Taking in parcels for neighbours

well I needed a bit of a larf today..

I don`t "know " my neighbours very much, they all seem to be at work..

I don`t mind taking in a parcel for any of them,, I am usually asked by the delivery person, then I say, put a card through their door, they confirm.. then I expect and get the neighbour to collect...

I wish I did communicate more with my neighbours as I get lonely,, so I find it strange that people can be so.... unneighbourly?

Yes, I used to have this problem at our old house. Our immediate neighbours always had things delivered after they'd gone away for the summer, really irritating. However we all have a porch where we live now so our parcels can be left there.

I don't mind either way, there's much bigger things going on in the world to be arsey about.

I should add that I always used to refuse to accept parcels for people I didn't know, otherwise once the couriers know that you're willing to take in parcels they'll leave parcels for the whole neighbourhood with you.

On one side of me are the Neighbours from Hell. 7 adults in the house, 6 cars and parking for 2 and they all drive like Lewis Hamilton, coming and going, day and night.
One Easter Thursday, we took in yet another parcel for them. As usual, they didn’t come to collect it, so DH took it over several times, but despite being in, no-one would answer the door. Eventually, on Easter Sunday DH ‘caught’ the man of the house, who grudgingly took the parcel - in full view of another neighbour, who was appalled by his attitude and said he couldn’t believe what he’d just seen.
The parcel turned out to be a mobile phone which the neighbours had, by then, reported as ‘missing’. Naturally, DH had signed for delivery and we were contacted several times to explain the situation, as a replacement phone was about to be sent! We were virtually accused of theft!
Needless to say we then refused to accept anything for them after that. I’ll gladly take in anything for anyone else and often do.

No wonder the high street is in such a mess, it looks like everyone is buying everything on line. Amazon is making trillions and the high street is disappearing.
Such a shame.

I won a bottle of Prosecco a few years ago and apparently nobody was in when it was delivered, which is most unusual as my husband is medically retired and registered disabled. A newish neighbour signed for it unbeknownst to me and did not bring it down to me. I only found this info out as I contacted the company to enquire if it had been dispatched a week later. They gave me a copy of the signature and her address, as proof. The courier couldn’t be bothered to pop a note through my door as I live at the bottom of the cul de sac. When I knocked on her door nine days after she had signed for it, she said “ ah I knew you’d come for it sooner or later- I opened it as I assumed it was my new running trainers.” I was absolutely gobsmacked that she’d just opened it without checking the address and totally amazed she had made no effort to pop it down to me. I told her the courier had left no card to inform me of its whereabouts but she wasn’t bothered in the least that she’d held on to my parcel for nine days. If I take a parcel for a neighbour I always keep an eye out for a light on in house or a car on their driveway then I immediately deliver it. My daughter’s Graze box got eaten by a teenage neighbour a few years ago (because the post man mis-delivered it )and bragged about it on social media. Another young neighbour noticed the brag and raised the alarm with my daughter. That caused a whole lot of trouble especially when she and her mother denied it had happened and then another older neighbour covered for the teen by saying it must have been her Graze box they mis-delivered. Needless to say- we never ever accepted parcels for the thief whilst she lived in the cul de sac.

Why do people have the belief that the onus is on the person to whom the parcel is addressed to come and collect it?

Courier asked once if he could leave a delivery for a neighbour with us. Turned out to be 6 big boxes. Neighbour was away so we couldn’t use our garage all week. But he is a good neighbour so no problem.

Gosh after reading this thread I have realised that there are some very odd people about. Our neighbours are approachable polite and friendly. I can’t imagine why someone would have the temerity to snatch a parcel from the hands of a neighbour who had kindly taken it in for them. Shocking. Any way nowt so strange as folks

Why do people have the belief that the onus is on the person to whom the parcel is addressed to come and collect it?

Good manners surely?

I quite often say no to accepting neighbours parcels. You’re not obligated at all. Just don’t get involved .( shhh they won’t know)

Last year we found a large heavy poly-bag full of fresh pork on our very large outside letterbox...we spent ages trying to find out who it was for as only the supplier's name was on the label who we couldn't contact! As we had only a small fridge and freezer that were full we had to phone and knock on many neighbor's doors immediately to prevent it going off....As we are elderly and were suppose to be exercising considerable caution due to covid and health issues this took a lot of time and effort, but we did find out eventually it was for a house across the road a few houses down the road for someone we didn't know so we were able to deliver it to them.

unfortunately the delivery person does not always put a card through the door telling them where their parcel is even though he says he will.
I live in flats with security entrance and a person stuck an offensive note on the entrance door 'asking who has his parcel' he had no card telling him what number flat he left it at....... the person who took in the parcel was not always in so shoyuld not have taken the parcel in my opinion..........
so if no one calls to collect a parcel you've taken in,, i'ts because they have no idea you have it because a card hasn't been left.

Betty18 me too.

I’m lucky to live on a small cul de sac where the neighbours are all friendly & we are quite happy to take parcels in for each other if necessary. I will always nip round to collect on my return if a card has been left saying who has the package. Luckily my neighbour is the same & always comes round quite sharpish to pick up his rather heavy box of beers that occasionally get left here. I am currently having recipe food boxes delivered weekly and if I’m out the courier always leave the box by the back door which I’m quite happy with. I think if you live on a long busy road and don’t know your neighbours it could be more of a problem.

Neighbours both sides have regular deliveries but if they expect me to take a parcel in for them will ask me first and I do the same. Obviously there may times where I am randomly asked by delivery driver to take in a parcel and its my choice isnt it to say yes or no ? If it were not collected by later that evening I will tap the door and deliver or ask them to collect and they do the same for me. I am blessed with nice neighbours though and its not some thing i would do for everyone in my street.

ElderlyPerson

Why do people have the belief that the onus is on the person to whom the parcel is addressed to come and collect it?

Because someone is doing you a favour, not entering into a contract to take full responsibility for your online order.

ElderlyPerson

Why do people have the belief that the onus is on the person to whom the parcel is addressed to come and collect it?

Because the person it is addressed to wanted it, ordered it, and paid for it. The delivery company contracted to deliver it to them, or to their nominated representative. If the neighbour has not been previously nominated, but has been asked by the delivery company, as a favour to take it in, the neighbour has no contractual obligation at all, even if they sign for it, beyond taking care of it until it's rightful owner can come and collect it. If they are public-spirited enough extend the favour to lugging it round, whatever the weather or the state of their own health, they are doing it out of the goodness of their heart and should be thanked.

I always ask the delivery person to put a note in the door of the person to whom they are delivering. I can see their door so I wait until the note is posted. I do not accept other people's deliveries unless they are close neighbours. Quite often I notice large parcels (boxes) stacked at neighbours' doors and phone them to let them know and it turns out they have not heard the doorbell or knock. I sound quite an interfering old besom but on this point I have very fixed rules.
I am happy to say my endeavours are reciprocated.

I take in parcels happily, however one neighbour would leave them for days before collecting, some were large boxes, so now I just say sorry to delivery driver I can’t take them in. All other Neigbours including myself collect after returning home.

I don’t have a problem taking parcels for most of our neighbours, and everyone is great about doing it for others where we live. Our postmen are great about putting cards in so the recipients know to come and get their parcels too.
I do refuse to take for my next door neighbour though…a parcel arrived before Christmas a few years ago, which was obviously a large toy for their kids. If they had asked me if I’d mind holding on to it until they could get the chance to collect it and put it out of the way so the kids wouldn’t have seen it, I’d have been ok with that to a point, but it seemed they were content to leave it with us until Christmas Eve, so I got fed up with it in my front room and took it to their door. The guy obviously knew what it was and I was greeted with an irritated, ‘Oh, I didn’t want the kids to see that!’, as if I should have held on to it. They are up-their-own-arse types anyway, so it really pissed me off and from then on I told our postman that I was sorry, but I wouldn’t take parcels for them any more.

I think the whole thing boils down to what sort of neighbours you have. With some people, their neighbours may very well be their friends, or just people they love to see...chat with etc.

For others...neighbours are literally a nightmare, and not the sort of people anyone would want to cross, let alone take responsibility for one of their parcels, as Georgesgran said.

So..no one should be judged for whatever decisions they make in this regard. Most people make them taking personal circumstances into account.

I take in parcels and sometimes drop them round if I see neighbours are home or wait until they collect. Few weeks ago one of my parcels was left with a neighbour and all I had was a photo of parcel, two hands and some feet. No name or number on the message and I had no idea who it was. Waited four days and eventually a neighbour I didn't know brought it round. I apologised for not collecting but explained why and showed her the photo?

RicePudding613794

I don’t have a problem taking parcels for most of our neighbours, and everyone is great about doing it for others where we live. Our postmen are great about putting cards in so the recipients know to come and get their parcels too.
I do refuse to take for my next door neighbour though…a parcel arrived before Christmas a few years ago, which was obviously a large toy for their kids. If they had asked me if I’d mind holding on to it until they could get the chance to collect it and put it out of the way so the kids wouldn’t have seen it, I’d have been ok with that to a point, but it seemed they were content to leave it with us until Christmas Eve, so I got fed up with it in my front room and took it to their door. The guy obviously knew what it was and I was greeted with an irritated, ‘Oh, I didn’t want the kids to see that!’, as if I should have held on to it. They are up-their-own-arse types anyway, so it really pissed me off and from then on I told our postman that I was sorry, but I wouldn’t take parcels for them any more.

Exactly my point RicePudding.