Doorbells can't be THAT complicated...

I have no Ring Doorbell or any form of fancy online gadgets. I have a Victorian bell that clangs a clanger against a bell so that it can be heard for miles (well, from the front door to the back garden in a gale force wind).

Today, the cleaner was here, and we spent most of the morning together in the sitting room (on the other side of a stud wall to the doorbell, which is in the hallway) sorting and organising. As the weather was good, I'd left the front door open and the hall door closed to air the house.

A Gousto delivery arrived. It was in a refrigerated box and was clearly labelled as such. The delivery man left it on the doorstep (ie not in the porch although the door was open and it would have been out of the sun in there), took a photo of the box and of himself, sent me both an email and a text, uploading both photos, but didn't ring the bell, or knock on the door. We found it two hours later when the cleaner left at the end of her shift.

Madness.

Had my first experience of one of those new fanged doorbells today. Went to my sons to drop something off: it wouldn’t fit in their postbox and my DIL didn’t seem to be in. So I rang the doorbell and was able to have a conversation with my son who was at work. Was well impressed! Although dread to think what I must have looked like assuming he could see me. Must make a point of putting some make up on next time I might have to ring someone’s doorbell.

I think people are reluctant to use doorbells as they never know if they are working, whereas a good rap on the door is reassuring to the caller 😁.

We never hear anyone who comes to the door. I had been thinking of getting one of those camera doorbells .I have been having second thoughts reading all your comments.

same here

shoppinggirl

Our ring doorbell goes off when someone walks down the driveway. It also alerts you on your mobile. My cat's sussed it and my DH answers the door to her about 30 times a day so she doesn't bother to use the cat flap anymore - it's easier to have your servants waiting on you! Drives me crazy!

This is not the first time I have heard about a cat preferring to activate the front door camera rather than use the cat flap.
Cunning little wotsits aren't they.

I don't have a doorbell but have a quite modern door with a doorknocker on it. People tend to either tap on the door or bang on it with their fist.
When asked why they didn't use the knocker they say they didn't know what it was!
Can a doorbell or a doorknocker be that mysterious?
I have now put some letters on the knocker 'KNOCK'
Surprise, surprise! Some people still tap or bang. I give up.

Jocork, I know exactly you mean about delivery drivers needing to go to specsavers we have a block of flats next to our house and my son had ordered a new iPhone and he called to tell us, he received a notification that it had been delivered but the photograph showed it on someone else’s door mat, my dh had to hurried go and retrieve the parcel before it was stolen.

Also just to say if you have mobility issues you go to the post office website and you will find a section where you can say you will take longer to answer the door. The postman or postwoman will then have this message on their device. Amazon do a similar thing. I find it very useful.

I ignore the door unless its someone Im expecting (delivery driver). I usually know when something is coming and track the package like a hawk. Usually I am out to greet the driver as he steps out of his van.

You can definitely hear that my bell works from the outside of the house - just tried it.

Amazon and Evri both ring the doorbell but leave the delivery in the porch - that's fine with me. I usually open the porch door and shout a thank you to them and now they give me a smile or a thumbs up - apart from the ones who are so quick they've already disappeared by the time I get there.

Shopping girl, Cat's aren't daft...they know what their humans are for ,

I’m in the same camp as Musicgirl. Both my wife and I are deaf (her more so) and do not hear anyone knocking on the glass. I once asked an Amazon driver why he didn’t use the bell and he said that they had been told not to because “if you ring the bell it start recording you”. Absolute nonsense of course - it starts recording you WAY before you are close enough to ring the bell!

I have a ring type doorbell connected to my mobile so I hear it wherever I am in the house.
In fact it’s so loud that I think I could hear it even if I left my phone downstairs.

When someone rings I look to see who it is on my phone. If I don’t know them I don’t answer

I’ve found delivery drivers are usually quite good at ringing the camera bell.

It was only one day last week that one rang and banged the window alternately.

As I’m recovering from surgery on my pancreas and really drained from chemo I’ve been slower getting to the door

He was gone by the time I got there but he did leave the parcel.

I tried talking through the camera via the two way communication system but he didn’t answer.

My outdoor sensor lights kept coming on a few days ago and the dog kept barking. I only had to look at my camera to tell that there was no one there. I changed the batteries in the week and I think it was pointing too low therefore picking up cats.

It’s great that we have the security these days of this type of doorbell/camera giving real peace of mind.

Whenever I have asked anyone if they had tried ringing the doorbell instead of hammering on the door, which I find as annoying as you do, the answer has been, "Oh, does it work?"

Apparently, so many people forget to change the batteries in their door-bells that delivery men and women, postal officials and craftsmen all assume the bell does not work-

I photocopied the drawing of Winnie-the Pooh contemplating Owl's door bell (Ring if Rsner is requird) and pasted it up at the front door.

I have a doorbell which works pretty well unless I have to unplug it to use the socket which only happens rarely. When I plug it back in it rings twice to distinguish it from a single press.
What annoys me is finding a parcel left on the doorstep and sometimes a card through the door to say I was out when the delivery came when I was in all day - sometimes waiting for said paecel!. Fortunately I have yet to have a delivery stolen from my doorsep but have to assume it happens because the driver knocks instead of ringing the bell.
The last time I had a delivery I was expecting it that day, so waiting for it. I saw the email notification saying I was out and a picture of my parcel behind my bin. Except it wasn't my bin! It was my next door neighbour's bin! Clearly the delivery driver needed to go to specsavers!

As I am hard of hearing, a loud doorbell is essential. Anyone who knocks on the door will simply not be heard.

Interesting. I was told when young that if there was a proper door knocker it was rude to ring the bell.

Also, if the bell doesn’t ring right by the door, callers don’t know whether it’s working. Ours is plugged in in the kitchen as we don’t hear it in the hall unless loud enough to rouse the whole street😂

I have a Ring doorbell. If I am not expecting anybody,I look at the app on my phone.If it is not a delivery driver I ignore it.

Our ring doorbell goes off when someone walks down the driveway. It also alerts you on your mobile. My cat's sussed it and my DH answers the door to her about 30 times a day so she doesn't bother to use the cat flap anymore - it's easier to have your servants waiting on you! Drives me crazy!

My letterbox is situated on the wall large enough to see, but I still get people knock on the door to hand me mail.

We installed a ring doorbell due to problems with our ex son in law but I’m not keen on them. The delivery drivers do just bash the door hard which is annoying. We also have a notice saying no cold callers which is ignored!! It is frightening to have the front door bashed when alone in the house!

I have a birds-eye-view of the cul-de-sac from my upstairs flat windows and can spot a Jehovah’s Witness as soon as they appear😉 (no offence intended to those of any faith

I find delivery people ( not the actual Royal Mail - they’re lovely) ring my doorbell repeatedly and bang on the door really loudly as well! It’s annoying but I suppose at least I know it’s a delivery person at the door.

We have a very loud doorbell which sounds through the house because I play the piano a lot at the back, and don't hear. So I can't hear anyone who just knocks on the door. Our house is surrounded by cameras, and I have a chain on the door too. Cold sellers still knock despite the signs, but they are well caught on cameras!