Dear John,[1]

Thanks for your email, which made me and my family and friends laugh. Soo kind of you to offer to collect the excess boxes at no cost to me. Please, allow me to recap, as I’m sure you’re busy at this time of year and maybe are unaware of the chain of events. (You can verify the details in the email chain.)

1. 15^th November, I order one set of teacups and teaspoons.
2. 16^th November, (company name) emails to say there is a delay, do I want to continue or cancel the order (very polite of them).
3. I reply, saying I would still like to receive my one set of teacups and teaspoons (because they are very pretty, and I don’t mind waiting).
4. 25^th November, My one set of teacups arrives, with an unexpected three extra boxes, which were not ordered, not paid for.
5. Against the advice of family (who said, they’re lovely, just keep them, it’s not your mistake) I email Carol (who told me about the initial delay) and inform her of (company name)’s mistake.
6. 26^th November, Carol kindly replies, saying she will find out how this happened and arrange collection. She asks when I can be at home, Monday to Friday.
7. 27^th November, I send two days 2^nd Dec and 3^rd Dec)when I am at home. I receive a date for DPD to collect them on a different day (1^st December). I reschedule my work.
8. 1^st December, I wait at home all day, DPD never arrive, and their tracking note (0048 031 900 5) says they were told there was nothing to collect (am assuming they went to the wrong address, as I was here all day and other delivery companies had no problems).
9. 1^st December, I contact (company name) to inform them of the situation.
10. 3^rd December, (I believe this is where you entered the drama). I am asked for another day I can be at home.
11. 4th December, I send a date (5^th Dec).
12. 5^th December,  I wait at home all day, DPD never arrive. I email to inform (company name)  I have stayed at home for another day, with no collection. I write, again, to inform (company name), and suggest it could be collected on 9^th Dec.
13. 7^th December—Today—such a treat to be told that (company name)  will not charge me for the privilege of storing their boxes of unordered crockery, or the failed collections. Thank you so much. There was I, worrying that perhaps you send random boxes of stuff to people, so they can inform their many visitors (because it is that time of year) not to trip over them, and they can keep the dogs locked in the kitchen so they don’t spoil the boxes (which are too large for window sills or cupboards and need to be stacked on the floor) and they can stay at home for multiple days waiting for a non-arriving DPD collection service, and that perhaps there might be a charge for this pleasure. Phew! What a relief to know I will not be charged for this delight.

You now ask that I suggest a date from Wednesday onwards for collection (at no cost to me—I can’t quite get over that little gem). Okay, I am always ready to gamble, how about Wednesday? Wednesday 10^th December 2025 (just in case there is confusion over the year). I will stay at home in eager anticipation of a DPD collection (at no cost to me).

Please inform the driver that if he knocks at the door of my house (Cobweb, TN8 6SL) then I am really good at opening the door and handing over boxes, but if he just drives past on nearby roads we might have a problem.

I will now go and decorate the boxes with lights and tinsel, because to be honest John, I’m not that confident that they will be collected on Wednesday. I think it is reasonable, that if they are still here on Thursday with no further instructions from (company name), I will consider them my property and wrap them up as gifts.[2]

Hoping you have a great week.

Best wishes,

Anne[3]

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[1] This is an email I sent in December. Names have been changed.

[2] Ithink that in UK law, if a company delivers items by mistake (rather than as advertising spam) then they can reclaim the cost of the goods for several years after the event, therefore selling/gifting items is not a good idea unless you have permission. They are not considered ‘unsolicited goods,’ it is a mistake.

[3] Guess what, the boxes were not collected that Wednesday. Thursday I received an email, giving permission to keep the items (which made me very happy). Hence the anonymising of the company’s name.