A nasty trick for stealing neighbour's deliveries

bipedalhumanoid

I live in a location where the numbers run 1, 1a, 2, 2a ... etc. I live in a house without an "a".

My neighbour has covered up their house number so that it isn't visible from the street. So lets say my house is number 12 and my neighbour's house is 11a. A courier trying to deliver to me sees number 11 and assumes the next house is number 12 when in fact it is my neighbour's house, 11a, and delivers our package to them.

I know for a fact that at least one package was delivered to them and they just kept it. The retailer who sent it followed it up with the courier who claims he delivered it to my house and described my neighbour as the person who signed for it.

The retailer just sent us a replacement item, so there is no loss to us unless there are other packages sent to us from other people that I don't know about.

Anyone else come across this nonsense before?

Atlantic Dawn

It's pure theft, no trick in it.

Purple Mountain

Why would you even bother?

mvl

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

I live in a location where the numbers run 1, 1a, 2, 2a ... etc. I live in a house without an "a".

My neighbour has covered up their house number so that it isn't visible from the street. So lets say my house is number 12 and my neighbour's house is 11a. A courier trying to deliver to me sees number 11 and assumes the next house is number 12 when in fact it is my neighbour's house, 11a, and delivers our package to them.

I know for a fact that at least one package was delivered to them and they just kept it. The retailer who sent it followed it up with the courier who claims he delivered it to my house and described my neighbour as the person who signed for it.

The retailer just sent us a replacement item, so there is no loss to us unless there are other packages sent to us from other people that I don't know about.

Anyone else come across this nonsense before?

did this person really sign as you and you may have a witness ? is this an issue for the guards then ?

bipedalhumanoid

mvl wrote: »

did this person really sign as you and you may have a witness ? is this an issue for the guards then ?

As I understand it, because I hadn't taken ownership of the goods yet, the neighbour technically stole from the retailer who has chosen not to pursue it.

Reati

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

As I understand it, because I hadn't taken ownership of the goods yet, the neighbour technically stole from the retailer who has chosen not to pursue it.

Isn't mail theft a crime. Surely you reporting it and a visit for the Garda síochána Would nip it in the bud.

I assume basised in this you don't get on with the neighbours else you'd have asked them wtf already.

shar01

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

My neighbour has covered up their house number so that it isn't visible from the street.

Is it possible to remove whatever is covering their house number?

whiskeyman

Is there a field for additional notes?
Perhaps referencing a distinguishing feature of your house?

Alternatively, would the Eircode work?

dudara

I’m not disputing the fact that they signed for your parcel, but claiming they covered up their house number to do so is too much of a stretch for me.

How have they covered up their house number? Some people may not like living in an “a” house.

davo10

dudara wrote: »

I’m not disputing the fact that they signed for your parcel, but claiming they covered up their house number to do so is too much of a stretch for me.

How have they covered up their house number? Some people may not like living in an “a” house.

And by covering up their number they risk their goods being delivered to someone else as well. Long thin stretch for me.

killanena

Pretty sure its illegal to open a letter or package that isn't addressed to you, but for this exact reason I use parcel motel. Some retailers won't be honorable and send a replacement and if you buy off eBay off just normal people selling you've no hope if its been signed for.

rgodard80a

whiskeyman wrote: »

Alternatively, would the Eircode work?

Even "An Post" uses the house number rather than EirCode.

I received a neighbours letter, where it had our house number but their EirCode.
I looked up the EirCode to find the real address 5 doors down.

rgodard80a

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

As I understand it, because I hadn't taken ownership of the goods yet, the neighbour technically stole from the retailer who has chosen not to pursue it.

Lots of couriers will ask neighbours to take in a parcel, to avoid extra delivery attempts. Maybe they just signed as you to accept it for you.

When you found out that the item was flagged as delivered, did you go around to the neighbour to ask if they had taken it in ?

Could it still be sitting on their kitchen table waiting for you to come around?

Reati

dudara wrote: »

I’m not disputing the fact that they signed for your parcel, but claiming they covered up their house number to do so is too much of a stretch for me.

How have they covered up their house number? Some people may not like living in an “a” house.

I dunno. I work with someone who had a falling out with the neighbour and it was a horror story of things like this and other subtle forms of annoyance to harass them. All stemmed out of an extension the neighbour objected to but council granted it. People do weird **** when they think they are in the right and can get away with it.

The op hasn't given any details of talking to the neighbor or if there has been a falling out. So we don't know background.

ArthurG

All a bit fantastical for me.

If they definitely have it, why not call around and ask for it, given the retailer has confirmed they signed for it?.

If its valuable, and there is evidence they signed for it, why not report it to the Gardai?.

c6ysaphjvqw41k

This post has been deleted.

Del2005

rgodard80a wrote: »

Lots of couriers will ask neighbours to take in a parcel, to avoid extra delivery attempts. Maybe they just signed as you to accept it for you.

When you found out that the item was flagged as delivered, did you go around to the neighbour to ask if they had taken it in ?

Could it still be sitting on their kitchen table waiting for you to come around?

They usually leave a note at the place they haven't delivered to let you know. If they don't you can't go around asking random neighbours if they have a package for you, it's the delivery companies job to inform you if they deliver to a different location.

ArthurG wrote: »

All a bit fantastical for me.

If they definitely have it, why not call around and ask for it, given the retailer has confirmed they signed for it?.

If its valuable, and there is evidence they signed for it, why not report it to the Gardai?.

The OP can't take the item as they have already got a replacement and it would be some type of theft if they then got the original package. What the neighbour might or might not have done is nothing to do with the OP as they had no part in the delivery process, that's for the vendor and courier company to resolve.

I had a package for delivery 2 weeks ago and got a text and email saying it'd be delivered by COB. Nobody called to my place and when I checked the tracking it hadn't updated from the morning, this was a Thursday. Checked on Monday and still no update on tracking so I contacted the courier company and was told that it was nothing to do with me* and escalate to the vendor. I'm getting a replacement part from the vendor now as the courier lost the original.


* The reply was politer than that and they even called me as the vendor hadn't contacted them after a few days.

Axwell

OP you dont mention making any effort to contact your neighbour to get your package - that would be what anyone would do first off if they knew it was delivered there.

From your post it also seems there is no current situation, that you are just saying ‘what if’ people sent other packages and they didnt arrive, but you havent had any other issues with ones you have ordered so it seems like an isolated one off.

As regards what to do from now on why dont you a) speak to your neighbour and/or (b) put a more visible sign at the front of your property closer to the street clearly identifying you as number 12. You could even have one with 11a and an arrow if you really wanted as long as its on your property, the neighbour would not be entitled to come and remove it.

SortingYouOut

OP - Request a copy of the signature to be sent to your email address.

If it's AnPost, they have an automated system for this and all you need is the tracking number. Just track it on their site and there's a checkbox for a request of delivery record.

bipedalhumanoid

I haven't posted details of anything I've done to rectify the issue because it's not relevant to the question. I'm not asking for advice on how to resolve it, I'm asking if anyone has come across this kind of behaviour before. i.e. is it a known scam? But I do appreciate the suggestions nontheless, so thanks for your concern.

I don't want to say what is blocking the number to protect my anonymity, but it is something that is odd to see in its present location.

The failure to pass on a package is a once off incident as far as I know, however, people attempting to deliver at the wrong house is absolutely not. We've had cases where we have spotted couriers delivering to the wrong house and called them over. We've had cases where couriers have attempted delivery multiple times while the neighbour was not home (and I was) resulting in me having to collect the package in person because they thought I wasn't home (and must have left the delivery attempt slips in the neighbour's mailbox because I didn't get any). We've had takeaway food delivery guys knock on their door before realising they were at the wrong house many times.

It may well be the case that this item was placed there without the intention of stealing packages, but it very soon became clear to them that our packages going to their house was the effect.

Someone suggested the neighbour's mail would also go missing, but that makes no sense. Their mail says on it 11a. Delivery guy sees the number 11 house and knows 11a must be the next one. In our case the package is for number 12. The driver sees number 11 and thinks the house next to it must be number 12, but it is 11a.

Also, this doesn't happen with regular mail. The mailman is going door to door, he knows how the houses are numbered. This only happens when a person is trying to find our address specifically.

Wabbit Ears

Improve the visibility of your apartment number and this should stop being an issue. You can't control how clear your neighbour's numbers are but you can control your own.

bipedalhumanoid

Wabbit Ears wrote: »

Improve the visibility of your apartment number and this should stop being an issue. You can't control how clear your neighbour's numbers are but you can control your own.

Axwell suggested the same, yes I have done that. A nice big number very visible from the neighbour's yard. Seems to be working so far.

illdoit2morrow

Just order a burger with coleslaw on it next time, your neighbour will soon stop accepting deliveries after that.

bipedalhumanoid

rgodard80a wrote: »

Lots of couriers will ask neighbours to take in a parcel, to avoid extra delivery attempts. Maybe they just signed as you to accept it for you.

When you found out that the item was flagged as delivered, did you go around to the neighbour to ask if they had taken it in ?

Could it still be sitting on their kitchen table waiting for you to come around?

You're making assumptions about the timeline.

This went on for some time before we found out the delivery had been made to the wrong house as opposed to just being lost in transit. In fact, we already had the replacement item before that.

At that point they did provide a description of the person who received the parcel, but descriptions aren't perfect and for all we knew at that time it could have gone to someone we don't even know on a different street. It wasn't until we noticed other delivery drivers going to the wrong house that we realised which house it must have gone to. And even then, we thought they just didn't have a number, more time passed before we realised they did have one and it was hidden.

The courier thinks he delivered it to our house, so it's not like they told us our next door neighbour received it and they certainly didn't leave us a attempted delivery slip advising of where it is.

If it's still sitting on a kitchen table, it's been there for 7 months or so.

Bandana boy

Send a box of Bees there way , that will learn em to open another persons package

victor8600

Bandana boy wrote: »

Send a box of Bees there way , that will learn em to open another persons package

Bees are too valuable, send wasps instead.

Mike3549

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

In our case the package is for number 12. The driver sees number 11 and thinks the house next to it must be number 12, but it is 11a.

Nah, when i do deliveries and see no 11, i know that next no can be 10, 11a, 12 or 13. You have to look at the pattern, you cannot just guess

bipedalhumanoid

Mike3549 wrote: »

Nah, when i do deliveries and see no 11, i know that next no can be 10, 11a, 12 or 13. You have to look at the pattern, you cannot just guess

If only all couriers were so attentive.

Reati

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

If only all couriers were so attentive.

They are.... that's part of the scam you are seeing remember?

pleas advice

bipedalhumanoid wrote: »

The courier thinks he delivered it to our house, so it's not like they told us our next door neighbour received it and they certainly didn't leave us a attempted delivery slip advising of where it is.

If it's still sitting on a kitchen table, it's been there for 7 months or so.

the next time you see him, ask him 'hey, hows that new [whatever] going for you?'

bipedalhumanoid

Reati wrote: »

They are.... that's part of the scam you are seeing remember?

Not really following your logic there.