15 year old keeps getting parcels and I'm starting to wonder where the money’s coming from

[EarlyMorningTea0]

My 15 year old daughter has suddenly started getting little parcels delivered a few times a week. Nothing massive, just those small padded envelopes or little boxes. She always says its just bits she’s ordered.

Thing is I cant work out how she’s paying for any of it. She doesn’t have a job, gets normal pocket money from us and that definitely wouldn’t stretch to this many deliveries. We’ve not noticed money missing or anything odd with the bank accounts either.

I’ve asked her a couple of times and she just shrugs and says she’s got money. When I ask from where she says she’s been saving or sold a few things, but she’s never really had much worth selling as far as I know.

Part of me thinks she’s 15 and entitled to a bit of privacy, but another part of me thinks I’m her parent and if money is appearing from somewhere I should know about it. I dont want to accuse her of anything if theres a perfectly innocent explanation, but equally I dont want to ignore something that turns out to be a bigger issue.

AIBU if I insist she tells me exactly where the money is coming from?

I would find out what she spends her £10 on, first. If it's cash - Then how is she buying online? Is she using the £10 (£40 a month) to buy with cash, resell online to make a profit and then using that to purchase? (Clever and very business minded, if she is.)

Otherwise, I would get one of those kids banking apps you can link to your phone and start putting her £10 into that account so you can see the transactions.

She is still under 15, so you can go to her bank. You still have a duty of safeguarding, so I would intervene. Otherwise, it could all blow up on you.

Her avoidance and vague answers are ringing alarm bells, for me. If she has nothing to worry about, then she won't have any issue giving you an honest answer. She's not giving you honest answers, so you have every right to intervene here.

My priority would be to know what's in the parcels, as that would tell me whether I needed further information on where the money is coming from.

Hopefully cheap bits from temu within range of the pocket money and NFA

Temu you could get quite a lot for £10 tbf

At this age I would say that it’s more likely she is being groomed and is unaware that this is a tactic of a predator. How bizarre that you assumed she was complicit or someone with driving intent.

That wouldn’t happen in the UK.

Yeah I think this too. Also, a lot of temu and aliexpress dispatch in multiple parcels.

Could someone be sending her presents?

Tbf my kids are older and without judgement if my 15 yr old had even got one packet I’d have wanted to know what was in it and exactly how she’d paid for it. It might have caused an argument but so be it.

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it is reasonable to be concerned as she is only 15 and you do have the right to check her bank account .
But I think she’s probably only selling things on Vinted and using the money from that for small cheap purchases.
My youngest daughter is much older than that and she gets a lot of cheap stuff from Shein , Ali express etc .
And she’s sold things on Vinted too Made £50 selling a limited figurine and plushies

I’d definitely ask her outright but make it clear if she’s selling old and unwanted items and purchasing new things then that’s a good thing and you’re not mad about that .

I agree. Wouldn’t be pussyfooting about and would have her open those parcels right there in front of me.

I know right? I've got an amazon vine account and I get free stuff all the time.

@EarlyMorningTea0 OP have you spoken to your DD yet?

So have I, but I strongly doubt they'd offer one to a 15-year-old.

Hope all ok