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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think it was rude they kept my misdelivered parcel?

412 replies

FrostedCandyAngel · 27/04/2026 18:33

Was expecting a parcel on Saturday. (Was a small package, in a padded envelope so could easily fit through letterbox, no signature required)

Didn’t get delivered. So I checked the tracking details online Sunday evening. Tracking details said it had been delivered at 09:30am Saturday. It had a photo of the delivery person handing it over. All you can see in the photo is the package, someone’s shoes and their driveway. Which had a particular unique pattern of paving.

It wasn’t my shoes, or my driveway.

I walked up and down my street trying the find the driveway. Found it. About 8 houses down.

Knocked on the door and luckily they answered. I said “Oh I’m just wondering if you have a parcel for number 60 please”. They said yes, and gave it me. No “sorry I was going to bring it round/post it through your letter box”.

I understand people are busy but they had my parcel for 30+ hours. I would have had no idea they had it unless I went out looking at everyone’s driveways.

Was this rude of them?

OP posts:
Namechangee11 · 30/04/2026 12:22

My parcel was taken by a neighbour and it was a wedding dress from Jasper Conran... They deny it even though I've got the photo and I just got a refund... Bizarre though, why on earth would you keep it?

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 12:40

Look on Vinted and eBay in case anyone is selling one - you might spot your neighbours!

FunMustard · 30/04/2026 13:00

I get you OP. If it were me, I would have dropped it through your letter box, as I would have looked at the parcel and seen your name and address, but honestly I probably would have assumed the postie had left you a slip too so if I was busy it might have taken a while.

I don't think they were rude. I don't think anyone did anything wrong here aside from the postie!

As an aside, I once received two parcels from ASOS, when I'd ordered two items from them. Ripped them both open, totally confused that one was a rucksack I definitely hadn't ordered. Then checked and realised that one was for my next door neighbour! Embarrassing but luckily we take in parcels for each other all the time so no biggy, thank god it wasn't anything private.

Chocolatefreak · 30/04/2026 14:42

SelfProclaimedKingOfTheLemurs · 29/04/2026 23:55

You kind of have no clue what others are in the middle of when it arrives or whatever. Super easy to put it down and forget about it until you knocked.
Must be hard being so perfect that you'd never forget anything, have something going on or be too busy and something slips your mind.

In this instance they did nothing wrong. They just didn't do what you wanted when and how you wanted it.... That's a you issue.
Maybe take yourself down a few pegs.. I can guarantee you're far from perfect.

Edited
Show quote history

OP’s point was that they didn’t even apologise or seem embarrassed that they’d held onto it.

If you found a wallet or something else belonging to someone would you just consider it up to the owner to track you down? Or would you try to return it?

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 14:45

But it wasn’t a lost wallet. And there was no way for the neighbour to know OP would have to “track it down”.

Xkk · 30/04/2026 14:49

I once held a parcel 5 days untill it pissed me off and I went to hand it to them. Why do I have to go out of my way to take it to them? I never took it anything for them after that, I am too busy to go around looking and delivering their parcel. When a neighbour has my parcel I go to pick it up, apologise for the incovenience and say thank you. My parcel, my responsability.

TreesinthePark · 30/04/2026 17:38

DHL have cocked up my delivery yesterday. No idea where it is and I'll have to go knocking on doors to find it. I'm not expecting whoever has it to bring it to me, they're not a courier and have already done me a favour by taking it in.

eastegg · 30/04/2026 17:42

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 14:45

But it wasn’t a lost wallet. And there was no way for the neighbour to know OP would have to “track it down”.

The small size of the parcel is how they ought to have known that OP didn’t know where it was. Imagine it was an ordinary letter, handed to you because you happened to be outside at the time (as appears to have happened here). The normal thought process would be ‘this has come to me by mistake, because otherwise why would it not be put through the letterbox of the intended recipient?’

I don’t think it’s any different with a parcel clearly big enough to fit through the letterbox and not requiring a signature. At least I follow the logic of that thought process, and don’t think the OP is unreasonable for following it.

eastegg · 30/04/2026 17:43

Sorry, small enough to fit through

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 17:50

The small size of the parcel is how they ought to have known that OP didn’t know where it was.

Yet again - that is the level of thought/logic the OP is putting into it, because it’s her parcel and she wants it. The neighbour isn’t giving it much thought. They didn’t steal it. They didn't hold onto it for weeks; they had it for just over a day. They probably stuck it on the side and waited for the OP to call in (which she did) with no idea that she hadn’t been told where it was.

tulippetals · 30/04/2026 17:53

Christ.

Your neighbour was kind enough to take a parcel in for you.

Kitt1 · 30/04/2026 17:56

If it wasn’t their name & address on the envelope, and the OP hadn’t asked them to take in parcels for her, why did they accept delivery? Very iffy.

tulippetals · 30/04/2026 17:58

Kitt1 · 30/04/2026 17:56

If it wasn’t their name & address on the envelope, and the OP hadn’t asked them to take in parcels for her, why did they accept delivery? Very iffy.

I’ve done it all the time for neighbours without them explicitly asking. Because I know it’s easier to walk down a few doors than it is to try and re-arrange delivery or head to the delivery office! In return, my neighbours are kind enough to do it for me.

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 17:59

“Iffy”?

None of my neighbours have ever specifically asked me to take parcels in for them. But I always have if delivery drivers have asked. That doesn’t mean I’m planning on stealing them. And if it was so “iffy”, why did they hand the parcel to the OP, unopened, when she went over? Why didn’t they claim they hadn’t received it? Why hadn’t it been opened to check if it was anything worth having?

If they’re parcel thieves, actually handing the parcel to the genuine recipient makes them the worst parcel thieves ever.

eastegg · 30/04/2026 18:03

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 17:50

The small size of the parcel is how they ought to have known that OP didn’t know where it was.

Yet again - that is the level of thought/logic the OP is putting into it, because it’s her parcel and she wants it. The neighbour isn’t giving it much thought. They didn’t steal it. They didn't hold onto it for weeks; they had it for just over a day. They probably stuck it on the side and waited for the OP to call in (which she did) with no idea that she hadn’t been told where it was.

This is where we differ. I don’t think it’s a level of thought or logic. My mind would go to it straightaway, as soon as I saw it was small and had someone else’s address on it.

And OP is just saying they’ve been thoughtless. Not that they’ve done anything as bad as stealing.

AnnieLummox · 30/04/2026 18:11

eastegg · 30/04/2026 18:03

This is where we differ. I don’t think it’s a level of thought or logic. My mind would go to it straightaway, as soon as I saw it was small and had someone else’s address on it.

And OP is just saying they’ve been thoughtless. Not that they’ve done anything as bad as stealing.

Show quote history

Well where WE differ is that I don’t think they’ve been thoughtless. They just took in a parcel, assumed the recipient would collect it - and she did. Where’s the drama?

SelfProclaimedKingOfTheLemurs · 01/05/2026 06:36

Chocolatefreak · 30/04/2026 14:42

OP’s point was that they didn’t even apologise or seem embarrassed that they’d held onto it.

If you found a wallet or something else belonging to someone would you just consider it up to the owner to track you down? Or would you try to return it?

Show quote history

So they didn't apologise who gives a shit.
They probably didn't see it as a big deal. They may have thought the delivery company was instructed to drop it to them in her abscense and they think SHE'S rude.
Who knows who cares.

And if I found something thanks to mumsnet I'd walk the other way because you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't so I wouldn't bother getting involved these days.
Once I got it back to the person I'm sure there would be a thread on here about not saying or doing the right thing...

99bottlesofkombucha · 01/05/2026 06:38

Chocolatefreak · 30/04/2026 14:42

OP’s point was that they didn’t even apologise or seem embarrassed that they’d held onto it.

If you found a wallet or something else belonging to someone would you just consider it up to the owner to track you down? Or would you try to return it?

Show quote history

but they didn’t find it, it got dropped into their property! They probably thought I’ll look at that when I get a minute. And 30 hours later the op is pounding at their door breathing fire.

Winnie27101981 · 02/05/2026 19:05

My take is that you are being pretty entitled!

I work 14.5 hour days/nights. Maybe I accepted the parcel on a day when I had just got back in from my night shift before I went to bed. I then went to bed for the day, worked the night then back to sleep for the day! Dropping off a package to another house wouldn’t have been on my to-do list and if it had not been collected for a few days then yes when I had chance to drop it off (whether it was something that would fit through the door or not, it is still time out of my day) I would but sat in their hallway for 30 hours at the weekend is nothing! People have lives and it being delivered a short distance away is better than waiting for a re-delivery!

Stop being entitled!

Oldwmn · 02/05/2026 19:52

FrostedCandyAngel · 27/04/2026 18:33

Was expecting a parcel on Saturday. (Was a small package, in a padded envelope so could easily fit through letterbox, no signature required)

Didn’t get delivered. So I checked the tracking details online Sunday evening. Tracking details said it had been delivered at 09:30am Saturday. It had a photo of the delivery person handing it over. All you can see in the photo is the package, someone’s shoes and their driveway. Which had a particular unique pattern of paving.

It wasn’t my shoes, or my driveway.

I walked up and down my street trying the find the driveway. Found it. About 8 houses down.

Knocked on the door and luckily they answered. I said “Oh I’m just wondering if you have a parcel for number 60 please”. They said yes, and gave it me. No “sorry I was going to bring it round/post it through your letter box”.

I understand people are busy but they had my parcel for 30+ hours. I would have had no idea they had it unless I went out looking at everyone’s driveways.

Was this rude of them?

I once had someone's shoes for three months. Tried very hard to pass them on but she was never in & didn't respond to my notes. The were no good to me but if I'd had them after 6 montjs, I'd have given them to a charity shop.

Beebeebee24 · 02/05/2026 20:10

YABU. If your parcel is delivered to my door you need to come and collect it. I dont want your parcel and I dont want to be a postman either.

Beebeebee24 · 02/05/2026 20:24

FrostedCandyAngel · 27/04/2026 19:00

Because they live 8 houses down from me.

The parcel was a small envelope that can fit through any letterbox. It had my full correct address on.

I’d have thought the neighbourly thing to do would be to quickly nip down and post it through my letter box.

It’s what I do. If I get posted a letter or something that fits through a letter box in error I will always take it round.

But then again this is Mumsnet where being nice to neighbours doesn’t exist.

Show quote history

You don't sound like a pleasant neighbour because you are finding unnecessary fault with a completely innocent person who can't defend themselves because your courier didn't deliver your parcel correctly.

Your neighbour has nothing to do with you not knowing where your parcel is or it being posted through the wrong door.

They're not a delivery service and probly didn't even read the envelope to see your address. If I take a parcel in I put it to one side until the owner comes I dont check their name or house number. Who has time for that. I hate taking in parcels to be honest. Boils my blood to clutter my house with other people's things and keep them safe from my little ones. The fact someone would also expect me to deliver their parcel to them aswell . . . . behave yourself.

MyCottageGarden · 02/05/2026 20:40

Main character syndrome

HiEarthlings · 03/05/2026 00:47

Snooks1971 · 27/04/2026 18:45

Ok! Not a NDN then! 8 houses down or up your road, over the road or on your side means checking with a lot of neighbours when you don’t know where it’s been delivered…being pedantic then that’s up to 32 houses (neighbours) to knock and check.

Show quote history

How were they to know that the delivery driver was crap at his job and didn't leave a "left at" card? It's not their job to deliver it!

Nothingl3ft · 03/05/2026 05:47

Winnie27101981 · 02/05/2026 19:05

My take is that you are being pretty entitled!

I work 14.5 hour days/nights. Maybe I accepted the parcel on a day when I had just got back in from my night shift before I went to bed. I then went to bed for the day, worked the night then back to sleep for the day! Dropping off a package to another house wouldn’t have been on my to-do list and if it had not been collected for a few days then yes when I had chance to drop it off (whether it was something that would fit through the door or not, it is still time out of my day) I would but sat in their hallway for 30 hours at the weekend is nothing! People have lives and it being delivered a short distance away is better than waiting for a re-delivery!

Stop being entitled!

How utterly entitled of you to have a job and a life that doesn't prioritise the possibility that RM will make a delivery mistake and one of your poor neighbours will have to put a little bit of effort in to find their own parcel!!
I mean what's the world coming to when people want to sleep after a nightshift (at the weekend no less when everyone is off!) and live their life, rather than anticipate RM making a mistake and your absolute responsibility to recognise and rectify that mistake immediately and to give this situation the utmost top priority in your life. Shockingly selfish behaviour!

😁 (The above is tounge in cheek for the avoidance of doubt!)