighbours change their selfish ways. Instead of moaning and telling your dd what to do, you do something about it. Tell the neighbours how pissed off you are and you want it stopped and now.

Dont go on about not being good at confrontation if your gonna rant on here and use that as an excuse to not put an end to it

BeHeartyCritic · 27/10/2025 23:12

Sounds like my elderly parents neighbours, they take in for next door, next door but one and the one after, I've told them to stop taking in but they don't want to cause tension.

I actually heard the next door neighbour through the doorbell tell the delivery driver to leave it with my parents, she was on the phone to her daughter (can hear her through the wall) so she could quite easily open the door.

It's just cheeky and I wish I could throw all their parcels out and say no more but like I said parents don't want tension.

MrsDarcy1989x · 27/10/2025 23:18

Start keeping the parcels 😂 guarantee it will stop fairly sharpish. Only joking, as previously said, a nice sign on the door and a friendly warning to neighbours should solve the issue.

Phoenixfire1988 · 27/10/2025 23:53

If they were home id say they've set you as their alternative delivery address I done this with possibly dpd and the delivery men didn't even knock at mine but went next door automatically. Put a sign on the door saying you don't accept parcels for other addresses it's a really easy fix .

SweetnsourNZ · 27/10/2025 23:58

Maybe go and deliver the parcel to your neighbour at 3 in the morning. Be loud as. Maybe let your other neighbours in on the plan 1st though. Or phone them to let them know parcel has arrived at that time. I can't believe you have put up with this for so long.

utamea · 28/10/2025 00:17

If they are getting that many parcels, no amount of informing individual delivery drivers is going to stop it. Amazon have masses and masses of drivers.

Anyway, agree with previous posts - take control. Clear notice by the bell saying:

Parcels for this address only please
Please do not disturb otherwise
We are home workers and shift workers.

TheWibble · 28/10/2025 00:21

I've said yabu, because you need to grow a pair and say no to the delivery drivers. I had a similar situation with my ndn working all week, but me wfh. I answered the door to the persistent delivery drivers and refused to take the parcels. Shut the door on them if you have to. It soon stopped.

Reallyneedsaholiday · 28/10/2025 00:43

I don't know whether anyone suggested it, but as you say you work nights, thats exactly when I'd be informing my neighbours that I have a parcel for them. Around 3am sounds like a good time to be ringing their doorbell.

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