Woman livid as neighbour steals parcel with outrageous excuse

Living in a community often comes with minor annoyances, such as neighbours throwing loud parties or mistakenly taking your bin after it's been emptied. However, one woman shared her frustration after her neighbour not only took her parcel by mistake but is now refusing to return it.

The woman, who hails from the US, explained on Reddit that due to a delivery mix-up, her package ended up at the house of a neighbour who lives on the next street. Upon realising the error, she went to retrieve her parcel, only to be told by the neighbour that she intended to keep it for herself.

The package contained a dress the woman had purchased for an upcoming job interview. It was the last one available in her size and had been bought on sale, making the neighbour's refusal to return it all the more shocking.

She wrote: "I thought it was going to be a simple, 'Hey! I think my package was delivered here by accident. Do you have it?' But the woman said 'Yes, I did receive it, so I called the company and they told me to keep the dress and they would send you a new one'.

"And I said, 'Well, I'm aware this was the last one of my size in stock, it was a discounted item, and I need it for a job interview in a couple of days. Can you just give me the package?'

"She proceeded to tell me no because she had already given the dress to a friend. I asked her to please call the friend and have them bring it back, but conveniently, the 'friend is out of town all week'... bulls**t."

The woman granted her neighbour a week to return the dress, and when she heard nothing, she decided to get the police involved.

Unfortunately, they told her that since it was delivered by UPS (United Parcel Service) and not USPS (United States Postal Service), her neighbour hasn't committed a "federal crime". She still believes her neighbour has committed mail theft, however, and wants to continue pursuing action.

The woman continued: "At this point, it's just more about principle and p***es me off that she opened my mail to decide if what was inside was 'worth keeping' rather than waiting for the rightful owner to come looking for it or contacting UPS about it."

WARNING: The below Reddit post contains strong language.

Commenters on the post urged the woman to contact UPS, as they may be able to collect the parcel on her behalf and redeliver it to the correct address.

One person said: "I have had this happen twice and contacted the postal service who retrieved the parcel from the person and redelivered it."

Another added: "The audacity. Some people are wild. I'd let the cops visit, but won't get your dress back."

Is it illegal to open someone else's post?

Under the Postal Services Act 2000, intentionally opening or delaying someone else's post without their permission is a criminal offence in the UK.

The legislation states: "A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, he - (a)intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or (b) intentionally opens a mail-bag. A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him."

Those found guilty of this crime could face a hefty fine or even a prison sentence ranging from six months to two years, depending on the severity of the case.

If you receive a parcel that isn't yours, there are several steps you can take instead of discarding it or opening it. If the package or letter bears your address but not your name, you can cross out the address, write "Not known at this address" on the front, and drop it back into a postbox.

Alternatively, if a letter with an incorrect address has mistakenly been delivered to your home, you can simply return it to a postbox and Royal Mail will ensure it reaches the correct address during its next delivery round.