to not want to become a parcel depot AGAIN!

[NoseyNooNoo]

In our old road I would be taking in parcels several times a week for neighbours in the (long) run up to Xmas. Only our immediate neighbour (who was usually in anyway) would collect fairly quickly. The rest would have to be delivered to the various porches by my husband on Saturdays. One week our dining room genuinely looked like a parcel depot and was unusable.

We have moved recently and it's starting again. This week we've had one parcel for someone across the road (took 3 days and no apology to collect) and I took one in for next door which DH has just dumped outside their rain-drenched door.

I think I take them in a) to be neighbourly but also b) I'd like to think someone would do the same for me but clearly I am the only one at home during the day around here.

So, should I just decline to take in parcels and if I do take them how long should I wait before leaving them in the rain?

I think if you take them in you should do so on the basis that you are going to look after them (you haven't said how long you kept the parcel that your dh has now dumped out in the rain)so if you resent doing it - and I'm not sayng that's wrong - then you should just tell the delivery man that you would prefer not to take the delivery. We used to live next door to someone who was suffering from dementia and we got to the stage where we had to explain to delivery men that we could not accept delivery for parcels for next door because the lady would not answer her door to let us re-deliver the parcel. They didn't mind!

If it's inconvenient for you, you can say no! Particularly for that person who took 3 days and didn't apologise, I wouldn't do them any favours again!

I think what I'll do is take parcels in for any house on my road once. If the recipient can't be bothered to collect I won't bother to take in their future parcels in for them.

I always assumed that delivery drivers would be annoyed if I said 'no'.

What effort does it take? Are you that bothered? Why don't you deliver them in the evenings? Most people come and get their parcels when they get home from work (I know my neighbours do).

Worse things in life to get stressed about.

I often arrive home to find parcels for various neighbours that my OH has accepted as he works shifts. If they don't knock I just look out for when the car is there/ light is on and take them round. On the odd occasion that I've missed them they've called round cos the delivery driver has left a card. If the goods are that important they would surely collect?

Yes, I'm sure that I have accepted responsibilty for the item but it the contents cannot be that important if they've taken since Monday to collect.

'Why don't you deliver them in the evenings? Most people come and get their parcels when they get home from work (I know my neighbours do).' I don't see why I should deliver, I'm not a postman and my thread clearly shows that my neighbours don't come to collect.

'What effort does it take? Are you that bothered?' The effort is that I have to live around these boxes. Last Xmas one of the rooms in my house was literally unusable. I'm bothered because I think it's rude not to collect.

I came on here really to find out if it was normal for neighbours to not come to collect.

Just say no from now on.
It sounds really bloody annoying.
If they're not in, they can collect it themselves from the PO place on Saturdays, or just get stuff delivered to work addresses or whatever.

You've done enough

My neighbours often don't collect either, and because I'm the only one in the road who is regularly at home during the day I often find myself not only taking in parcels, but letting in their plumbers/window cleaners etc,

I'm not at home because I have nothing better to do, and am often very busy, and have started saying to people that it is not convenient for me to do stuff for them, and I don't always take parcels in. I help out those who are appreciative, and who I feel would help me out if I needed it.

So no, YANBU to be fed up. But instead of being cross, just don't take the parcels. By next Christmas your neighbours may have become a little more neighbourly.

BTW, I have a parcel sitting on my kitchen table for my NDN. Been here since 10am this morning. Its marked 'URGENT-24 HR DELIVERY' (he runs his own busines) but there is still no-one in.

perhaps they didnt realise it had been left with you if they took 3 days to collect it.
i think if you dont want it just say no, then they can arrange 2 pick it up from the post office or depot at their convenience, rather than put it in the rain. or ask them if they have any secure place outside their house where u can leave it instead if you do take it, like behind a flower pot under a porch or something

I've had this problem too nosey, it's really annoying. I always ask the driver to leave them a card that says where their parcel is, as I can't see some of my neighbours houses. When they still don't call to collect it is annoying. I had the same situation last weekend, third parcel for same house in one week and they aren't particularly grateful, so I won't do it for them again.

Sometimes the delivery driver doesn't put a card through your door to tell you what's going on so they may not know you have the parcel.

I would only do it for immediate neighbours (say 2 doors either way) and being friendly with them I would have no problem dropping them round later in the evening when they are home - I would certainly do that rather than be irritated they were in my way. If they are the sort of people not to do favours in return, or have a lot of parcels delivered and never come and collect then I simply wouldn't take them for them - no big deal.

I think arranging to get a parcel delivered when you know you are not going to be in,i.e. at work, is either deliberately imposing on your neighbours or not minding you're going to miss the delivery and being happy to phone up courier afterwards and make separate arrangements. In either case therefore you should have no fear about refusing delivery. Delivery drivers don't care either way I'd imagine.

I take in parcels for one neighbour here because they regularly do the same for me and we have a really good relationship with them. Wouldn't think of doing it for someone else. Something I ordered that was very expensive was delivered to my neighbours I don't know when I was out. I went mental with the delivery company - those were my goods they were merrily handing over to someone I don't know. If the neighbour had denied all knowledge where would I have been left? Maybe that's why your neighbours aren't grateful?

It's not an inconvenience for us at all to take in parcels for neighbours since they do the same for me, but NoseyNooNoo for you it has become a pain and ppl aren't courteous about collecting promptly or grateful, so stop.

I get loads for my next door neighbours. It's easy to send one of the DCs round with the parcels.

I do find it a bit of a pain and also think as I don't expect they would order quite so much off t'internet if there was no one to take the parcels in (a couple of trips into the hell on earth that is the parcelforce depot would soon cure that Ebay addiction).

However . . . it does them a big favour, and causes me very small inconvenience for BIG brownie points IMO. Next time we need a favour they are hardly going to say no are they, given we are such helpful neighbours? Heh heh.

I take them in for my immediate neighbours
If people don't collect it's usually because the delivery driver has not left a card

If it´s causing problems, don´t do it anymore.

The postman asks if you´ll do it-it´s optional!

I only get asked to take in parcels for immediate neighbours, & I do it to save them the trouble of having to go to the PO to collect.

Its pretty sad that people moan about taking delivery of a parcel for a neighbour, its getting to be quite a selfish world. Taking responsibility for a parcel and then leaving it in the rain is a horrible thing to do.

I've had parcels for neighbours and they do the same, sometimes the drivers dont leave a card so sometimes you dont know the neighbour has taken them in until delivery is queried with the store. You cant always guarantee a delivery date and many workplaces frown upon personal deliveries and people should not stop ordering in case they miss the delivery.

Say no, noone will know.
I can see why OP gets annoyed as it seems noone says thank you.

Just say no. It is becoming a pain in the arse for you. It is not as if the postman will write on the parcel 'sorry you have had the inconvenience of collecting from the depot - blame the selfish bitch at number 64 who refused to take it for you'

I always take parcels for my neighbours but that is because they are friendly, collect promptly and say thankyou.

I don't see the problem personally. I am happy to take in other peoples parcels and my neighbours seem happy to take mine in.

Next door even hid the last one upstairs away from their ds until I collected, because the box (stupidly) says exactly what it is and she thought her ds would tell mine.