Money Moral Dilemma: Should our neighbour pay us for taking in his parcels when he's out?

Satman

I like the answer from “ Androids” Clever 👏
if it was me, I would put a sign on the door for a few weeks stating something like
only parcels addressed for THIS  HOUSE  will be accepted.

DRP

He’s running a business, so don’t accept them. 

rainbowhippy

This might be a radical suggestion, but have you tried talking to your neighbour about the fact that you're unhappy with the current situation? 

Everyone has different standards for what they think the 'norm' is, so what might seem inappropriate or unacceptable to you may not to your neighbour. 

If you've talked to your neighbour and this is still happening and you're not happy with the situation you could simply refuse to accept the parcel in the first place. But - don't expect someone to do something for you that you're not happy to do for them.

saajan_12

If you start charging for it, then he'll soon expect a level of service. So if you're not in or don't drop off parcels promptly, then expect some agro. So if its more of a nuisance, then this will only make it worse. If you wouldn't mind if it was paid, then go ahead. 

Leojon66

He is taking advantage of your good nature in a big way!  I'm astonished at his failing to reciprocate with your (presumably far fewer) parcels - yes, he accepts them but doesn't take them round to you, but expects you to not only take his business ones in, but bring them round!

It is important to be on good terms with neighbours, so although the temptation is just to stop accepting them or not take them round ( or tell him to eff off as others have said), I suggest you are more constructive.  Write down your reasons why this is a problem for you (ie prepare so you are not lost for words) and then select a time when you are feeling positive (not upset that you've just taken a load more parcels!) and actually knock on his door to discuss.  Of if you can text him, then why not ask for a discussion at a suitable time, saying you aren't able to keep doing this?  It is very unfair of him to expect you to be responsible for his business parcels, without any recompense.  Good luck.

lewisiablue

Ask him to collect the parcels from you as soon as possible, as they are too frequent and large to have in your house. If he doesn't, then start refusing his deliveries and don't have yours delivered to his address either.

silverwhistle

Yes, best to communicate and say you're not able to take the parcels round as you're very busy. In addition you may be going away at short notice so if he wants the parcels promptly he'd better not delay coming round. If you can manage to coincide with a genuine absence, so much the better.

You might also add that you don't take any responsibility for the parcels or their contents although "always happy to help"..

badmemory

Just refuse to accept them.  I take in for ten of my neighbours if necessary but I don't for the 11th.  If they push I just tell them I am probably going to be away for the next couple of days & the other person left in the house will not answer the door - it isn't far from the truth.  He could use another way of accepting deliveries as there are so many now.

Poppycot

I don’t think you should have to take them to his place so tell him to check with you daily to see if you have any for him.

Kim_13

If he is running a business, where is he all day? He should have the parcels delivered at his business premises.

The occasional parcel is bound to happen - the first number a courier saw must have been the number next door to me, so perhaps assuming that the numbers went anticlockwise, the courier took my parcel to the house 2 doors away. We got a bigger sign after that incident, but due to couriers rushing, mistakes happen. On another occasion, a courier handed me a parcel which was for a particular neighbour. Probably because it’s quicker - not all couriers bother to tell the recipient where they’ve left it, and another neighbour was only told their parcel had been left with a near neighbour - he asked if I would take it for them but I said no as we had taken a parcel for them previously, they hadn’t come to collect it and were at best ungrateful and at worst rude when it was taken to them the next day (they didn’t say thanks, and said that it should have been there yesterday.) The guy then delivered to the correct house. 

Clearly this isn’t an accident - the guy knows he won’t be in when a number of his parcels are delivered, it’s not like he’s had to pop out and missed it or ordered something thinking it would arrive during his annual leave and it’s arrived early/late - although I wouldn’t rule out a regular courier remembering that you tend to open the door so it’s easier to unload the parcel that way than make a return trip if he hasn’t set a safe place - it isn’t necessarily that he has instructed them to go to you without your permission.  

I would start not answering the door to deliveries unless you are expecting something (though perhaps you’ll need to around special occasions, in case someone sends a gift without telling you to expect it) or tell the courier that you are no longer accepting parcels for others/only accepting parcels for X (we still take parcels for another neighbour who is sometimes slow to collect, but that’s a single parent who works long hours and is always grateful when parcels are handed over.) You don’t need to speak to him and risk starting a dispute - some people will take exception to being told that what has been fine for a period of time is no longer OK.