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EDIT: Meant this to go in chat, not bikes - soz!
Am I being unreasonable?
This morning we had an unexpected delivery from DPD. A gift, it transpired from our daughter. We live right out in the sticks on a tiny lane which is also a bridleway. There is one more property a few hundred yards beyond ours before the bridleway becomes impassable to vehicles with no turning room, so is in effect a dead end. The van reversed up to our gate so he could turn round after our delivery.
We get a fair few Amazon and other deliveries at the moment. We are in all the time like everyone else, so they place the parcels over the gate on our driveway. On this occasion I happened to be outside so expected him to do just this. He said he wanted to come through a side gate, through my front door and get a picture of the parcel in my porch to prove he had crossed our threshold to deliver. I explained this wasn't necessary as I was stood outside and happy to accept the parcel right there if he simply placed it on the ground. He insisted he go into our porch!
My wife is on the especially vulnerable list due to a health condition, so we are being really careful about contact. I explained this and saying as a result I didn't want to risk my wife's health (or his) by having someone not from the household opening doors and gates and coming inside my front porch. Especially as it was completely unnecessary - I was outside and happy for him to leave it with me. He claimed that this was DPD policy and he couldn't deviate from it.
Now I know these guys work hard and are a lifeline in these troubled times but this is ridiculous. I made it clear that I had no issue with him personally, but DPD's policy is wrong and he wouldn't be coming into my house.
After saying he would have to take it away, making a phone call and more discussion, he eventually agreed to leave it on my gate post, provided I wrote a note "authorising" this for him to photograph.
I am left mulling this over and wondering if the anxiety of the current situation has clouded my judgement and I need to 6chill out, or I am justified. I have sent an email to DPD outlining my concerns (about their policy - not the driver). In the heat of the moment I may have been quite "forthright". And chill... the sun is out
He claimed that this was DPD policy and he couldn’t deviate from it.
There have been threads on here about evidence of deliveries (when it turns out something hasn't arrived) being a photo of the object with no identifying surroundings - which neither confirms the delivery for the sender or helps the recipient prove its not their house - so I guess they need a photo of your object that definitely shows its at your property
Understand that and I was happy for him to photograph it inside my gate, in my hands even on the doorstep. It was his insistence in coming through my front door that I didn't like.
I think you were both a little bit unreasonable but both for the right intentions
What was the present though?!
DPD couriers are mostly self-employed and only get paid for successful deliveries. The measure of successful is set by DPD themselves and the drivers have to satisfy that for every single job they do. If that driver has had a run of people claiming to not have their delivery and he didn't have proof he had delivered it then he would be down a bunch of pay. To stop this he's now following the rules to the letter or he takes the parcel back. Totally understandable from the driver's point of view but really problematic in your situation. It should be on DPD's shoulders to allow a bit of flexibility in the current climate but that depends upon their dispatch manager's interpretations of any correspondence from head office on what they'll allow.
In your situation I would have just gone back in the house, let him do what he needed to do then pick up the parcel once he had left. Disinfect the box if you want to, better to be safe. At least you've gone the right way about complaining, at the company not the driver. You'll get a much better result that way.
To make things easier for when you order stuff (I know you didn't place this order, but worth remembering for future orders) nominate a designated place for the driver to leave it, most companies allow you to do this under Special Instructions. If you can, also leave a little note at that place saying 'Leave here', that way the driver can do his photo to cover his arse and you get the parcel left at a safe distance from your wife. With the amount of people working from home or off work altogether the multi-drop delivery drivers are running ragged and really are trying their best in tough situations. Personally I'd say you may have over-reacted a bit but in the circumstances not enough to be unreasonable. Without knowing the driver he could have been an arse but the majority aren't and will help in any way they can.
I'm so glad that my courier company only deal in business-to-business work. I know a lot of the regular couriers through meeting them day-to-day and they're all saying it's really tough to toe the fine line between keeping themselves and their customers safe and getting the proof of delivery they need whilst still getting all their jobs done. They all have tails of some recipients refusing to self distance from them when accepting a parcel, refusing to allow a picture in lieu of a signature and one I know was attacked for daring to be 20 mins later than the tracker software said she'd be. She's off work for a while with bruising and a nasty graze down her right arm from being pushed over.
Don't forget that neither the companies or the drivers were expecting to be working under the current conditions so rules and flexibility is being interpreted differently by almost everyone. Hopefully you get an explanation and a way of safely taking other deliveries.
It was his insistence in coming through my front door that I didn’t like.
I agree entirely.
I wouldn’t let a courier inside the house anyway, CoronaVirus risk or not.
It’s just not not necessary for the purposes of delivering a parcel.
weeksy
Subscriber
I think you were both a little bit unreasonable but both for the right intentions
Yeah probably. Tbh I was a bit annoyed with myself afterwards for letting it get to me like that. Lockdown fever perhaps, but my OH's health was uppermost in my mind
rOcKeTdOg
Subscriber
What was the present though?!
Easter chocolate! 😍 She's a good girl! This calmed me down a bit more ☺
Reluctant jumper, thanks for your wise words and insight. I feel for the driver, just hope I get some kind of answer off DPD.
nealglovver, exactly. This was the crux of my issue.
Had a few couriers visit over the last couple of weeks including DPD and a photo of the parcel leaning against the door with me at the door is all that has been required to prove the parcel was left with a person and not just left on the doorstep. No demands or requirements for the parcel to have actually passed the threshold, just photographic evidence it has been delivered to a person and not just dumped.
@wobbliscott that sounds perfectly reasonable, I'd have no issue with that. That's what normally happens with our deliveries including previous DPD ones.
The only time I've had couriers being cautious is when I've been outside my house... The last guy was polite but asked me to unlock the front door to prove I wasn't some random passerby trying it on.
I think you were both a little bit unreasonable but both for the right intentions
What's unreasonable about OP not wanting this unknown bloke, who has been in dozens of other people's houses that day, in his house when his wife is vulnerable?
Did are usually pretty good. I had one leave a parcel at my front door step, me 8n the hall with door open and a photo with me in it proved it was me picking it up. That seemed reasonable.
Currently have a yodel delivery “delivered” yesterday “covid - unable to sign” on the tracking - we were in all day, in the garden in view of the front gate, no sign of any package anywhere.
Yodel social distancing must be very cautious. Who knows where my parcel is?
Seller said try your neighbours but they’re all elderly and locked down. It’s not really the time for random door knocking...
I had a similar delivery from dpd, he kept his distance as I happened to be gardening, he left it near my front door which was ajar and took a pic, job done. No need to enter the porch, just common sense interpretation of the policy. A photo of you with parcel and the house in the background would be more than sufficient.
On another occasion, I had a knock on the door, driver was half way down the path, he took a snap of parcel probably with my legs in the background then waved goodbye, Simple.