Delivery drivers not using doorbell

[ecsrobin]

So I have a smart doorbell which was fitted over a year ago which works every time instantly, delivery drivers used to use it but the last 3 months drivers from Royal Mail, DPD and Amazon have all started using the letterbox rather than the doorbell which in a big house and when working can be missed. I’ve resorted to pointing out that we do have a functioning doorbell but they just laugh and off they go and repeat a week later.

So is it just me? Do the drivers think if they don’t press the button it won’t record? Or are they all in some delivery drivers union and the union have said not to press them?

[Riley Blue]

Maybe they don't want to press a button that any number of other people have also pressed.

[Scrump]

I have noticed similar. I have a normal (non smart) doorbell and they don’t seem to want to use that.
Really annoying as I can hear the doorbell from my home office but not anyone knocking on the door.

[Philplop]

They’re generally really slow to connect, if they do at all.
There’s usually a delay when speaking so you end up talking over each other and not hearing anything.
Each company will have their own rules on what can be done with a parcel. Talking over a doorbell is not sufficient for proof of delivery.
“Can you try number 15, and if they’re not in then try number 22 and then try number 11”

Or “just put it round the back”.
“I can’t do that”.
“It’ll be fine.
“I still can’t leave it”

People want fast cheap delivery. Drivers don’t have time to chat through a crappy intercom.

[InitialDave]

It's not just those video doorbells.

I have a porch with an outer door, and you can't hear someone knocking on it from inside. It's extremely annoying how many people just ignore the doorbell, so I don't know they're there.

[number2]

Perhaps there's no confirmation for them that the doorbell has worked i.e a loud audible noise when they press the buzzer. Hence they don't use it.

I have a large house and can hear my normal doorbell, and knocker, from anywhere in it. I guess you have a huge property!

[cheesesliceking]

Philplop said:

They’re generally really slow to connect, if they do at all.
There’s usually a delay when speaking so you end up talking over each other and not hearing anything.
Each company will have their own rules on what can be done with a parcel. Talking over a doorbell is not sufficient for proof of delivery.
“Can you try number 15, and if they’re not in then try number 22 and then try number 11”

Or “just put it round the back”.
“I can’t do that”.
“It’ll be fine.
“I still can’t leave it”

People want fast cheap delivery. Drivers don’t have time to chat through a crappy intercom.

Did anyone mention intercoms..?

I think people just want a delivery driver to press the fking door bell.
Ding dong delivery mother fker!

[Philplop]

The OP said it’s about his smart video doorbell. It’s basically an intercom.

No idea why people wouldn’t use a normal doorbell, but that wasn’t the initial question.

[LeadFarmer]

InitialDave said:

It's not just those video doorbells.

I have a porch with an outer door, and you can't hear someone knocking on it from inside. It's extremely annoying how many people just ignore the doorbell, so I don't know they're there.

We also have a porch with outer door. I leave the outer door unlocked and open a jar during the day, parcels are normally dumped inside the porch, sometimes with a cursory door bell ring or knock, sometimes not.

[The Moose]

Just to add an alternate point of view, unless it’s a food delivery, I’d much rather they didn’t hit the door bell. If one of the kids is sleeping, it usually wakes them up.

[Richard-390a0]

Having seen the way some people have bodged their smart door bells up near me I can understand why you wouldn't want to touch one for fear of it falling off! There's also clearly a lack of spirit levels / f*cks given by some of the angles they're hung at lol.

[ecsrobin]

Riley Blue said:

Maybe they don't want to press a button that any number of other people have also pressed.

But happy to touch a letterbox that everyone touches?

Philplop said:

They’re generally really slow to connect, if they do at all.
There’s usually a delay when speaking so you end up talking over each other and not hearing anything.
Each company will have their own rules on what can be done with a parcel. Talking over a doorbell is not sufficient for proof of delivery.
“Can you try number 15, and if they’re not in then try number 22 and then try number 11”

Or “just put it round the back”.
“I can’t do that”.
“It’ll be fine.
“I still can’t leave it”

People want fast cheap delivery. Drivers don’t have time to chat through a crappy intercom.

Maybe on older ones? My one as soon as its pressed I get a notification on my phone, watch and Alexa’s around the house.

number2 said:

Perhaps there's no confirmation for them that the doorbell has worked i.e a loud audible noise when they press the buzzer. Hence they don't use it.

I have a large house and can hear my normal doorbell, and knocker, from anywhere in it. I guess you have a huge property!

Mine gives an audible response but appreciate others may not.

Philplop said:

The OP said it’s about his smart video doorbell. It’s basically an intercom.

No idea why people wouldn’t use a normal doorbell, but that wasn’t the initial question.

They’re a bit of everything rather than just an intercom, its a doorbell and camera.

Scrump said:

I have noticed similar. I have a normal (non smart) doorbell and they don’t seem to want to use that.
Really annoying as I can hear the doorbell from my home office but not anyone knocking on the door.

It’s not just me then, a driver the other day managed to tap the letterbox, write a card and then buggered off without me knowing. Next day he redelivered causing himself more work

[Riley Blue]

ecsrobin said:

Riley Blue said:

Maybe they don't want to press a button that any number of other people have also pressed.

But happy to touch a letterbox that everyone touches?

I'm as baffled as you but I've also noticed delivery drivers prefer to knock rather than ring.

Press a doorbell and you invariably use an index finger on a single small circular button, knock on a door and you've a much larger area to tap on.

[Cotty]

Riley Blue said:

ecsrobin said:

Riley Blue said:

Maybe they don't want to press a button that any number of other people have also pressed.

But happy to touch a letterbox that everyone touches?

I'm as baffled as you but I've also noticed delivery drivers prefer to knock rather than ring.

I just have a knocker on my front door and I have lost count of the times I have nearly missed a delivery as they didn't use it.

[cmvtec]

I live in an upstairs flat, with a downstairs door, it can be difficult to hear someone knocking on the glass.

I have a very effective doorbell that can be heard when you press the button.

I even bought a small 1" x 2" sign that says "Please ring the bell"

They still persist in either knocking on the glass door or bending down and rattling the letterbox. Sometimes I hear, sometimes I don't.

[toon10]

I have a Eufy video doorbell which I have setup to detect human motion. It means that I know when a delivery driver is walking up the path whether they press the bell or not. The biggest issue is that there is a delay when the doorbell picks up the driver and that "ring" on my phone via wi-fi. My home office is in the back garden so I have to navigate the garden and 3 doors before I can get to the front door. I call this the Amazon grand prix as those blokes don't hang about after a ring. I have about 8 seconds before they're back in the van firing up for a quick getaway. My Teams video must look quite amusing when that bell goes...

[Pothole]

LeadFarmer said:

InitialDave said:

It's not just those video doorbells.

I have a porch with an outer door, and you can't hear someone knocking on it from inside. It's extremely annoying how many people just ignore the doorbell, so I don't know they're there.

We also have a porch with outer door. I leave the outer door unlocked and open a jar during the day, parcels are normally dumped inside the porch, sometimes with a cursory door bell ring or knock, sometimes not.

Is it always the same jar, or do you open different ones each day?

[Red9zero]

We have a Ring doorbell with the pre-warning function, so you get few seconds notice before they ring the bell, or not. Parcels are normally left on the doorstep and I reckon they have barely hit the floor before the driver is back in his van. Only difference being DHL who like a picture of the parcel by the open door, so they have to wait.

[Philplop]

ecsrobin said:

They’re a bit of everything rather than just an intercom, its a doorbell and camera.

I know that, but I mean the driver doesn’t know whether it’s going to ‘ding dong’ in the house or have a 3 minute wait before connecting to somebody’s phone in their car and have them telling them to do something that they can’t do.

Knocking on doors using a letterbox flap baffles me.

[PurpleTurtle]

Maybe they don't like being recorded as they work?

Slightly off thread, but smart doorbells seem to me to be installed all over the place with scant regard for CCTV legislation. If you put up a conventional CCTV system and capture imagery outside the grounds of your own property you have to comply with GDPR regulations. All is explained here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/domesti...

However, if you put up a Ring doorbell, which for a lot of people effectively does the same thing, nobody seems to give a chuff. We even see Police requests for footage from these devices, and whilst I think they are overall a good thing, I don't think as a nation we are particularly compliant with the rules.