Do I have a legal duty to return items wrongly delivered?

The_Governess

Hi there, first day on here so not sure if I'm posting in the right place. Anyway, today is my daughters bday so all week we've been receiving various packages and parcels with presents in so I thought nothing of it when I got home yday to a delivery card from UKmail. It was screwed up and had no writing on it - all the boxes were blank. But I went online to arrange redelivery. After looking at the date choices it was easier to go and collect it. Which I did today. I got to the depot and gave the card to the man who asked me to confirm my postcode-all was fine. He was then gone for some time. He came back with two big boxes and asked me to sign for them. I said "ooh they're big I don't even know what they are". He looked at my signature and all was well. Then he asked for my ID-I showed him my driving licanse with my name and address on. "Yep that's fine" he said. He helpfully carried them to my car for me. I've just got home and they aren't for me or my daughter. They are from Harrods for a neighbour-so not my name or my address. Why did this idiot at UKMail give them to me?!! And now I look like an idiot for taking them too! Can I keep them or am I legally required to return them? I've wasted my time, energy and petrol picking them up!!

tomtontom

Why not do the neighbourly thing and deliver them to the intended recipient? Or if you can't do that contact UKMail to collect them?

powerful_Rogue

The_Governess wrote: »

Hi there, first day on here so not sure if I'm posting in the right place. Anyway, today is my daughters bday so all week we've been receiving various packages and parcels with presents in so I thought nothing of it when I got home yday to a delivery card from UKmail. It was screwed up and had no writing on it - all the boxes were blank. But I went online to arrange redelivery. After looking at the date choices it was easier to go and collect it. Which I did today. I got to the depot and gave the card to the man who asked me to confirm my postcode-all was fine. He was then gone for some time. He came back with two big boxes and asked me to sign for them. I said "ooh they're big I don't even know what they are". He looked at my signature and all was well. Then he asked for my ID-I showed him my driving licanse with my name and address on. "Yep that's fine" he said. He helpfully carried them to my car for me. I've just got home and they aren't for me or my daughter. They are from Harrods for a neighbour-so not my name or my address. Why did this idiot at UKMail give them to me?!! And now I look like an idiot for taking them too! Can I keep them or am I legally required to return them? I've wasted my time, energy and petrol picking them up!!

Mistakes happen.

No you cant keep them - that would be theft.

Do the right thing and take them round to your neighbour.

bod1467

Do you really hate your neighbour that much?

bris

You have a duty as keeping them knowingly is theft. You can just contact them and let them know about the mistake and allow them to collect them at your convenience.

The_Governess

Haha sorry worded that terribly, was rushing on tea break. I can't move them - they're very heavy - that's why he put them in my car. My question should have really said do I have to contact the sender etc. Say I give them to the neighbour and they claim they've not had them? It was me who signed for them so can't I still be accused of theft?

Johno100

The_Governess wrote: »

Haha sorry worded that terribly, was rushing on tea break. I can't move them - they're very heavy - that's why he put them in my car. My question should have really said do I have to contact the sender etc. Say I give them to the neighbour and they claim they've not had them? It was me who signed for them so can't I still be accused of theft?

If you are worried about that then draw up a receipt of your own and get your neighbour to sign it. It's not rocket science.

Poppie68

This is an easy one, print a reciept, knock on your neighbours door, inform them you have their parcels and explain why, ask them to come and collect as they are heavy and when they are at your house collecting ask them to sign the reciept. If they refuse to sign contact UK mail and ask them to collect.

The_Governess

Good job it's not! Coz I'm not rocket scientist! My friend had a computer delivered by mistake from John Lewis she got to keep it!

prowla

I would contact the sender and let them know the performance of their shipper; they've paid for a signed for delivery and a certain level of service, which simply hasn't been provided.

You could then ask them what you should do.

We hear regular stories about people not receiving their goods, and this appears to be an example of what might go wrong.

As far as getting the receipt from the neighbours, you could ask them to countersign the one which you had (or did the courier retain that?).

In my case, I often take goods for the neighbours and sign for them; it had never occurred to me that they might then do something underhand when my name was on the slip.

hollydays

I had an issue where I wS sent a case of wine I hadn't ordered. I contacted the company three times, still they didn't collect or inform the true owners . I took it with difficulty to the owners , not even a thank you.