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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Original poster

Neighbour keeps sending parcels to our address

113 replies

trumpetdown · 13/02/2025 00:24

They are annoying neighbours to say the least.. very subtle, but annoying.. how to stop Royal Mail delivering to us.. this happened before - they put our house number down on their packages until I contacted the company.. I don't wish to speak with them..

I could send back in post? Return to sender?

OP posts:
Cattreesea · 13/02/2025 09:11

Return everything to sender.

Drop a letter to your neighbour making it clear you want them to stop using your address and that from now on everything will be returned to sender.

LumpyandBumps · 13/02/2025 09:13

I have lovely neighbours, and will happily take in parcels for any of them - but I draw the line at taking them round. I’m not Postman Pat, and neither is your DH!

Hdjdb42 · 13/02/2025 09:19

I'd hang onto it until they come and collect it. Tell them that you don't want anymore of their packages, as it's getting annoying now. Then when you get more, tell the delivery driver they have to send it back.

Resilience · 13/02/2025 09:20

How are you receiving them? Do you open the door to the postie or are they left in an outside storage box?

We sometimes get parcels for our neighbours because their house name doesn't show up on address finders. We have a box. I usually take them round because it's only occasional and I like them, but in your situation I'd just leave them in the box.

If you don't have a box, get one and add a note to your dog saying "if no answer, please leave parcels in box".

Even their postie friend isn't going to start investigating if you're at home or not, and if you are if you're in a position to answer the door.

Problem solved. Suddenly it's a lot more inconvenient for them without you forcing a confrontation.

sunbum · 13/02/2025 09:22

the only readon people do this is to comitt fraud. If you keep accepting these parcels, your address will be linked to it. RTS with RM coming to pick up is the best way to stop this.

BetterWithPockets · 13/02/2025 09:22

You can refuse to take them if you’re there when they’re delivered. Or you can put a sign in your window/on your front door saying no parcels for Mr & Mrs CF Neighbours, and please RTS. We had to do this recently when the people who used to live in our house mistakenly ordered a few things to come here still. (They called us and asked that we refuse delivery, BTW — we didn’t just do it to be unhelpful.)

Tamarastar · 13/02/2025 09:29

We had this when we moved to a new house in a very smart area - the previous occupants seemed very nice, but deliberately had stuff delivered even though they had moved out! We thought it was accidental. We forwarded letters and kept stuff for them to collect...

UNTIL the police arrived on the doorstep expecting to find them still in residence, and told us NEVER to forward their stuff/ keep it for collection. It became clear they were up to dodgy things. Police said we should have returned post to sender and reported parcels . Live and learn.

Doggymummar · 13/02/2025 09:33

I had this with the guy across the road. One time it was ski equipment for the family and I would barely move in the hallway. He came and got it quite quickly. Now I lock it in the boot of my car so it probably takes him longer to get it than if he went to the depot as he can only get if from me, if I am in.

Channellingsophistication · 13/02/2025 09:37

They are actually addressing the parcels to your address? I would be a bit worried about what’s in them and why they are using your address rather than their own?.

Whiteradiatorwithbellson · 13/02/2025 09:37

sunbum · 13/02/2025 09:22

the only readon people do this is to comitt fraud. If you keep accepting these parcels, your address will be linked to it. RTS with RM coming to pick up is the best way to stop this.

I've already posted but just remembered that about 15 years ago I lived in a house that had been split into flats. All our post went into pigeon holes in the hallway that anyone could access. I would occasionally get post for tenants, I didn't think much of it at the time as the house was split as 15, 15a and 15b so mistakes happened. However, I got a knock one day from a debt collector - the tenant at 15b had registered her car at my address and had a load of parking & congestion fines outstanding and had buggered off to her home country.

DazzlingCuckoos · 13/02/2025 09:39

Your DH is not helping matters at all is he?! They're not going to change their behaviour when he's being so accommodating.

I'd leave all the parcels outside for them to collect with a note on top saying "Any future parcels or post received for no. X will be left here for collection, no matter the weather. We take no responsibility for any parcels or post that might be misappropriated by passers by."

Letting something get drenched in the pouring rain or stolen might get them to change their ways.

wingsspan · 13/02/2025 09:39

Stop taking the parcels, or if you have no choice, return to sender. Contact Royal Mail as well and see if there's anything they can do.

I don't want to be paranoid/ scare you, but at worst this could be criminal activity. It is often what people do when they are getting dodgy items delivered from dark web etc.

stayathomer · 13/02/2025 09:42

Just keep them in your house! And don’t always be there to hand them out to them. The more difficult you make it the sooner they’ll stop

Oodlesandoodlesofnoodles · 13/02/2025 09:45

RickiRaccoon · 13/02/2025 03:32

Just whatever strategy works best for your circumstance but I would play up the confusion in any circumstance if you want to avoid conflict:

  • Return to sender which you'll presumably only need to do once or twice before they stop sending them to you. "Oh, DH mustn't have recognized your name and taken it to the PO."
  • Leave it outside in the open/ weather because you don't have time/ free arms to pick up parcels. "Oh, I've been really busy. It's not ours. I assumed you'd pick it up."
  • Don't give it to them (either ever or just for 2 weeks). "Oh, I don't know if we got a parcel for you. Maybe we did. I'll have to ask DH/ have a search around the house."

Yes, basically you need to make this more effort for them than it’s worth.

So let them come and collect it, don’t drop it round. Leave out in the rain. Open it be mistake. Drop and damage the box. Let one go missing. Etc.

Oodlesandoodlesofnoodles · 13/02/2025 09:47

Do you have a dog? Borrow a puppy. Let them wee on a couple and tear them up 🙂

bottlemom · 13/02/2025 09:48

Whatever you do is going to cause conflict so there's nothing you can do to prevent that. Can you also befriend the postie and ask them not to leave you parcels under the neighbours name?

starfishmummy · 13/02/2025 09:55

"If you don't have a box, get one and add a note to your dog saying "if no answer, please leave parcels in box"."

Not sure this will help unless the dog answers the door!

Nanny0gg · 13/02/2025 09:59

trumpetdown · 13/02/2025 00:27

There is proof when delivered.. by photo in our box outside so I could deny it.. it's a hassle as we constantly taking them round to drop off I leave outside.. they know exactly what they are doing..! No biggie I suppose but annoying..

Don't take them round.

Leave them till they have to come to you

Fraaances · 13/02/2025 10:08

Hate that.... It's so intrusive. I'd collect them for weeks before RTS and make them stew.

MumblesParty · 13/02/2025 10:09

I would put the parcels somewhere out of the way - garage, spare room - anywhere that they’re not in your way. Then forget about them. And just wait till them come round to collect.

custardpyjamas · 13/02/2025 10:12

Open them and then wait for them to collect, sorry was addressed to us, so I checked the contents, I don't think we ordered it, so it looks like some sort of mix up in the addresses. When it happens again, when they collect their open parcel say, I don't understand how people keep mixing us up, isn't it annoying.

Next time well you have to check there are so many scams with wrongly addressed parcels, so annoying.

If it's something particularly nice or private comment on it!

mummabubs · 13/02/2025 10:18

frozendaisy · 13/02/2025 08:32

Are they drugs? Something else illegal?
So if intercepted it’s your address on the box?
That would be my thought.

I would put a note on door “Do not leave parcels for Mr&Mrs X at this address”

Odd if they know the postman he doesn’t deliver them to their address.

If it continues just leave them out in the rain.

Do not take them round.
Get a ring doorbell.

I was actually coming to say this! Recent episode of 24 Hours in Police Custody featured a crime gang who ordered things to their neighbour's houses to avoid being detected/suspicion.

Maybe ask neighbours to stop doing it, return to sender or log it with police as there's no sound reason for them to be doing this whatsoever!? How annoying for you.

FallenRaingel · 13/02/2025 10:19

What they are doing is mail fraud. Put a large notice on your parcels box stating any parcels with names other than yours will be reported for mail fraud.

WaltzingWaters · 13/02/2025 10:25

Your DH is definitely making matters worse by being so accommodating- they might even think you’re fine with this situation if he’s always polite and never said anything when he drops them off.

They are either

  1. putting your address as they’re often out and think it’s easier than going to a pick up point.
  2. commiting fraud or it’s drugs being delivered.

Either way, CF behaviour and potentially even causing legal troubles for you. Return everything to sender.

Namechange2768 · 13/02/2025 10:34

Don’t take the parcels over to them. Return to sender. Tell postman not to deliver them to your address as these people don’t there.

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