Neighbour asked me to take in her parcel whilst she went out

[ready4sunshine]

So yesterday I got a message from a neighbour who lives two doors down to me to ask if I would be able to take in her parcel to my house.

Her parcel had already been delivered and was left in a safe place in the side where she usually had her parcels delivered.

It was raining and she wanted me to bring it in.
I did it but was slightly annoyed as why order a parcel if your going to be out?

This is the third time this has happened now.

I am aware our mutual neighbour refuses to accept her deliveries and even has a Royal Mail Opt out sticker on her letterbox.

I have only ever spoken to her three times. All related to her deliveries. She dosent even say hello usually.

I don't want this to be a regular thing but as I am on the neighbourhood watch group chat she just messages me now.

I don't want to be seen as rude or ignorant but I don't want it becoming a regular habit.

If she does it again just reply saying “sorry I am out” and don’t engage further. Or just don’t respond to her at all.

I just wouldn't open the message and ignore the request 🤷🏽‍♀️

Not everybody can arrange to be there when a parcel is delivered, especially with companies such as Evri. Delivery times can change and you often don’t get an estimated delivery time until the day. So it isn’t always as simple as being there every time to collect the parcel.

However, it obviously bothers you so just say no. If you’re there and it saves a parcel getting wet, I don’t see the problem but it is as easy as just saying no.

If she only asks when it's raining or something and I was in, I'd probably just do it. When you order something you often don't get a delivery slot until the day of depending on the courier.

If it bothers you, which is fine, just message her back the next time and say "Sorry, not home" and the time after that just don't open the message until much later that evening.

It's a neighbourly thing to do, taking a parcel in to protect it from the rain. She's hardly asking for the moon on a stick. Do it if it's easy enough, don't if it's not. Like PP have said, you can just say you're not home, or "miss" the message until much later.

Just say you won't be there, or you're just about to go out. Or you're not in the area. Or you're ill in bed. Or just fail to respond and say you didn't see message if she raises it later.

It's not rude to decline parcels. If she has a safe place I don't know why she needs to ask you.

You don't really know when your parcel will be delivered unless you booked for a special delivery with a time slot. Third time doesn’t sound that bad to me. Sounds like she asked you because she got a notification to say it’s been left outside in the rain.

Im guessing, for you to mind helping her out without going much out of your way, you must not like her. Is there a reason for that or just something subconscious?

It seems she's just asking when it's raining

I don't see what's wrong with her asking and I also don't see what's wrong with you saying no to her.

It’s nice to be nice. Besides, you might need a favour one day. Good to build some goodwill with neighbours

Why on earth did you take it in? Just say no, it’s raining /I’m out/ I’m busy…

Only very limited deliveries have fixed date/time slots so it's weird that you think everyone can only order parcels for when they'll be in. She needs one of those parcel boxes so there's a safe dry place for deliveries to be made when she's out. You could suggest that - say that you took it in for her this time but in future please get blah rather than relying on you. Or just say you're out each time and she should stop asking. Or do what the other neighbour has done and refuse if you really don't want to do it. I just do it if I'm able because it's not a big deal and they take parcels in for me if needed. Depends how much of an issue it really is.

I must admit I am not overly keen on her, I have overheard her slagging off my cats and when one was killed she went round telling everyone.

It is a bit difficult to say I'm not in as she has a ring bell thing and she knows I have Fridays off.

I will just not open the message until later in the future.

Have you never ordered a parcel?
You don't exactly get to choose the time slot 🤣
You had 3 choices.
Ignore.
Say you were out yourself.
Just take the parcel out of the rain as a neighbourly favour.

Not exactly complicated.

Slagging off your cat 😂
Sorry... what was she saying that counts as slagging a cat

She called it ugly and scary looking because he is a black cat, not a very nice thing to say about an innocent animal.

Ime, the type of person who won't normally even say hello to you and has only ever spoken to you to ask for favours is normally the type who won't help you out with anything no matter how many favours you've done for them

But you might be in but doing anything else. You might be napping, or colouring your hair, or nipping out to the shops. I feel a tiny bit guilty when I have to go to work and my DH is home but I'm expecting a parcel. I don't get to choose when a parcel is delivered, and I can collect it from the post office if we miss delivery, and he knows I'm ok with this if he misses it because he was off living his best life. This is an agreement between two people who love each other very much. To your neighbour I would be even less receptive.

No, it's not nice. I don't particularly like animals but I'd never say they were ugly.

I was genuinely curious what someone would say to slag an animal.

If you have no ambition to be friends with her I'd probably just text back and say "Sorry, I can't". No is a full sentence and she'd be weird to ask why you can't. No need to make excuses.

I don't understand why you would accept and then complain about it on MN. You're not held at gun point, just say no.

"I did it but was slightly annoyed as why order a parcel if your going to be out?"
Because no one can tell when the parcel is actually going to come? Do you ever place online orders?

You don't always know when a parcel will be delivered, I've had parcels turn up 2 days before I thought it would without notification, some I've had but an hours notice when I'm already out. Not always an option to ask them to deliver another time either.

I would normally take it in as a one off in hopes they'd do the same for me, however as she sounds like a horrible cow from your other posts, I'd ignore her message and let the parcel get wet.

I would be tempted to go a bit pirates of the Caribbean "I am disinclined to aquesque to your request"

I’d be inclined to reply “I’m not going out in the rain, I’ll grab it once the rain stops”, then forget.

That would be a bit dim given that the rain was the only reason she wanted it bringing in. If you mean it as a way to put the neighbour off asking, might as well just say no rather than appearing to be dim.

We have a road whatsapp group. Often someone will ask if someone can take their parcel in, and another person says yes.
I sometimes take parcels for our neighbours and they sometimes take them for me. (One ndn came to bring the parcel at 10pm which was a bit antisocial imo)

it seems a much bigger deal on MN than IRL