Etiquette after taking in a neighbour's parcel?

No problems here re parcels - this development is getting like a village now and the FB page has helped enormously. The delivery people know us all and know where to drop off. I don't mind helping out with parcels for people who are at work its never a problem unless of course I get jealous and keep them all!!!!

My neighbours (houses in my street) do my head in. Parcels arrive, never collected. I do go out to knock on their doors once or twice, but after that, I don't bother.

If I know I'm not expecting anything, I don't answer the door to delivery people because of it.

I'll happily take in parcels for near neighbours and am lucky that they come to collect promptly.

I put delivery instructions on anything coming here that it is to be left in the porch. However one of my neighbours will come and pick up a box if she sees it outside the house and 'look after' it for me. Very kind I guess, but my live plants weren't appreciative of being next to her hot radiator!

MissAdventure

You see, I need to rest, because tomorrow I'll be putting in a full day at my parcel delivery and distribution centre (aka; my flat)

Parcel distributor is now on strike—card on your front door.

Blossoming

Didn’t we have a very long discussion about this a few months ago?

Taking in parcels for neighbours | Gransnet
www.gransnet.com › Forums › Taking in parcels for neighbours › AIBU

We did - and it got very complicated!

Thanks Blossoming and MawtheMerrier!

When I read the OP it seemed so familiar I had to go back and check the date as we do keep being caught by old threads being revived.

I haven't time to read the old thread but there might be some helpful tips in it, BlushingSheep

This gave me pause for thought - we haven't had any parcels delivered here for neighbours for ages, it used to be almost weekly. I know they'll take them in for us too. They call for theirs. Sometimes they'll deliver ours too - they're younger than us ?

We did come home from a long weekend away recently to find a small parcel on the outside mat, in full view. It was small enough to have gone through the letterbox, very annoying.

MawtheMerrier

Echoing Far North.
Why not just say “No” ? Unless they are people you want to help, (which would the case for the people who live near me,) then say “Sorry, no”
Possible reasons if you feel you need to give one could be “I’m going to be away, I need the access/hall to be clear, I’m disabled, it’s not convenient, or I haven’t got room.”
Their parcel, their problem.
I don’t understand why a person would do something they don’t want to do,( based on previous experience) and then be surprised at the outcome.

Exactly, a case of hope over experience?
I only do this for very close neighbours, and if light to carry will take it across to their house as they do for me, when I see that they are in.
Now and then a delivery driver simply mistakes a nearby house for mine and leaves my parcel in their porch.This person is elderly and not well mentally and that is the last I ever see of that parcel.Fortunately because they take a photo of the door, I am able to claim back the money usually and it doesn’t happen often.
I do hear many stories of neighbours becoming annoyed with acting as a delivery service, so the advice would be, do not do it.

This was the older thread, almost exactly a year ago!

www.gransnet.com/forums/aibu/1301571-Taking-in-parcels-for-neighbours?msgid=28954359

Do they not think we’re aware of tracking orders, text messages saying ‘Your parcel’s been delivered to Smith at no. 5’? We might be retired but we’re not gormless.

Why not just say “No” ? Unless they are people you want to help, (which would the case for the people who live near me,) then say “Sorry, no”
Possible reasons if you feel you need to give one could be “I’m going to be away, I need the access/hall to be clear, I’m disabled, it’s not convenient, or I haven’t got room.”
Their parcel, their problem.
I don’t understand why a person would do something they don’t want to do,( based on previous experience) and then be surprised at the outcome.

That's sensible and logical.

I have regular deliveries of medical supplies. The driver is able to plot his route and give me a window of 2 hours which allows me to plan, and to be at the front of the house so I can hear him knocking.

I'm not consulted prior to the allocation of the window, but if I have an appointment, I can call and reschedule for the following day.

And it works, every time

Why cannot other couriers do something similar?

And, if you order something online and work full time - why not make a specific arrangement with a neighbour (or two) to take in your packages. This haphazard way of delivery - couriers knocking on anyone's door to get rid of their packages is just not on.

I've said "no" to deliveries for my NDN because they never collect and wait for me to deliver. And, I didn't give a reason - if you say "no" and don't qualify it, there can be no further discussion - no means no .

Ring doorbells are your friends. You can see who is at the door and if your not expecting a parcel and dont want to take one in then dont answer.

I have international parcels arrive with some very expensive stuff for my shops. I track them like a hawk. Most times Im outside the kitchen door waiting before the courier has parked his van as my tablet alerts me to the movement.

I dont take in parcels for neighbours because I dont want random people knocking when its dark looking for their bl***y packages and disturbing me. And if they dont call for them then being mobility impaired I am in no position to drop their parcels off.

During the Christmas/new year period last year I had 4 mis-delivered mailpieces. Two I gave to my regular postie but the other two were Hermes (or whatever they all themselves now) and just left by my gate. Anyone could have taken them. Both were for houses across the estate and I was in no position to deliver them. My nephew had to drop them for me.

Next time I will just leave anything not for me outside my gate in the rain to get soaked/spoiled or stolen. Its not my responsibility to provide a mailing depot for people who merrily order stuff online with no conception as to how they are going to recieve it.

I managed somehow when I was a working person. What happened to the idea of personal responsibility?

I said I would take a deliver for a neighbour. The courier brought out a very large box, so I suggested he put it in the garage. Then he brought another one, and eventually there were six and my garage was full. The neighbour was appreciative - he had to bring his trailer round to collect them.

But I have stopped bringing in everyone’s wheelie bins. It it 100 yards and I was doing it 80% of the time. Much to my surprise last week a neighbour who I had thought too ill to do it managed to bring them all in. Been taking advantage of me for years.

I had just moved in here and was embarrassed to have the neighbour knock with a parcel, I hadn't received notification it had been delivered to her. I now have a 'safe place' and parcels are left there if I'm out.

As for bins, it's odd how some people behave. I used to have a large drive and my bins were permanently out, this 'bin day' lark is still new to me. At least I know what day it is when I hear the 'rumbling'.

Two neighbours - one, while she was busy in the garden, signed for a parcel for the other. She left the parcel on her wall, with the full intention of taking it into her house for safe-keeping.
Gardening done, forgot about the parcel, and went indoors. Just before midnight, she remembered the parcel. Ran out to hopefully retrieve the parcel, but it was gone. Moral of the story - don’t take in any parcel, when you’re working in the garden.
Wonder what happened?

Lucca

MissA. What happened about that “intrusive “ neighbour of yours ?

You’re clearly too nice with some rather odd neighbours !! Maybe it’s time to close the sorting office for a while …

She is still here.
She hasn't been too well, though and has developed some new routines as a result.
(She comes in when I'm asleep and then tells me what I looked like in my bed!)

MissAdventure

Lucca

MissA. What happened about that “intrusive “ neighbour of yours ?

You’re clearly too nice with some rather odd neighbours !! Maybe it’s time to close the sorting office for a while …

She is still here.
She hasn't been too well, though and has developed some new routines as a result.
(She comes in when I'm asleep and then tells me what I looked like in my bed!)

Oh Lord . Don’t you lock your door ? Or does she have a key ?

She has a key, and she does call out as she comes in, but I'm quite poorly sometimes, so I'm asleep.

I woke up to a roast dinner on Sunday.

You could be murdered in your bed, MissA! ? I couldn’t sleep a wink if I knew anyone who wasn’t family could get in. ?

We often take in parcels in our little square as we and one other are the only retirees, we don't mind. Plus the fact my DH worked for the Royal Mail for 28 years and he knows most of the postmen.
I lol Miss Adventure when you mentioned your distribution centre. You are very kind to help out.

OK I just have to ask - what is the story behind your user name Blushingsheep ?

You are not the first to ask this, BS, and I'm sure you won't be the last!
As others have kindly provided a Link to an extremely similar thread this time last year, do visit that! There are 11 pages of responses and suggestions you may find helpful.

Oh, but the thread does create some aeriated views, so do steer well clear of those?

I used to regularly take in a neighbour’s exclusive wine delivery in the days before ‘tracking’. He used to give us one of the twelve bottles. ?
Where I live now most of us have ‘safe places’. However when delivering or collecting parcels there is a lot of tea coffee or wine depending on the time I’d say - and gossip. What’s not to like?

MissAdventure - do you ask for ID?

Also, how is your young grandson doing/? Well I hope.
I am glad your neighbour looks in on you.

If a neighbour is good enough to take in a parcel it's up to the addressee to get off their backside and collect it, in my view. You've already done your bit - why should you run after them as well? Give them an inch and they'll take a yard; I believe it's called.

Do I ask the delivery men for id?
Or my neighbour?
Or the other neighbours?

My grandson... well, things are far from ideal at the moment, so things have been quite difficult, really, but I'm hoping something will change at some point.