Leaving parcels with the neighbour...

[mm23292]

After many years of unrelenting acceptance, I have just for the first time ever, refused to take a parcel for a neighbour. It was a 5ft parcel, hubby is away for the week, (so no man handler around to attempt an evening delivery) and I don't know the house in question, as the previous neighbours have just moved, but I still felt rather mean having to say no. The delivery chap said the cars are there and he could hear voices, but couldn't get an answer..so what makes him think that I might fare better? I have simply grown tired of having to traipse back and forth to people's houses, trying to get them in, or indeed, get an answer, delivering parcels for which I often barely even get a thank you. They are a rather keep themselves to themselves crowd around here, and while I know a couple of the houses and will no doubt continue collecting on their behalf, the rest are barely on nodding terms, and I feel I have had to draw the line. If some neighbours can't be bothered to open their doors for their own deliveries, then why should I have the inconvenience of having to leave my house repeatedly, to deliver their parcel for fear of eventually being deemed a thief?! And I have had occasions, whereby I have had parcels here for over a week, not easy when they are large boxes like this one, very appealing for the kids who think Santa might have come early!
So what does everyone else think? Bugbear? Or just all in good neighbourly stride?

[KS10]

I always accept the parcels and my neighbours do the same. Luckily, our road is a friendly one.

You could always accept it and stick a note through their letter box to say that you have it.

[mm23292]

Trust me, I have done that...and don't forget, so does the delivery man! But like I say, bar the two houses I don't have a problem with, it seems to just be a problem with the others. In fact I recently stood in the rain outside one house, with my youngest in tow, knowing there was somebody in, heard the son shouting at his mother that there was someone at the door about six times, and yet as I returned home, she hopped into her car and drove off?! I think I must be a soft touch for the delivery chaps, in fact I sometimes think they just don't bother, because they know they can always drop it off here....
Just beats me why they don't seem too bothered about collecting their own deliveries?!

[talea51]

We both work so are very grateful to our neighbours for taking deliveries for us. Our neighbour is retired so my husband mows his front garden and looks after it, weeding it etc as a way to say thank you for taking our parcels in for us.

I take parcels for other people but I don't deliver them to their houses for them unless the parcels have been there a while. They can come and get their own parcels! I will however deliver parcels for the neighbours whom I know and they also deliver for me as well.

I certainly wouldn't accept parcels for people who are home but who can't be bothered to answer the door.