Taking in neighbours parcels

In my experience many people are completely irresponsible when they order goods from a catalogue or online.

Back in my student days worked for a delivery company and it was my job to call customers and advise them when their (mostly large and heavy) goods were being delivered. I was often gobsmacked at how gormless and inane people can be. When informed of the delivery date bleated "Oh Ill be at work". All suggestions that they arrange for a friend or neighbour to accept the delivery were treated with "but I dont have anyone".

So I would ask "When you ordered these goods did you not realise that someone was going to have to accept the delivery?"I dont know what they thought I was going to do about it. People order goods with a complete lack of personal responsibility and give no thought as to how the goods are going to reach them.

Most of my parcels are tracked and I watch them like a hawk. As soon as the delivery van shows up on my cctv I am out there. Otherwise I dont answer the door as I am not a parcel depot and I dont want delivery people lumbering me with parcels for my neighbours. Thats why I have a ring type doorbell.

Ive also had wrongly delivered parcels left outside my gate (where anyone can steal them) by Evri and no way to take them around myself or contact the recipients because of mobility issues. Last time my nephew dropped off the parcel but had to leave it on the step because there was no answer.

I much preferred the days when the postman would take undelivered parcels to the sorting office for collection. It's not always possible to know whether you'll be in when something is delivered, as you don't know when you order it when it will arrive. I've ordered things that say 3-5 days delivery on the order form, as that would fit perfectly with my commitments, but it has arrived the next day when I was away. Rather than take the parcel to the SO, it is left on the step in all weathers for 2-3 days. Considering the cost of postage, I think this is poor service.

Doodledog

I much preferred the days when the postman would take undelivered parcels to the sorting office for collection. It's not always possible to know whether you'll be in when something is delivered, as you don't know when you order it when it will arrive. I've ordered things that say 3-5 days delivery on the order form, as that would fit perfectly with my commitments, but it has arrived the next day when I was away. Rather than take the parcel to the SO, it is left on the step in all weathers for 2-3 days. Considering the cost of postage, I think this is poor service.

Quite.

Couriers frequently ask you to name a "safe place" where they can leave your package - there must be so many, like me, who don't have such a place. I live in a row of ancient terraced houses with minute doorsteps on a narrow pavement. Such houses also not infrequently contain also ancient residents, like me, who upon hearing the knock at the door, need time to get to it... mostly too late and the package is left on the doorstep. Which is fine if it's lightweight - but often it's not and I have to use my partner's walking stick to crow-bar it up the step and into the hallway.

I prefer those couriers whose journey you can plot and which will give you a rough idea of whether you've got time to dash to the loo before they arrive - the time when, for some reason, that usually coincides with their delivery otherwise. In fact, it happens so often that my OH, when he knows I'm waiting for a package, suggests I go to the loo because that will precipitate an immediate delivery.

I am always taking in parcels for my two close neighbours, I don`t mind but tbh sometimes it grates but heyho, that is what good neighbours do. I have a key to one house and always pop the parcel into their hall, they are often away on holiday or visiting

Don’t get me started on the subject of taking neighbours parcels in😡😁
I don’t normally mind but I have a few neighbours who order all kinds of large items, then they don’t come to my house to collect even days later when I go round there to say please come and collect. One very large parcel ( heavy as well) stayed in my tiny hall for three days.I couldn’t lift it and DP was away.

That's not fair. Oreo. I would be inclined to say that I wouldn't take them in for them in future if they didn't collect them.

I’ll def tell them that if they do that again, yes.
It’s weird that they don’t seem to want their goods isn’t it?I go tearing round to collect mine if a neighbour tells me.

Almost every week I get parcels related to my business as well as the usual Amazon and supermarket deliveries. I am a great believer in people taking personal responsibility for their own packages, as I had to when I was working. Nowadays I always choose and pay for a tracked service so I know when things are (supposed to be) arriving. If its goods from an auction house or my shipper then I fully insure them (tax deductable business expence).

One of the great beauties of modern technology whereby you answer via an app on the phone is that you can use it to dismiss inconvenient callers/requests that are not for you.

Get a ring door bell and if the package is not for you then you can respond without opening the door. Sorry you are in the bath/away from home/ill in bed.

Oreo

I’ll def tell them that if they do that again, yes.
It’s weird that they don’t seem to want their goods isn’t it?I go tearing round to collect mine if a neighbour tells me.

Yes, and if it's big and heavy you'd think it would be something they really wanted. I could live without a tin of biscuits, for instance, but if I'd ordered a sideboard I'd want it immediately .

Last year during the christmas period I had no less that 4 mis-delivered mail pieces at my address. Two came through the letter box and were Royal Mail so I gave them to the postie. The other two were Evri and were simply dumped outside my gate where anyone could have stolen them. Its all very well saying I could call the company to send a courier to collect them but why should I have the stress of listening out for a courier when its nothing of mine.

Nephew took one to a house the other side of the estate a few days later, Instead of being grateful the woman was a bit rude and asked "could you not have brought it around earlier" as she had to report it as missing. He told her that the package had been dumped on his disabled aunt who had no way of delivering it and she did have the grace to look embarassed. The next parcel he took to someones house he got no reply so simply left it on the doorstep.

Dickens

A couple of posters have mentioned their neighbours not picking up their parcels - which is something I find difficult to comprehend.

I had a neighbour - only a couple of doors down the road - who did this and it meant that I had to re-deliver to her after the parcels had sat in my hallway for days on end.

Why? What is the thinking behind this?

I no longer take in her deliveries - and told the courier the reason why I wouldn't accept them.

I had a neighbour like this, whenever she went away I'd have quite a few left with me. I did make sure that they left a card but I was always the one who had to call round there when they got home.
The problem is that once couriers know you are often in they tend to try to leave everybody's parcels with you. I decided that the answer was to only take them if I actually knew the recipient.
We've moved now and the local corner shop takes in parcels for the courier. We're all on a WhatsApp group and if they aren't collected the lovely shopkeeper sends out lists of addresses for which he has parcels. It's a wonderful service for us, and the bonus for him is that it takes people into his shop and they almost always buy something.

Doodledog

I much preferred the days when the postman would take undelivered parcels to the sorting office for collection. It's not always possible to know whether you'll be in when something is delivered, as you don't know when you order it when it will arrive. I've ordered things that say 3-5 days delivery on the order form, as that would fit perfectly with my commitments, but it has arrived the next day when I was away. Rather than take the parcel to the SO, it is left on the step in all weathers for 2-3 days. Considering the cost of postage, I think this is poor service.

This is fine in practice but now they've closed our local sorting office and I don't know where to go. I'm sure I could find out, but don't really want to have to lug a big parcel home by bus, especially if there is a long walk at both ends.

If the delivery person doesn't deliver parcels safely as per your instructions you can complain and leave feedback online. Most have Apps so you can specify what they can and can't do - we have DPD delivering regular consignments of medical supplies and have specified these should not be left in the garden or with neighbours. Most drivers are pretty good but one DPD driver feels free to ignore this and I have to complain frequently. I'm happy to take in parcels for neighbours as we have a street WhatsApp group so we can let each other know when this happens and arrange pick-up or drop-off. As so many are out at work all day it may be there's nobody home to take in your parcels OP, and I would be furious if something expensive was just chucked over the hedge particularly as there are people who appear to watch the progress of the delivery vans and grab anything that's left visible in the garden.

Depends on the relationship among the neighbours. I moved into this street 3 years ago and found myself among people who were scared of one man here. Sadly I lived next door to him. If you got on the wrong side of him, which we did apparently, life became very difficult.
He already had an ASBO for his treatment of the couple who lived here previously. My daughter, who is a police officer, spoke to the officer who dealt with the case. He assured her that this man would only target men. I live alone so hoped that it was correct.
Long story short, 18 months of bullying bordering on stalking, it has all made me a much less trusting person for parcels and a lot of other stuff. I was on the verge of involving the police when this man died. His rotten legacy lives on in the street where people just aren't really friendly or close.

I’m more than happy to take in parcels for neighbours, but I do expect them to be picked up sharpish so I’m not tripping over them. Assuming of course they’re aware that I’ve accepted the parcel on their behalf.

We used to take lots of parcels for next door, our doors are adjacent, small Victorian terrace. It became obvious that the son was listening behind their door, and not answering, we could hear his feet! (Supposed to be at college)
We stopped taking them, and his mother came and complained that we'd stopped, saying we know you have because 'George heard you tell the courier.'

I’m always happy to take in my neighbours parcels and vise versa. It’s being a good neighbour I thought.

i only have 2 neighbours and the neighbours opposite told the postman that they wouldn't take a parcel in for me as they 'never see me'. Consequently I had to drive around 15 miles to the nearest town to retrieve my parcel. I'm hoping I'm asked to take a parcel in for them so that I can make a show of taking it across the road to deliver to them with a smile!

Yes I would do it for anyone.I’m still working so it’s helpful when sometimes a parcel comes a bit later than expected and a neighbour takes it in. I’m two years off retirement and would be happy to help anyone when I’m at home full time.

I'm happy to take in parcels, I'm not working now, so happy to do this, it also works if I'm out and the neighbours take ours in for us too, there's only 1 neighbour I have a 'niggle' with, there a lovely young couple with a little boy, and I take in there parcels regularly, but they go away a lot hols, week ends etc, and I had 3 largish parcels delivered at different times, that I ended up having at mine for 5 days till they came back home, 🙈 it's not the 1st time this has happened either

I’m happy to take in parcels for any neighbour but am only really asked to take in for immediate neighbours. They happily do the same for us. The issue with the delivery person is a different one.

We live at the bottom of a cul-de-sac, with a small number of houses, and everyone is very good about looking out for everyone else, but I have to admit I have one or two neighbours that I don’t like to take parcels for any more. I have always been at home, so postmen, delivery men etc, tend to see my house as the occupied one and I think I’ve done more than my fair share of parcel minding for others over the years. I have one particular neighbour that I prefer not to interact with more than the bare minimum, because she complains about everything, and another I don’t like to take parcels for because a few years ago they used me as a storage unit for their kids toys at Christmas, so they wouldn’t have to hide them in their own house, and so the kids wouldn’t see them! I took a larger toy to their door after holding it for almost a week waiting for them to come and claim it, and was met with the door opened a chink to be told they ‘didn’t want the boys to see that’, as if I was spoiling Christmas and was just expected to keep it till it suited them, probably on Christmas Eve. I wouldn’t have minded so much if they had asked me, but they were just trying to make use of me. I told our regular postie so he knew for quite a while after that, not to ask me to take parcels for them. Not so bad now though. I never need anyone to take our parcels, as there is always somebody home, which is handy because I don’t like having to go and ask for them.

I must be one of the few who are blessed with lovely neighbours! We happily take in and sign for each other's parcels. Knowing that I was away for the weekend, my neighbours intercepted the Evri courier, took my parcels off him, signed for them and then texted me to tell me that they had arrived safely and they'd keep them until I got home. Hadn't realised how lucky I was until I read this thread!

From time to time we do. Not an issue.

We are a small close and have a good rapport with our neighbours so help each other out. We always ask first though.