Neighborhood Christmas package drama...

[unsinkable]

This was on that Neighborhood app. I don't belong but it is in my neighborhood.

A woman posted that she came home from work at 11:30 pm on the 23rd to find mis-delivered packages on her porch. She figured it was too late to take them to the correct house and so brought them in her house and was planning on delivering them in the morning when she got up.

At barely 7 am on the 24th, the neighbors to whom the packages belonged were ringing her bell/knocking on her door...And waking her up, since she had worked so late. She gave them their packages, explaining that she didn't want to bring them over so late, etc...

A very short time later, the neighbors were back, saying she still had one of their packages, according to UPS, it was at her house. She said, no, you've got everything that I found on my porch. Neighbors left.

About 30 minutes later...the POLICE ARE AT HER DOOR, asking about their packages!!! When she explained why she brought the packages in her home (11:30 at night!) And why she hadn't delivered them by 7:00 am (worked til 11 pm, still in bed) the police left.

Holy moly! Merry Christmas, Neighbor!

[mmasc]

WTH?!! I’d be wanting some new neighbors if I was that lady. Lesson learned I guess. Next time I’d just leave them wherever they were delivered if I was in her position. Sheesh

ETA: also, I wonder if they had HER address on them? Like maybe the bad neighbors purposely delivered them to her house? (Hide things from kids) Which is not cool without permission anyway, but they sound to be of the rude type, so maybe... otherwise, how would they have known at 7am that they were delivered to this lady’s house? Wouldn’t it have just ‘delivered’, which would mean they had no idea where their package was bc it’s not on their porch???

Edited December 27, 2019 by mmasc
I’m still analyzing this

[Sallie Mae]

I signed up for to receive texts updates on where my packages from UPS. When I receive the first text about a particular package, I'm always given the option to "deliver to a neighbor." I've wondered how many people get permission from their neighbors to do that. I bet there are a lot of stories of things going badly when delivered to a neighbor.

[Tree Frog]

Per a conversation on NextDoor a few years ago, a neighbor found out if a package was misdelivered, the person who received items they didn't order could keep them. I certainly don't believe the right thing to do is to keep them, but as I recollect, the police refused to get involved in that particular case. (It was a complete patio set, so large and expensive.) The person who placed the order never got his furniture. Maybe the policy is different in different states?

Does UPS regularly give out the address of the house the items were delivered to? And if the neighbor knew the packages were misdelivered, why didn't she pick them up before 11:30 pm? I'm with mmasc. Something sounds fishy. 

I would be furious to be woken up early to someone who was demanding something from me, even if it belonged to them. They could at least be polite and apologetic for disturbing the homeowner! 

 

[Tree Frog]

2 hours ago, Sallie Mae said:

I signed up for to receive texts updates on where my packages from UPS. When I receive the first text about a particular package, I'm always given the option to "deliver to a neighbor." I've wondered how many people get permission from their neighbors to do that. I bet there are a lot of stories of things going badly when delivered to a neighbor.

We've never had this option. I wish we had when dd ordered her computer and it had to be signed for. I have neighbors who would be glad to sign for it and hold it until we returned. Instead, we missed it the first and second delivery times, but we arrived home just after the second delivery attempt, so we were able to chase down the delivery truck.

[alisoncooks]

My goodness, how insane. Next time, she should leave them on the porch to (potentially) get stolen. Sheesh!

Edited December 27, 2019 by alisoncooks

[unsinkable]

I don't know what sounds fishy. 

UPS did tell the package owners where they left packages. The driver figured out/described where they were left and it was the neighbor's house.

Plus both parties were posting the same info from their own point of view until the package owner deleted all her posts bc people were saying she was wrong to call the police.

[catz]

During December, it's not unusual for me and DH to not know where/when stuff is coming or not to be reading small print on boxes before just bringing them in.  Both of us are ordering stuff and people send us stuff. Boxes often sit in our entry way for a few days before getting looked and and opened.   That piece doesn't seem weird to me at all.   I am not responsible for poor quality delivery service or the neighbor's medical supplies.  Of course, I would right anything I knew was wrong but it wouldn't occur to me to try to resolve an issue after about 8 or 9 pm if I bothered to look closely that late in the day.  

I'm pretty surprised police would respond to a call like this.    

[Wheres Toto]

1 hour ago, FuzzyCatz said:

During December, it's not unusual for me and DH to not know where/when stuff is coming or not to be reading small print on boxes before just bringing them in.  Both of us are ordering stuff and people send us stuff. Boxes often sit in our entry way for a few days before getting looked and and opened.   That piece doesn't seem weird to me at all.   I am not responsible for poor quality delivery service or the neighbor's medical supplies.  Of course, I would right anything I knew was wrong but it wouldn't occur to me to try to resolve an issue after about 8 or 9 pm if I bothered to look closely that late in the day.  

I'm pretty surprised police would respond to a call like this.    

I'm sure the person reported her packages were stolen, otherwise I doubt the police would respond.

We get a ton of packages, especially in December.  They often get stacked on the table, or if I'm expecting things for the science center, I just put them in my car without really looking at them. 

I received a package this month that was addressed to someone with exactly my first and last name but in Virginia (I'm in NJ).   I opened the package because it had a new label with my name and address.  I have no idea who decided to forward it to me but it was not mine or anything I ordered (or would order, it was a Washington Nationals jersey).  

[Scarlett]

2 hours ago, HeighHo said:

 

I received some else's order earlier this year...it was clearly medical. The boxes were too heavy for me to carry them a few streets over to the address.  I called UPS and they asked me to leave the packages where they were; the dispatcher had the driver come back and get them, then take them to the correct address.  I would never take someone's order inside for hours, it could be medication or medical equipment they need asap.

Better than leaving it outside for thieves.

[Murphy101]

Good grief. I’d be tempted to kick the next errant delivery all the way to her curb.  And I’d tell her to never come to my house or I’ll consider it trespassing. If it happens again, she can just wait for UPS to come correct their mistake. 

We get medical supplies all the time - please bring it in! Frozen or over-heated  insulin is to be avoided. If they need their meds ASAP, they can knock on the door and politely plead their situation. Btdt too. 

[Sk8ermaiden]

4 hours ago, HeighHo said:

 

I received some else's order earlier this year...it was clearly medical. The boxes were too heavy for me to carry them a few streets over to the address.  I called UPS and they asked me to leave the packages where they were; the dispatcher had the driver come back and get them, then take them to the correct address.  I would never take someone's order inside for hours, it could be medication or medical equipment they need asap.

She got home at 11:30 pm.

[Excelsior! Academy]

I would've done the same thing.  Post a message on NextDoor saying, "I have your packages," bring the packages in, and plan to deliver in the morning by 9 am or so.  I would've been livid if the police showed up at 7am.  

[Farrar]

"Thanks for clarifying what we should all do in this situation. Got that everyone? Put errant packages on the street in the middle of the night with a note that says, Take Me. So glad to have been schooled by the neighbors on the right way to deal with this situation. Enjoy your stuff, everyone."

[Janeway]

On 12/27/2019 at 4:35 PM, unsinkable said:

I don't know what sounds fishy. 

UPS did tell the package owners where they left packages. The driver figured out/described where they were left and it was the neighbor's house.

Plus both parties were posting the same info from their own point of view until the package owner deleted all her posts bc people were saying she was wrong to call the police.

It is fishy because they probably did not find out at 7am where the packages were. They probably got a notice when it was delivered. My guess is, they did not check their email or texts until the next morning. But things are not supposed to be delivered after 8pm so why did they not know the night before?