Taking in neighbours parcels

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

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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 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.

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.

My neighbour has a closed gate with a key pad and delivery men can’t get through. So no I do not take in his parcels.

Oh yes Doodledog - I can see her house from mine, and watched the courier put a note through her door. I made sure because I've heard that some couriers just dump the parcels with you and pretend they've notified the recipient... or forget!

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.

Are you sure the deliverers have left a card? I once had a parcel delivered to a house three down, and I had no idea it was there until the neighbour brought it three days later. I had been complaining to Amazon that it hadn't been delivered, although their system was showing that it had been.

I have taken deliveries for my neighbours and they always pick them up as soon as they get back home. No problem at all.

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.

It's not the neighbours' fault the delivery person is useless, is it?

We take in parcels for our immediate neighbours only now. We used to take them for the whole street but since one house complained that we were so far away (100 yards) and didn't even say thank you I refuse for the rest of the street. Plus there are more people at home now anyway.

I'm happy to accept parcels for my neighbours and they do the same although there's one house that people are starting to refuse acceptance for.

The person has deliveries most days but will not answer the door... usually within 10/15 minutes, they will then come to collect the parcel.
There doesn't appear to be any difficulties for this person and they do go out, appear to get shopping etc and open the door to others, just not delivery people!

I think the delivery woman was in the wrong regarding your parcel and would complain about her.

As to taking in other peoples parcels, well that's just being a good neighbour.