Neighbour has parcel for 4 weeks and customer wants replacement
It seems courier delivered parcel to a neighbour. We have looked at google maps and it appears this is true. There is a 15 second walk between houses but customer wants us to replace it as he ordered to be delivered to him.
The parcel has been there for 4 weeks now and by this time the neighbour is not going to pass it over.
The customer is correct it should be delivered to him and there is obligation for him to cross the road to collect it. I don’t know what history is between these neighbours or why it they cannot resolve it themselves but ultimately it is our responsibility to have the parcel delivered as it was ordered.
I have contacted the courier and told them the situation so I am waiting to see what can be done.
I will send a replacement out today to resolve the matter.
However the paranoia that is insidious when dealing with customers makes me angry that I do not want to write off the first parcel to a possible scam. It could just be bad neighbours but I believe it may well be a scam after reading of similar cases on these forums.
So I have to send replacement out and will do so today. It will only be a loss of £12 to us but i don’t like to let people get away with this.
Any suggestions on what to do?
19 replies
Seller_DROodOAYHftnc
Sounds like a bolshy customer ! - and a possible scam.
Personally I would not be sending a replacement, but would message the customer and suggest he retrieves the parcel from his neighbour - it is not your fault he was not in when delivered (presumably), or if he has issues with his neighbour.
Have heard some excuses but that is a new one !
Has the customer specifically told you that their neighbour has it ?
Seller_NoMNQDGnEW5Bx
I don’t think I would replace it either as he doesn’t sound the right genuine sort of customer. I have an issue with my neighbour so we just don’t take each others parcels in. It sounds to me like a great excuse to get 2 parcels and then probably raise an a to z and they’re both free
Seller_PUgTge8LPB8FY
You obviously understand and grasp this unpleasant truth, though many sellers don’t.
The trouble is, we can’t pass this responsibility off onto couriers because the law doesn’t allow us to. We remain responsible, no matter how many times Hermes (or whoever) let us down. Of course, this is why couriers are so blasé about actually delivering anything.
Our company no longer does FBM in the UK, but in the days when we were still doing it, we looked at these situations in terms of business costs. How much of your executive time are you prepared to spend on dealing with what might, or might not, be a scam?
Seller_4MlYJvoHfdkDh
Remember, you don’t know the parcel has been with the neighbour for 4 weeks, the buyer could have well gone and got it the first day.
Its our responsibilty to deliver orders, but its also the customers responsibility to be at the address to receive it.
Consider if it was a RM parcel and it went to his post office to collect. Would they refuse to do so?
Seller_idCSjD35wINVo
okay so I have messaged the customer and agreed that it is our responsibility to have it delivered to their door as ordered. I have stated that the DPD evidence shows it was delivered to a neighbour who should have had decency to pass it on before now if they took it in on their behalf. I asked if they can ask the neighbour for it or if there is a reason why they can’t do this. I said if they cannot do so we will ask courier if they can collect it from neighbour and deliver it to them. (pick it up and walk across road with it) If we cannot retrieve it from neighbour we will send a replacement out and will probably have to contact the police about possible theft as we have proof of delivery to the neighbour.
Seller_tHeLFV1jBxBsG
Hi,
I appreciate the views of the posters but as someone in a similar situation, may I just put the other side of the coin.
I have only 1 neighbour and for reasons that I won’t go into, I will have nothing to do with him. We have an A4 note on our porch door telling couriers that I will not accept parcels for my neighbour and deliveries for me MUST NOT be left with him but still, some drivers leave parcels for him in our porch and vice versa. Now that parcels are dropped off without a signature, I cannot refuse the parcel as by the time I find it, its too late. When this happens, I take the parcel and put it on his front door step but when he has received parcels for me, I have found them out outside my gate. He even left a book, wrapped in Amazon card envelope, on the gatepost in the rain.
When an item is damaged or not received, having gone via my neighbour, I expect the seller to make my order right and take it up with their courier. After all, if I purchase something … ‘I expect it to be delivered to me’. I will always co-operate with the seller if they need information to claim from their courier.
Seller_idCSjD35wINVo
This saga continues with the customer stating this today
“Please let me know when I will get the product as you did not deliver it to my address and you have made some serious accusations that I object to”
He never responded to my question if he could go to number 2 and ask for his parcel. Never answered if there was a difficulty with doing this or with his neighbour. At this point I think I will refund him but i absolutely hate to leave the parcel out there. 
Seller_4MlYJvoHfdkDh
If there are two houses, and they often get it wrong, I think both of you need to look into better signage / house numbers.
If all couriers are doing this, I don’t think it’s them that are the common denominator 
Seller_xUKHc5xSYJmI4
Normally the postal worker would leave a card saying the order is left with the neighbour and this information will be then uploaded onto the tracking information. I am surprised to hear the neighbour who lives 15 seconds away would keep the parcel this length of time.(4 Weeks)
Seller_idCSjD35wINVo
Not sure where to go with this now. The neighbour is apparently a friend even though they have had this parcel for 8 weeks now. Although he hasn’t clearly said it, it seems to be that he is insinuating that the neighbour did not receive the parcel either. He identified the courier delivery photo as a neighbours house but in 8 weeks has never denied the neighbour received it. After I pointed out that the neighbour could be investigated for theft for holding on to this parcel if we reported it to police I then received this rant:
You have not delivered the product to me and so I demand I get it immediately.
Also I am an 81 year old Pensioner and to involve me by threatening action against my neighbours who are friends is on line bullying and intimidation. and totally unacceptable.
Having said that they are both highly respected in social, economic and political circles I will support them should you decide to follow through on involving the police.
To do this with NO proof of delivery other than a photo of a car and house but no photographic evidence of them accepting the product is stupid.
So do what you want but I will take now whatever action I feel necessary to expose your disgusting behaviour and language with Amazon in an effort to get the product
