Etiquette Question re: package delivered to wrong address

Another friend lives over there and always has the best ND drama stories! Never a dull moment for sure! Ours is boring as heck compared to yours.

I've done both, deliver it myself and post on the neighborhood website. We have one person who maintains an email list and sends out notifications for things like misdirected packages and lost/found pets. That seems to work the best. I've also been the person looking for my misdirected package. Once the mailman retrieved it for me (the substitute misdelivered it) and the other times I've gone to retrieve it myself.

     I'm in this camp too. For some reason we sometimes get our next door neighbor's mail and they get ours. A couple of weeks ago I ordered a Scanpan skillet from Sur La Table that set me back $99.00. Actually it was a great deal-it was on sale down from $189.00. Anyway it'd taken me years to get DH to spend this much on a skillet-I wanted one without PHOA and PHOS that was non-stick. So I was really looking foward to finally getting it. They are still on sale if anyone else is interested-that price was for the 11" skillet. 

You guessed it-it arrived at my next door neighbor's home. But he was kind and gracious and walked it over the very same day. 

I don't think it takes that long out of our day to redeliver misdelivered mail to someone in our same neighborhood. Yes, you can write on the mail or package (not this address) or whatever-but the delivery system that is taking that mail and package back is what misdelivered it in the first place. And it means waiting longer for your neighbor to get their mail-some times very important mail. What if it's a check they are waiting on to buy food or pay a bill? Taking a few minutes out of my day once in a while to properly deliver a neighbor's mail is worth it to me. 

I don’t think it’s the incorrect recipient’s responsibility, but I think it’s the nice thing to do ... and usually not all that much trouble. It’s never taken me more than a minute out of my way to stop on my way out (in the car) and drop off something at the correct house. (ETA if it’s in my court or the next court over, I would just walk it over.)

(You have that neighbor’s number to text him, but most of us don’t have that luxury when we receive a mis-delivered package or letter.)

I had a package delivered to my home last year. It was bulky and heavy. I was either waiting on surgery for my torn meniscus or had just had surgery.

I drove to their house, knocked on the door. No one answered. I left a note on their door that said "Hello John Smith at 999 Smith St. I have a package for you that was delivered to my home at 999 Jones St. It's on the front porch. I am unable to bring it to you. When they came to pick it up, they wrote a thank you note on the other side of the note I wrote for them, which I thought was nice.

I don't think I'd post on ND about it. But I did what I felt was the responsible thing...alerting them that it had been mis-delivered and where it currently was. I don't think the onus is on me to redeliver their package...especially if there are circumstances that would make it difficult or impossible. (what about my 78 yo old mom...should she worry about getting a bulky and heavy package to someone else's address?)

I'd walk it to the neighbors house because that's what I'd like someone to do for me. Before taking it over, I'd attempt to get ahold of them to ensure that they are there when I drop it off.

They sure as heck don’t here.  We have those community boxes and we are constantly being told packages have been delivered even though we don’t have them.  They typically show up via a neighbor the next day or so.  We had one of those food box kits delivered to people across the street and it was showing delivered to us.  When it didn’t show up we contacted the company and they said it was delivered, too bad so sad.  Our neighbors 
were out of town and came home to a rotting box of food.  They contacted the company for us and we got a new box.  

I started having packages sent to family members because it is such a problem.  

Before I would have said I will just drop the package off at the correct address. But, earlier this year we had a package delivered to our address in error. It was the reverse of our address so about 20 blocks away.

We drove it over, rang the doorbell and handed it to the owner. They were rude. Accused of stealing their package and then returning it when we saw it was something we did not want. The package was not open. Told us they had security cameras and would call the police. 
If I ever get a package for those people again I will write in a sharpie WRONG ADDRESS and send it back. 

Any other neighbour, I would probably just drop it off. 

I would take the parcel to the correct address. If no one was home I’d leave a note letting them know where to pick it up from. As I’m at home during the day I frequently take parcels in for my neighbours. The delivery person leaves them a note letting them know where their parcel is so they can collect it, but I prefer to take the parcel to them.

I once had a package from my grandmother in Germany get delivered to the wrong address, the gentleman who received it drove over and knocked on my door to give me the package. I was so thankful that he did because the box contained the silver that my Grandmother received for her wedding in 1951! I don't really "do" NextDoor, so I definitely wouldn't have known had he just posted on social media for me to come pick it up.

Because of that incident, I will ALWAYS go out of my way to make sure that a package gets to its rightful owner. You don't HAVE to walk 3 blocks, you can drop it by next time you drive to run errands or whatever. Yeah, I guess it's "putting you out", it wouldn't be the first time or even the worst way you were ever "put out" by something outside your control, right?

I am not on ND or any community groups. I live in a gated small community so I just walk it over to the correct address. If they aren't home, I just leave it. I have had neighbors bring me packages as well.

Once I got notified and went looking for it. Found it on a door step 8 doors down.

I probably would have taken it to the neighbor’s house, but I think it’s fine to post on ND and ask the neighbor to pick it up. The number of misdelivered packages in my neighborhood is crazy!

Not everyone is on Next Door so you can't be sure they will see it. Or if they are on ND, how often do they check the site etc?

I'd either take it over there if possible or just leave it for the mail person.

Our sub is small. I'd likely delivery it to anyone on our street. One of the further away streets it would depend on my mood/the weather etc. If I was really busy or the weather sucks (like say Jan in MI), I'd leave it for the mail person. Or maybe see if I could track them down on FB and send them a message to come get it.

The last time we had a misdelivered box, it went to a neighbor down the street and she contacted me on ND but used the private message option. Super easy and I sent a kid over to get it.

Years ago when one of my older kids was a couple months old, I ordered diapers and someone a block or two away received them. He drove the box over the same day because he said he knew we probably needed them promptly. It was super nice, but I don't think it's required either.

I don't think we've received any boxes for anyone else, just regular mail.

We have package mixups on a regular and I do always walk them to the correct address, appreciating when others do the same for me. Will I judge someone who does not? Nope. I will simply hope they contact the Post Office or UPS and let correct the delivery. I am not on ND so I would never see any posts but find it so rude and selfish of the commenters bashing you or anyone else. As others said, we don't know everyone's situation whether it be an invalid, a new other with a baby, or any other reason. Read it and move on or at the very least notify the neighbor who needs to retrieve their package. I like to be neighborly and it sure would knock some wind out of my sails if I were being put down. Leaves me shaking my head about some these days.