So my son and I were at home this morning. He was in our living room playing with his toys and I had run into my bedroom to quickly change, as we'd just had a potty accident and I'd been hit with some overspray lol
Anyway, I was in my bedroom, which is near the back of our home when someone knocked on the door. I was in the middle of changing, so I didn't rush to open it. I was expecting a delivery today, so I figured the guy would leave it on our porch (as is usually done) or if it was someone else, they'd knock a second time and I'd have a couple minutes to finish dressing.
Well, I was in the middle of pulling on my shirt when I heard our front door open and my son said "hey!". A man called "UPS" into the house, dropped a package inside and shut the door.
This has kind of weirded me out, because I thought it was just unusual. We normally aren't home on a weekday morning (today was kind of an odd day for us) and our front door is locked, even if we are home so I've never had this happen before. Today we'd gone to the doctor and I must have forgotten to lock to door when we got back. We live in a small town, but I'm from a larger city so I tend to lock my door when I come in (old habits die hard).
What's bothering me is that the delivery guy opened my door and dropped off the package instead of just leaving it at the door (which would be fine because we have a covered porch which is protected from the elements). I do live in a small town, so maybe this is just a thing here, but I thought it was weird.
My question is, has anyone else ever had a delivery guy (who you don't know) leave a package for you inside your house? Again, packages are usually left for us outside on the porch, not dropped inside my living room.
I checked the UPS website for delivery procedures, and it basically says if you don't answer they'll leave it at the door or take the package and try again. Nothing about putting stuff inside your house. I don't want to make a big deal about it if this is a common practice for delivery guys, but I thought it was very unusual and since my son was in our living room (where the door opens to) by himself when our door was opened by a stranger, it bothers me. I plan to call UPS during nap-time to report/ask if this is normal, but it'll be a couple of hours before that so I thought I'd ask for some other input.
Thanks in advance!
ETA: A few have suggested that my son could have opened the door, so I'd like to clarify: DS is two and can't open our door. He can turn the handle, but not far enough to unlock the mechanism. I've watched him try several times and his little hands just can't get it turned far enough.
Also we have wood floors and DS tromps through the house like a herd of elephants whenever he moves, so I would have heard him walk to the door. :)
Around here delivery drivers usually leave things at the door. I have had them open the screen door and put an envelope or thin box between the front and screen door, but never saw them open or try to open the main door. That would creep me out, too.
Super weird.
Is the package he dropped an actual package you ordered? Was it actually the UPS guy? I'm assuming it was since you didn't mention differently, but yikes. If it's not, then call the police, but otherwise yes, I would absolutely be calling UPS!
I got to know our UPS Delivery man - he was a great guy - in 20 years he NEVER opened our door - EVER. I sent him a text after reading this and he said - NO. Doesn't happen. He asked if you have a porch that is enclosed - one that has two doors? He might not have known.
He said to call your local UPS office and let them know what happened - date, time, etc.
You *heard* the front door open after a knock. Maybe your son opened the door?
Here in New York City they would certainly never walk into a private home or apartment. But they would try to leave packages inside a protected building lobby instead of outside if possible. For a private home in any city or town it seems like leaving packages outside the front or back door would be most common.
My guess is that he knocked, called out UPS and then mistook some noise from inside (TV? your child babbling? or some noise) and thought he heard an acknowledgement.
When he realized it was the child and not an adult, he just slipped the box inside and left.
Ours knock and leave on doorstep - but then I'm typically only one here. Doors are locked. So have not been in this situation.
I have had a delivery man offer to bring a large parcel inside for me but I know him (to chat with). I said no as felt it was awkward and would have to come right inside as our hallway didn't have space for it.
That's my best guess. But no - typically - they don't. They wouldn't want to - too great a chance for letting a cat out, not latching door properly when they left, etc. I would think this is very unlikely. I really think he must have thought he heard an acknowledgment/sound of some sort (that you might not have heard from your part of the house). He must have noticed car in drive, etc. and felt someone was home.
That's pretty creepy. I would for sure call and speak to someone about this. Hopefully it's just a new (and oblivious!) employee who didn't mean any harm.
If my door is closed then it is locked unless I specifically unlock it.
Perhaps consider changing your lock for this feature. I personally wouldn’t want to tell on the delivery guy and potentially get him in trouble. I would Just make sure my doors were in fact locked at all times.
Are you sure your son didn't open the door?
This is very strange because in all my years of dealing with ups they've never attempted to open my door. I don't think they do that.
That said.. my doors stay locked at all times. I'm in a safe neighborhood but there's no reason to leave that to chance.
Chalk it up to a learned experience and lock your doors.
We keep our doors locked even when we're at home.
The most any delivery person has done at our house is ring the doorbell to let us know a package is on the porch.
This happened to us two weeks ago! My very friendly lab/shepherd mix about lost it on the guy.
I've been buying stuff from Amazon since '95. I've always bought most of my clothes via catalogs. Never has a delivery person opened our door -until now.
A UPS guy did it.
We did move recently, but it really freaked me out.
I think you need to calm down. Delivery drivers have to pass a background check to get their jobs.
I work in Outside Sales in residential neighborhoods everyone in my company has to pass a Federal background check in order to get the job. I am assigned a certain number of addresses each month and my job is to make contact with the decision maker at that address. If I see them in their garage or backyard I go and talk to them. If I would just knock on the front door they are not going to hear it in the backyard. Sometimes people get upset when I walk into their garage or backyard but my job is to make contact.
UPS and USPS open my door and put stuff inside all the time (if the door is unlocked). I am always grateful when they do as although the porch is "covered", it doesn't fully protect from the elements, nor from someone walking off with my package (unlikely this would happen, but who knows).
I do live in a small town and this is common with all my neighbors. Fed Ex guy doesn't do this - who knows why.
Don't call and get the guy in trouble. If you don't like it, next time you have a delivery, see if you can't leave him a note letting him know not to do that. I can't imagine the hassles that delivery guys have to put up with and I'm sure that he/she thought they were doing you a favor.
Is it possible your son opened the door?
It is odd (unheard of to me) for UPS to open the person's door.
Assuming that your son didn't open the unlocked door, this is unusual. I would be freaked out too! I would definitely call UPS and let them know.
that's creepy and weird.
if my garage is open they'll leave the boxes inside it, which i appreciate since we don't have anywhere to leave packages that are weather-safe.
but i'd be very very unhappy at a delivery guy opening my door uninvited. i tend to float around the house in the buff.
it would be a bad moment for both of us.
khairete
S.
Absolutely not normal, this is a huge invasion of privacy not to mention, trespassing. I would definitely report this. He is lucky he didn't encounter an armed homeowner or he'd be in the hospital now dealing with a gunshot wound, but that is the risk you take when you welcome yourself into someone's home by opening the door, trespassing, and having a homeowner think you're a robber. I guess people know better here, with the "Stand Your Ground" laws so that would be unheard of.
I'm surprised that he opened the door. We have two indoor cats that escape.from time to time. Another reason for delivery men to not open the door.
I would be upset if the cats got out. I would not be freaked if I saw the package.
