DHL package - signed for someone in my building but they havent received

washerboy

Hi I have signed for many packages from DHL recently for someone who lives in my building of block of flats. I left them outside their door and they have received all of them but one. They say this particular package was very expensive has been signed for by myself however I don't have it and have no idea where it is. I haven't looked at the signature yet but they says it was signed for under my name. I wanted to know what I should do about this. They are claiming I am responsible and so now owe huge amounts of money.

I will check the signature and see if it is me. If I don't think it is me then obviously I will say it is not. The courier guy knows my name as i signed for so many other packages so could have potentially falsely put my name in and scribbled a signature. Either way am I legally responsible for any of these packages? This person was quite happy and actually thanked me for signing for lots and lots of their packages. It is only now that one of them has gone missing that it has turned sour. I wouldn't be surprised if they have lost it themselves as they had so many packages by their door. What should I do? And am I legally reponsible to pay them any money for their allegedly very expensive package?

Any help would be appreciated! Was just trying to help this person out and now they are at my throat trying to claim huge amounts of money off of me!

74jax

I'm not sure. I think if I ordered something and my neighbour signed for it, I would, rightly or wrongly, think I'd hold them responsible if they had signed for it.

I think if the neighbour hadn't said they were okay to leave it with someone else they might have some comeback.

zenseeker

I'd be very !!!!ed off if a neighbour signed for some packages for me then just dumped them outside my door so that anyone can help themselves.

starrybee

zenseeker wrote: »

I'd be very !!!!ed off if a neighbour signed for some packages for me then just dumped them outside my door so that anyone can help themselves.

Agree, the whole point of the courier giving it to you is so you can look after it safely until your neighbour can collect it. Putting stuff outside their door doesn't seem very sensible?!

washerboy

I didn't actually agree to accept parcel into my home. I purely accepted and signed when courier explained he just wanted to leave it outside the door. We live in a very small area of flats with just 5 or 6 people having access to it (and there is a separate locked door between these flats and elsewhere so there is not access to the general public). I honestly don't think anyone in our flats would have taken it. I'm not sure what to think. This person is angry which I understand however I honestly don't have their parcel and it was always left outside their door along with lots of other parcels which they were previously very happy with. I have looked into this legally and it seems the seller is ultimately responsible and owes money. This is an unfortunate situation for me as I was just trying to do this person a favour and now they are targeting me trying to get large amounts of money out of me.

wingobins

I can understand your frustration if you were doing a favour and as you say..you live in a small block of flats with trustworthy people. Checking the signature with the courier, timing, date it was received etc is about your best option to see if anything dodgy has gone on here. Hopefully, like you say the person may have just misplaced it in his flat and he seemed happy enough for you to leave outside his door previously so I shouldn't say it was all your fault. Good luck sorting it out.

washerboy

Thank you. One thing crosses my mind. What is to stop her from having actually RECEIVED the parcel but trying to make a little cash on the side by pretending she never had? I mean how would anyone potentially stop this. I'm not sure and actually think this is probably unlikely. But let's say I did even keep the parcel safe and then give it to her in person. I mean how would I ever prove that I gave it to her and she received it I guess short of me actually getting a signature with date and timestamp also??? Surely I can't be legally responsible. It seems the lesson is - don't try and help people! It will only come and bite you in the !!!!!

HalloweenJack

you are the one who signed for the delivery , therefore both the intended recipient and the courier company will hold you liable.


if I sign for things for my neighbour(s0_ I will hand it to them at the first chance and not just leave it laying around.

McKneff

Fingers crossed that the driver has pulled a fast one and that you can see the difference.

If you are going to keep on doing this I would suggest you keep a book, list date, where its from.
and when you pass the item over to people, get them to sign it, just like the courier does. Youve covered your back then.

Let us know how you get on.

Meadows

If you signed for the parcel then you accepted responsibility, why would you sign for it only to leave leave outside a door rather than give to the neighbour? If you had no intention to give to them directly you should have refused delivery! I would not be happy if my neighbours were taking in my mail but then just abandoning it outside my door!

Lets hope that this is one package you did not sign for or it could prove very costly for you.

washerboy

I think most people are misunderstanding this. It was not left outside their doorway in the street. We live in a tower block and there is a locked door between our particular flat which is a shared kitchen between about 5 different flats.

I actually didn't want to accept delivery however the courier said i was just signing to leave it outside their door (which is not on a public access - only people who have access are the 5 members of this shared area of flats). So I signed and left it outside their room. Lots of other people have done this throughout the time here too as we all have erratic timetables and nightshifts etc so it is normal. This person actually thanked me earlier before this happened and told me to leave future packages just outside their door. It is only now that they have lost one that they are losing the plot. I think they have tried to get in touch with the seller who is playing them around a bit and so they are desperate and so are trying to force me into giving them money as a last ditch effort.

I have looked into this and I think I am actually not legally responsible at all. The seller has a right to provide item to this person so this particular person and seller have a contract. The seller has not provided item (as it is not signed by buyer) and so needs to provide a refund or replacement. Then the seller now has to take up their claim with courier as courier did not deliver to buyer as they were in a contract to do so. And finally courier will come to me and I will say that I only signed to leave box outside room as courier told me on the day and i was never shown any kind of contract or terms and conditions. Just coaxed to sign on the dotted line. So thankfully I don't think I have actually done anything wrong. You have to remember couriers dont get paid if they take items back undelivered and so are lazy/desperate to not bring back parcels.

It is all a bit unfortunate and I love how only 1 or 2 people actually seem to understand the situation and others are so judgemental. I'm a helpful laidback person who was coaxed by courier to sign for packages to be left outside someones room who then later thanked me and told me to keep doing this for them which I did. Seems they have lost package/courier has taken it (I very much doubt anyone in our flat would take this persons package) and now cant be bothered to make a proper claim with the seller and so has targeted me! I tried to reason with this person and help them pointing them in direction of citizens advice bureau and assuring them that the seller was LEGALLY obligated to refund them. Even told them they could try call the police and tell them situation but they were completely psycho just repeatedly shouting at me I need to pay them back without actually listening or talking to me like a civil person. I just can't be bothered anymore if this person is gona act like such a dumbass.

And no haha I will NOT be signing for ANY packages for this particular person again let alone getting a notepad etc and taking details and signatures etc. I'm a normal person with a life and things to do!