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There's a high chance you will be asked to accept a neighbour's parcel as we near Christmas. But could you be signing away their consumer rights and even be exposing yourself to litigation? Parcelhero asks if neighbours really should be there for one another.

As Christmas deliveries get into full swing, many of us are asked to take in a neighbour’s parcels. But could being good Samaritans harm our neighbour’s chance of a refund on damaged goods and could we find ourselves exposed to prosecution if things go wrong? The home delivery expert Parcelhero warns that signing for someone else’s parcels can lead to a legal pass-the-parcel to decide who is responsible.

Parcelhero’s Head of Consumer Research, David Jinks M.I.L.T., says: ‘Few things are more annoying than getting a card telling you that you missed your delivery and you’ll have to travel miles to a depot that shuts at midday. Many of us are relieved when neighbours sign for our deliveries so we happily do the same for them. However, what happens if that parcel is damaged or goes missing?

‘The consequences could surprise you. Goods are the responsibility of the retailer/seller while they are in transit, until they are signed for by the buyer or their nominated neighbour. Ideally, therefore, we and our neighbours should always check parcels before signing to ensure they are intact. In practice, few have the time to check every package. However, if the parcel looks in any way damaged, it really is best to refuse acceptance or, at the very least, write "arrived damaged" when you accept.

‘If the courier has left an item with a neighbour without your permission - even if signed for – you can argue that, by leaving it at a different address, it is still undelivered and therefore remains the responsibility of the seller or courier. However, things are trickier if you gave the seller or courier permission to deliver to a nominated neighbour.

‘However, all is not lost. Even if your neighbour has signed for an item, they haven’t waived all your consumer rights. It may make any claim smoother to highlight a damaged package at the time but it is not a legal necessity.

‘What happens if the parcel is damaged or goes missing after your neighbour has signed for it? In one instance, an elderly gent signed for a neighbour’s delivery. He later went out and returned to find he had been burgled and the package had been taken.

‘Could he be held responsible? The seller tried to argue that the neighbour had failed in his duty of care because he had signed for the parcel but had failed to keep it entirely secure. The neighbour’s insurance company also argued that because it wasn’t his property, the package wasn’t covered so they were not about to pay up either.

‘However, legal experts say that looking after someone’s property means you are under a duty to take reasonable care of the property but the risk of loss or damage stays with the owner.

‘So much for kindly neighbours – what about less saintly ones? What happens if your neighbour flatly denies they ever received and signed for your parcel, even though the courier has a signature?

‘In this case, the answer is clear-cut. Providing no permission was given to deliver to this particular neighbour, no matter if they flatly deny ever signing or claim they later left it on your doormat, the retailer must send you a new item.

‘Signing for parcels can be a pain, particularly if you have taken in large items for neighbours who then take days to collect them. Add to this the threat of legal responsibility and a few of us may be politely turning away couriers in the future.

‘Can we refuse delivery? You’re fully within your rights to refuse delivery of any parcel a driver asks you to accept for a neighbour. You can even display a sticker in your window that says you don’t accept neighbours’ mail and that also means your neighbours won’t be given your deliveries. That sticker in your window might not make you the most popular person in your street, though.

‘To quote a well-known theme song, ”Neighbours should be there for one another.” However, over the issue of parcel deliveries even good neighbours can fall out. If you do decide to sign for a neighbour, at the very least ensure that the package doesn’t look damaged before you sign, that you make a note if it is damaged and that you put the parcel in a safe place until they collect it. That way, good neighbours become good friends.

‘Meanwhile, it’s also time to be thinking about our own parcel shipments. Christmas is approaching faster than we may think. Many couriers are recommending a collection date of 19 December for many popular European destinations. To check how long your parcels may take to arrive, enter its destination and dimensions into Parcelhero’s online parcel price comparison tool. You will then see the date your package is due to be delivered. Remember, if you leave it until the last minute, you will need to pick a more expensive Express delivery service.

‘Using Parcelhero’s price comparison tool can also save people up to 60% off their parcel delivery. For full details of UK and international prices and collection times to ensure your packages arrive by 24 December, see https://www.parcelhero.com

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