Neighbours keep stealing my post!

rickdews

Hi, any advice much appreciated...

I moved a month ago into a rented flat. It's in a converted Victorian semi and the house next door is also flats owned by the same company. There are two entrances - one to my side (flats 14, 15 and 16) and one to the flats in the other half of the building (9 - 13).

Unfortunately the bells for my half are all on the doorway to the other side. Regular postmen know to put letters in the right doorways, but they are constantly changing rounds, so sometimes the new posties put letters through the other side.

I have had 5 or 6 parcels go missing and I believe that the tenant who lives on the other side on the groundfloor next to the entrance is stealing my parcels. Six from different sellers is too many to disappear in such a short space of time. Other parcels that come through the other correct letter box are left there for me to collect.

The reason I think it's the guy on the groundfloor is that on one occasion my bell went, I raced down from the top floor to collect the parcel, and while I was talking to the postmen he appeared!

I've also checked and within a few minutes of letters being pushed through the other side, his are collected, and the others are put on a shelf. His home is the only one that would be able to see and hear the postmen arriving, and go so quickly to collect them. He's also jobless and in all day so he's there at 9.45 ish when the postman arrives.

My question is this...

Apart from adding a new bell, numbers and signs for delivery drivers directing them to the correct entrance (all expenses for me as I haven't mentioned this to the letting agents yet) how can I catch this guy?

I'm considering leaving a parcel with my address on the floor at his letterbox a few minutes before the postie arrives, then seeing if it disappears. There's a small vantage point where a fire door connects the two properties from which I can watch but will only be able to see his feet.

My second option is two put a cheap GPS tracker inside a parcel. But will this be accurate enough to lead to the exact location?

I will report this to the police, and perhaps a speculative knock on his door from them will be enough to scare him into stopping (if it is him!) but they will not be able to get any cast iron proof.

Should I get solid evidence first before approaching the police? I want whoever it is to be caught and have no way out. The cops will 'investigate' but I'm a bit concerned that a couple of officers won't really be able to do much.

Thanks for reading!

nidO

You could always post a cheap Android phone to yourself loaded with anti-theft software that supports taking and uploading photos when used, if he does then open your parcel you can get a photo of him with it along with the phone's GPS location (which will not be accurate enough on its own to pinpoint a specific flat but will confirm it's in the building), you may then have enough to go to the police.

An easier option would however be to raise your concerns with royal mail and mention to them that they keep delivering your parcels to the wrong place and are subsequently going missing, they should at the very least be able to get the word through to whichever postmen are doing your route to make sure they put stuff through the right door.

theartfullodger

What happened when you reported these thefts to Plod & requested CRN?

googler

rickdews wrote: »

Hi, any advice much appreciated...

I'm considering leaving a parcel with my address on the floor at his letterbox a few minutes before the postie arrives, then seeing if it disappears.

Do this (post it to yourself via Royal Mail) with a honkin' big sign inside which reads;

"You've been rumbled!"
"C'mon, you KNOW this isn't your parcel ..."

Or something similar, depending on how you want to phrase it.

poppysarah

A remote activated alarm?
That'd be interesting.

rickdews

Ha, yeah I've considered the note inside a letter... Was thinking something more sinister! Afterall, who they gonna ring? The police? He he

Also, the remote activated alarm is a great idea. On eBay they're about £20 but also incorporate the motion sensor, which could be a problem. Can anybody find them elsewhere?

Royal Mail's reply was 'Not our problem. Contact the police'.

Also, the local delivery office said that they can't give instructions to the post men because they're constantly changing between people who do the rounds.

googler

rickdews wrote: »

Also, the local delivery office said that they can't give instructions to the post men because they're constantly changing between people who do the rounds.

Can you put up a big sign at the door, saying

"Postmen/women & Delivery Drivers - Please DO NOT hand over post or parcels without proof of ID from the recipient"

???

As long as you can prove who you are...

thegirlintheattic

I would pop round and say that there was a delivery for you, and the postman told you that he'd taken it in for you. Pretend he's done you a huge favor and thank him, and tell him you've come to get it.

See what he does. Chances are he'll fall for it and hand over at least one piece of mail, and never do it again.

ACG

Post a parcel in his letterbox with a stamp on addressed to yourself.

See if you get it.

If not post a couple more with dirty socks in it or dog.....
He cant complain as they were addressed to you anyway :-)

[Deleted User]

Talk to him, perhaps he's got them in a pile somewhere and he doesn't know who you are, or he's socially inept or something. If he's stealing from you he isn't going to be stupid enough to keep doing it if you approach him. Setting off an alarm in his flat would be fun, but probably isn't the easiest way to solve this.

Side note, are you able to order live wasps on the internet? Perhaps a box of strings will be a good deterrent.

theartfullodger

If he's nicking your mail he's likely up to other things as well.

I'd also try asking landlord/agent if they've any knowledge of "things going missing" (ie don;t accuse anyone....)