A wrong delivery usually ends with a quick phone call and a simple pickup. But one Redditor found themselves stuck in a strange tug-of-war with a company they didn’t even buy from after two unexpected packages landed on their doorstep.
When they reached out to explain the mistake, the company’s response wasn’t “Sorry for the inconvenience,” it was a checklist of tasks the OP was suddenly expected to handle. Print this. Tape that. Drive the boxes to FedEx.
After nearly half an hour on hold and mounting frustration, OP refused to act as unpaid shipping staff. But now they’re left questioning whether setting boundaries was rude or if the company was the one being entitled. Readers are split and the comments only add to the debate.
A man refuses to haul misdelivered packages across town for a company he’s never dealt with
There’s a shared frustration many people feel when they’re suddenly pulled into a problem they never created.
In this story, OP wasn’t dealing with a simple delivery mistake; they were navigating surprise responsibility, pressure from a company they don’t know, and the feeling of being expected to solve something that wasn’t theirs to fix. The emotional sting came from being treated like free labor.
OP had already taken time to call, store the packages safely, and track down the issue. When the company then asked for supplies, printing, and transportation, it crossed a line that made OP feel taken advantage of.
From a psychological perspective, OP’s discomfort lines up with what researchers call boundary overload, when someone is asked to take on tasks beyond what is reasonable or fair.
The company’s requests weren’t malicious, but they did assume OP would absorb time, cost, and effort simply because the packages happened to land at their door.
Meanwhile, OP’s polite refusal wasn’t hostility; it was a healthy response to feeling pressured into unpaid, unchosen responsibilities.
A different perspective highlights that OP actually acted unusually responsibly. Many people would have ignored the packages or left them outside. Instead, OP safely stored them, made multiple phone calls, and offered to cooperate within reason.
The company, however, defaulted to expecting OP to complete labor that normally belongs to them or their shipping partners. While some may see OP’s refusal as “inconvenient,” others will notice the imbalance, a stranger was being asked to act like an employee.
For expert insight, communication researcher Dr. John Gottman explains that healthy boundaries require clearly stating what we can and cannot do.
Verywell Mind summarizes his work by noting: “Setting boundaries is essential for maintaining mental health, as they establish limits that safeguard emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.”
This applies perfectly here. OP’s boundary wasn’t rude, it prevented resentment and kept the interaction respectful. Boundaries don’t make someone unhelpful; they make the relationship fair.
In the end, OP didn’t escalate the situation, they clarified it. And sometimes the most reasonable thing you can say is simply: “This isn’t my responsibility.”
See what others had to share with OP:
These commenters agreed the situation was risky and potentially criminal or scam-related
This commenter shared a personal story showing why they refuse risky returns
These folks said OP was already too generous and should’ve refused from the start
This commenter warned OP by sharing a direct scam experience involving package forwarding
But what would you have done, printed the labels and taken the packages across town, or refused from the start? Have you ever been asked to clean up someone else’s logistical mess? Share your thoughts and experiences below!
