[lillecarl]

In Sweden where I live, if it doesn't fit in your mailbox you'll have to pick it up somewhere.

In Germany a friend of mine told me that if they're not home at time of delivery Amazon's shipping partner will intentionally deliver to her neighbors, smaller city though but I guess culture is indeed different.

[iSnow]

>In Germany a friend of mine told me that if they're not home at time of delivery Amazon's shipping partner will intentionally deliver to her neighbors

It's quite common in Germany to accept parcels for neighbors - but that's also because in Germany, a lot of people live in flats in small-ish housing blocks where you know your neighbors. So, like 6-12 flats per house, not high-rises.

But we have the same problems in Germany as described in the article: especially Amazon's own drivers frequently just don't try to ring but instead just leave the boxes outside or just throw them into the hall.

The German postal system has pretty good public lockers, years before we got Amazon Lockers here. Used them a lot, but lately due to fragmentation of the delivery market and those DHL lockers being reserved for the postal system, I more frequently have to drive to some bar or kiosk to fetch my boxes when the sender chooses a different logistics partner.

[svl]

This is the normal procedure in the Netherlands as well, for I think all-but-one of the package delivery services. If you're not home, delivery goes to one of the neighbours (could be 5-6 houses away if the driver already knows that that one is at home). Might not be common in the inner cities, but definitely in towns and suburbs. Good for social cohesion, as otherwise we wouldn't see most of these people for months at a time.

It's common to such a degree that many of the shipping forms on webshops have a dedicated field to indicate that you don't want this, though I've never felt the need to use this; definitely more convenient to walk over to the neighbours than to a pickup point.

[yetihehe]

In Poland delivery drivers just call you and ask what do you want to be done with package. If you don't respond, package waits in delivery center. Phone number is typically required field.

[lillecarl]

I'm reluctant to bring COVID19 into this conversation, but the reason Sweden managed "OK" (In relation to how nonexistent our regulations were) is because we're "the most" (don't have source) isolated people in the world.

We don't talk to strangers, we don't have the kiss on the cheek thing, we stand in well formed distanced lines, we avoid interaction at "any cost".

I would love it if this delivery thing was the normal procedure in Sweden, it builds trust and relationships in your surroundings. These days unless you live in a teeny village you don't really know your neighbors, other than what car they're driving, so that you can buy a more expensive one with borrowed money next time.

Our national anthem says something like "I wanna live and i wanna die in the Nordics", yeah nah!

[Freak_NL]

Handing a package to your neighbour at the door is really not a significant vector for infection with Covid19. You can easily keep a safe distance.

[lillecarl]

I think I didn't get my point through, it wasn't about covid but rather that we don't interact socially with people we don't already know / know through someone.

I agree that your solution is great.

[motogpjimbo]

In the UK, delivering to neighbours is standard if the parcel doesn't fit through the mailbox. I'm surprised to hear that's not the case elsewhere?

[kwhitefoot]

I don't want my post delivered to my neighbour. I much prefer the system we have which sends me a text saying that the package has arrived at the nearest pickup point which is a supermarket within five minutes drive or a locker that is less than ten minutes walk away.

Also, my neighbours are no more likely to be at home than I am.

Edit: forgot to specify that this is in Norway.

[BoxOfRain]

I think it depends on the delivery company. Amazon, Hermes, and DPD have been fairly good with that in my experience, Royal Mail have always made me go through the faff of a trip to the sorting office no matter what.

[motogpjimbo]

Oh yeah, Royal Mail are annoying for that, especially since the sorting office around here is in the middle of nowhere. Every other courier will try a neighbour though.

My wife and I used to live in a street where we were usually the only people at home during the day. All the delivery companies quickly realised we would take in anyone's parcels, so our living room was often like a mini sorting office!