Taking in neighbours parcels?

We accepted a parcel for our neighbour for the second time in six months today. We don't know them as they are new to our road

Sorry, but I find this really odd.
They have lived there for six months and you don't know them yet?
I don't expect neighbours to be in and out of each others' houses all the time, but a friendly welcome to newcomers to the road is surely a nice and neighbourly gesture.

are you a new poster pixiel?

Perhaps you could make friends with the new neighbours in the school holidays?

I have an elderly neighbour that does not like to take my parcels in because of the worry of when they will be collected, I have told her just to say no to the delivery person. I am not offended by this, there are other neighbours. Maybe you could just say no if it bothers you.

We had to put a permanent note on our front door asking delivery men not to leave parcels with neighbours. Although we have always been happy to take parcels in for neighbours (and still do) two of our nearest neighbours made it very clear that they didn’t like being asked to take delivery of parcels on the very rare occasions neither of us it home when a delivery came. One neighbour only ever took one small parcel in but when I went to collect it (as soon as I saw the card left) she was very unpleasant and abrupt and told me in no uncertain terms how inconvenient it had been. The other neighbour wasn’t quite as unpleasant about it but kept asking whether we’d told all the delivery firms (!) not to leave anything with him. Eventually I had the laminated notice done and showed him that it was fixed to the door.

I don’t mind taking them in,but once I was off work sick and in bed really poorly, the delivery man knocked several times and I was fed up answering the door when feeling so rough. This made me think about what I do, and now If I can get my parcel sent to a shop, to collect later.

Petra, the OP says in her post, " we accepted a parcel for our neighbours for the second time in six months today"

Neighbours aren't what they used to be. I remember being ill on the settee with three young children. My next door neighbour , who had five children herself, appeared with a huge pot of vegetable soup with meat and potatoes in it, very hesitant, wondering would I accept it. I was so grateful. It was over forty years ago and I still remember. If it rained and one of us was out the other took her washing in - and folded it! Good neighbours are so important. We didn't live in each others houses. We kept our privacy but we knew we were there for each other. I'm sure there is a rare person who will take advantage but you can't base your actions on that.

I have no problem with taking in parcels for neighbours - do it regularly. Our neighbours also take in parcels for us on occasion. It's good to be neighbourly, and looking out for each other. Much better than being offhand and aloof, surely?

As I read these posts I have been waiting for a delivery for 2 days. I keep getting emails from the company saying the courier called but couldn't deliver and giving yet another time slot.
I'm wondering where the h**l it is as No one has been.
I constantly take in my neighbour's parcels. She works full time and buys everything on line. I get fed up when it's several times a day!! I have to go downstairs and I daren't not answer in case it's a visitor or even something for me.

grammaretto Yes that does seem a bit excessive and I rhink in this case you'd be justified in complaining. Regarding courier problem, sometimes we have things delivered by a local lady who has signed up as a courier. She has delivered things two days after we know she has received our parcel (tracking system) and I guess she has just waited til it suited her. I hope you find out what's going on.
I wonder what you think of our replies Pixie1. I'm afraid most people haven't agreed with you. Did they eventually come and collect? Our neighbours usually wait for us to deliver. I'm guessing they maybe don't like to come and disturb us.

DH takes in all deliveries for neighbours as we are the only retired people in our close. He rather likes it as he knows everyone by name and he chats to them all. We have had a large BBQ in our hall, regularly take in special delivery drugs for our neighbour with MS etc. Most of us have lived here for years and it is quite a little community.

That sounds lovely Nankate. You're very nice neighbours. I'm guessing Grammaretto lives upstairs so had to run up and down several times a day sometimes. So I suppose there may be cases where it isnt easy to be neighbourly.

Our neighbour was having work done to his house and one day we took in 3 huge great, heavy boxes. We got in touch with him - he was away in Greece - but told him we didn't have a problem with storing them but maybe the builders needed them? He said "No" but didn't know what they were.
When he finally collected them they turned out to be full of dried dog food for his 2 (huge) dogs!

My neighbour is like a recluse. She has deliveries daily but never opens the door so the delivery men come to me - that is until I took in a shower screen that stayed in my garage for over a week! Now I make a point of saying I will take a parcel 'only if it is small'. She usually comes about 9.30pm to collect so that she doesn't have to speak, apart from saying 'thank you'.

I agree with Maw. We always take in parcels and enjoy the contact it enables us to have with the neighbours. We find it essential to get on with the neighbours as well as possible.

Twice in 6 months! You wouldn’t like my building then. Deliveries everyday and everyone as guilty as the next for not being in. Myself and one other are home most days and take the brunt. I’ve never minded. Just glad to have helped out. I mostly send my to amazon locker but not always and I’m very grateful for whosoever takes it in if I’m out. Be a better neighbour but don’t fret about missing them collecting if you’re showering. I always take parcels to owners if they haven’t collected the same day. Chances are they didn’t get a card.

Pop their parcel to one side and forget about it.

If you are doing something when they ring the bell, so what, let them come back, you are not at their beck and call.

You are doing them a favour, if you hadn't taken it in they would have had to go to the post office to collect or rearrange delivery, both more hassle than coming across the road.

Just relax.

I take in parcels for next door and across the road. I always take them over when I see they're home. Once they took in a parcel for me. I went over and asked the hubby for it. He denied all knowledge! He then went searching and eventually found it, blaming his wife for not saying they had it. I couldn't help wondering why it hadn't just been left near their front door instead of somewhere in their lounge.

I would take it around and say in a cheery manner ' I delivered the last parcel as well - I'll charge next time if you don't collect the next one haha. My legs need a rest ! ' When the next one arrives leave it awhile, if they are no show, take it over but don't accept further parcels for them.

I take in parcels, and my neighbours do the same, but delivery drivers do not always leave a card, as we have dicovered on more than one occasion. I would take the parcel over.

I take in parcels several times a week. Always ask the driver to leave them a card and mostly the parcels are collected the same evening.
However I once had a parcel sitting in my hall for several days so posted a note through their letterbox. No response so looked them up in the phone book, phoned twice and left messages. Finally the lady arrived, full of apologies. She'd been on holiday.
I do it as much for the poor overworked and underpaid drivers as for the neighbours. The Hermes driver is always so very grateful.

We always take in parcels for the neighbours as the drivers know we are happy to do so. It can be annoying when they don't pick them up for 24 to 48 hours - we once had a very large box with a sun lounger in it in our hallway for 3 days as they had ordered it knowing the delivery window just before they went on holiday! Most of them have taken parcels for us too, so works for all of us. I don't think there is any problem with you taking it to them if they haven't collected it yet and tbh twice in 6 months is nothing - it's practically every week we take in parcels. but I am always glad to know if I have to pop out on delivery day or don't know exact day, that someone will take the parcel for me.

It's a bit of a mixture here. Sometimes I take a parcel in to next door sometimes they collect it. Same my way, I sometimes collect, neighbour sometimes brings it to me. If they never called I would hold on until they did no matter how long. They don't have a dog do they, often eat the cards put through doors.

I mostly just tell the delivery man I am going out. I have found it is a pain chasing people and often without thanks.

My lovely Mum is pretty much housebound as she is on oxygen and takes in parcels for most of her street without complaint - although they have to collect as she cannot deliver.

She was terribly upset to discover on the last two occasions she has been out and has had parcels delivered, that neighbours on both sides refused to take her parcels, meaning she had to get a taxi to the sorting office, with all the hassles that entails for a disabled lady.

It certainly made her re-evaluate her willingness to be their alternative delivery address.