Taking in parcels for neighbours

ElderlyPerson

Maybe when someone sees to whom the delivery driver has chosen to deliver their parcel they don't want the parcel.

Start thinking about it.

Are you suggesting that if you don’t like ‘A’ and your parcel had been left with them because you were not available to take delivery, you would no longer want your parcel?

The Hermes photo is often meaningless rubbish. The door in many cases is not yours that is if you are lucky enough to have it delivered to your door. I have photos of parcels in rubbish bins, revycling bins with recycling in, walls, hedges, and even a complete blur!

I get very annoyed about this as I have requested and paid for delivery to my door. I do not have a safe place, and I do not wish to walk to the end of my steep driveway in possibly pouring rain to collect a heavy parcel when I find where it has been dumped.

So EP I understand exactly where you are coming from. If you want it delivered to your door and did not tell the deliverer you would accept delivery elsewhere then to your door it should be delivered. I do think, however, you are being harsh on your neighbours who are only being kind when asked. It is the courier company who are wrong. If I find a parcel dumped outside that is not for me, do I leave it there? No I ring to tell the neighbour it is there. They usually come and collect but if they couldn’t because they were unwell or elderly I would drop it in for them. They would do the same for me. It’s what makes good neighbours.

I just want to give a huge shout out to all our fantastic postal workers and delivery drivers who have worked throughout the pandemic and continue to work so hard to deliver all the things we order.

Some couriers work for a paltry £10 an hour but it isn’t a guaranteed hourly rate. It’s calculated per parcel so, right now, when some drivers are having to sit in roads jammed by petrol queues or any jame for that matter, that rate drops dramatically.

I accept that people may not be on the greatest terms with their neighbours but, in the great scheme of things. it does seem rather petty to be arguing over the occasional parcel taken in for someone else or a misdelivery.

Germanshepherdsmum

ElderlyPerson

Maybe when someone sees to whom the delivery driver has chosen to deliver their parcel they don't want the parcel.

Start thinking about it.

Are you suggesting that if you don’t like ‘A’ and your parcel had been left with them because you were not available to take delivery, you would no longer want your parcel?

I wasn't thinking about me, I am fortunate to have good neighbours. I like to think they do too.

I was just thinking of some scenarios of someone picking up the card, seeing where the parcel has been left and being very distressed and saying "no way, no way"..

And not wanting the parcel now that it has been there, no way. And feeling concerned that the delivery driver has caused a situation.

Most people are very disappointed if they somehow miss a delivery and have to go to the trouble of arranging a new date for it.

Most people are very pleased if the driver has in fact found a neighbour kind enough to let the driver leave it with them, meaning that both the rigmarole of re-delivery is avoided, and also that they don't have to wait several more days, or even weeks,to start using/ enjoying the new item(s).

EP, your second paragraph does explain why this particular practice is actually unhelpful for you personally, and I can understand that.
If you don't already do it, I suggest that you add a note to your orders saying that the delivery must not be left elsewhere. There's no guarantee that the delivery person will take heed, of course, but some will!

The thing is though, leaving a parcel with a neighbour is a practice that seems to work well for the vast majority of people, as long as it is not abused, and I have to say that until now, I've never heard anyone vehemently complain - or even mildly - that they think that the 'helpful' neighbour now has full responsibility for getting such a parcel to the intended recipient.

Another approach this might be, if you are able, to actually speak to all your immediate neighbours and explain kindly that for the reason you gave here in paragraph 2, you would find it most helpful if they refused to take in parcels for you. Or a carefully-worded, friendly-sounding note through all their letterboxes if you don't want to speak face-to-face?

A lot of online sellers have an option to say where your parcel should be left if you are not there to receive it. If you have a low opinion of all your neighbours, you could specify a friend in another street who is more to your liking.

Or you could do your best to move house, thus solving more than one of your problems.

ElderlyPerson

Germanshepherdsmum

ElderlyPerson

Maybe when someone sees to whom the delivery driver has chosen to deliver their parcel they don't want the parcel.

Start thinking about it.

Are you suggesting that if you don’t like ‘A’ and your parcel had been left with them because you were not available to take delivery, you would no longer want your parcel?

I wasn't thinking about me, I am fortunate to have good neighbours. I like to think they do too.

I was just thinking of some scenarios of someone picking up the card, seeing where the parcel has been left and being very distressed and saying "no way, no way"..

And not wanting the parcel now that it has been there, no way. And feeling concerned that the delivery driver has caused a situation.

If I may say so, EP, that sounds a very unlikely scenario.

I don’t think they are legally allowed to do that here. Mind you our postal service is about the worst in the world. It often takes weeks to get anything ,even from the next suburb. I think they are on strike or something just now, must be overwork having to come once a week. Just too much for them.

elegran
???

I was just thinking of some scenarios of someone picking up the card, seeing where the parcel has been left and being very distressed and saying "no way, no way"..

And not wanting the parcel now that it has been there, no way. And feeling concerned that the delivery driver has caused a situation.

If someone has that sort of reaction then maybe they should be seeking help, EP Totally irrational and rather worrying to say the least.

Germanshepherdsmum

ElderlyPerson

Germanshepherdsmum

ElderlyPerson

Maybe when someone sees to whom the delivery driver has chosen to deliver their parcel they don't want the parcel.

Start thinking about it.

Are you suggesting that if you don’t like ‘A’ and your parcel had been left with them because you were not available to take delivery, you would no longer want your parcel?

I wasn't thinking about me, I am fortunate to have good neighbours. I like to think they do too.

I was just thinking of some scenarios of someone picking up the card, seeing where the parcel has been left and being very distressed and saying "no way, no way"..

And not wanting the parcel now that it has been there, no way. And feeling concerned that the delivery driver has caused a situation.

If I may say so, EP, that sounds a very unlikely scenario.

Really?

Alright, a scenario. She lives alone. She ordered some underwear mailorder. The delivery driver has left it with the man in the house opposite. She knows that his wife fled to a refuge. The delivery driver has given him an excuse to interact with her. She is worried. What does she do? Would she ever wear that underwear as she knows it has been in his house with him? She looks from her window at his house and knows her parcel is in there.

This thread is scaling the heights of fantasy , is it the Panto season yet ?

Or is it more of a Hitchcock film ?

You really are overthinking this EP. In this far-fetched scenario she only has to knock on his door and receive the parcel on the doorstep. She can take a friend if she’s that worried! The underwear is packaged - why on earth would she no longer want it?

ElderlyPerson

Germanshepherdsmum

ElderlyPerson

Germanshepherdsmum

ElderlyPerson

Maybe when someone sees to whom the delivery driver has chosen to deliver their parcel they don't want the parcel.

Start thinking about it.

Are you suggesting that if you don’t like ‘A’ and your parcel had been left with them because you were not available to take delivery, you would no longer want your parcel?

I wasn't thinking about me, I am fortunate to have good neighbours. I like to think they do too.

I was just thinking of some scenarios of someone picking up the card, seeing where the parcel has been left and being very distressed and saying "no way, no way"..

And not wanting the parcel now that it has been there, no way. And feeling concerned that the delivery driver has caused a situation.

If I may say so, EP, that sounds a very unlikely scenario.

Really?

Alright, a scenario. She lives alone. She ordered some underwear mailorder. The delivery driver has left it with the man in the house opposite. She knows that his wife fled to a refuge. The delivery driver has given him an excuse to interact with her. She is worried. What does she do? Would she ever wear that underwear as she knows it has been in his house with him? She looks from her window at his house and knows her parcel is in there.

The wind was whistling through the trees. Somewhere in the distance a single gunshot rang out...

Yes, perhaps you could start a thread Petera. Light relief always welcome!

Since we moved in July we have only taken in one parcel.for a neighbour and it was collected from us . I always make the effort to collect if any parcels are taken in it's common courtesy

Yes same problem they don.t even ask if you will take it for them. My husband said leave it then it took 2 weeks to fetch it and she said i did not know it was coming. Then the other neighbour if we have her parcel she will come a snatch it out of your hands and say i told them not to deliver to you so i do refuse to have them again.

Elegran, your comment made me laugh.

Not only did our old neighbour not collect there parcels, but when we took them round they would not open the door or acknowledge us, we just stopped doing it,

Reminds me of a delivery for me last year
I’d gone out, unaware that the ‘parcel’ was being delivered that day. I returned home to find a note from a neighbour several doors down to tell me they’d got something for me

I arrived on their drive to discover I couldn’t even reach their doorbell as the delivery driver had left a box containing a complete BBQ on their doorstep. ?
It took two of us plus a sack truck to move it down the road to my house.
Luckily the neighbours were very nice about it
(No note from the delivery company though)

I don’t really see a problem as long as you and your neighbours get along. I’m happy to take in a parcel and then either I will take it to the neighbour once I see they are home and it’s not too heavy, or wait for them to come for it (which is what usually happens). If it was too heavy for me and I couldn’t take it, I’d wait a while for the neighbour to call round for it or pop over and explain I have a parcel for them that is too heavy for me to bring over. I suppose if I didn’t get along with my neighbours then I wouldn’t accept the parcel, but happily, we all get along and look out for each other without interfering.

Oh this is all getting terribly amusing!

Love it elegran

We have neighbours who live across a busy road that did this. I'm sight impaired so I prefer not to cross the road more often than I need to. I simply took to asking the courier to make sure they carded the neighbour as I wouldn't be taking it across and waiting. They came eventually. After a few times of me mentioning that I'd had it a few days and hoped it wasn't urgent they took the hint and come more promptly now.