Guest sent shipment in advance

My guest asked if they could send a shipment ahead of themselves to cut costs. I said sure and to send it to the attention of myself. Well, he sent me a message today asking if I received the package. Well my husband received it last week. He asked me about it but I was clueless and not thinking about that package because I hadnt heard back. He ended up throwing the package out. I dont know what to do. Waiting on the resolution center to call back. Has anyone ever had a similar situation? How did you resolve it? Im tempted to cancel the reservation to avoid what im sure to be a bad review.

This post makes no sense to me. What’s the problem if you have the package there?

In addition you might not want to let guests use your address for package shipments or mail in the future. It’s just another way to have a problem and it’s not a service for which you are being paid.

2 Likes

What’s the problem? I’m not understanding, please expand. I also agree with K9KarmaCasa, once you accept a package you are now responsible for it. To many things can happen to put you on the hook for the value of the package. It’s probably a rarity but I still would not accept anything on behalf of a guest unless it was an emergency.

2 Likes

Sorry. In a tizzy. He threw the package out.

Sorry. I was typing too fast. He threw the package out.

Throwing out a package is rather abrupt. At a I minimum you should’ve put return to sender and had it shipped back. But since you did accept the package and you told the guest that you would accept the package, unless the guest has insurance, I suspect you are responsible.

3 Likes

So you obviously know you shouldn’t have told him he could send it and then not inform your husband or remember you told him he could send it. If you cancel his reservation it will show up on your reviews. I personally don’t book with hosts who have cancelled on guests and I think that would hurt your business.

I’d keep the reservation, apologize profusely, and try to make the situation right by replacing the item if possible. If not possible give him a free night or something else to compensate.

Learn from your mistake… don’t compound it.

2 Likes

Not the least bit sensible. I think you have to reconsider being a host if you take on responsibilities then revert to clueless behaviour or was the package something that was desirable? I’m finding it very hard to believe two adults would “throw out” a parcel.

4 Likes

@Atorvikey - I’m afraid what your husband did (“threw the package out”) is not logical and therefore not believable. If it was addressed to you, which is what you instructed your guest to do, it stands to reason that either you or your husband would have opened it prior to disposing of it.

If you did not recall why you were receiving the package, the usual reaction would have been to return it to the postal service for return to the sender. As it stands, if the carrier or postal service has a record of the delivery, it’s all going to be on you.

Absolutely, but this was over the holidays and I reveived tons of packages in general. I was expecting some sort of confirmation of shioment and also told him to send it to himself and makenit attn to me. I never received a tracking number or heads up that it was sent. He couldve changed his mind for all I know. Im waiting on the resolution cwnter to call me back but thanks on the advice on not cancelling. And definitely no more accepring packages. 80% of my guests are convention attendees, so I was trying accommodate.

If I had the package, I wouldnt be on the forum asking for help. He was to make it attention to me but address it to himself. He never called with a confirmation or anything so it was the furthest thing from my mind. My husband actually did ask who all I recently gave my address to which was alot of people because it was over the Christmas holiday. I called the company but no answer, didn’t think to call the postal service. Thanks for your insight though.

Oh dear you’re absolutely liable for replacing the package. I’m hoping for you that it wasn’t anything hugely expensive in there…

Rather odd to throw away a package but as someone who once threw their birth certificate away I guess everything is possible.

Bad luck. Play honest with this one and explain what happened to your guest.

This was absolutely no help. Why bother?

was it an expensive item?

I am assuming you don’t have the package. I was just pointing out that if your name appeared anywhere on the package…which it apparently was, your husband would no doubt have opened the package and had knowledge of its contents before deciding to throw it out.

1 Like

My husband would NEVER open a package that was addressed to me. That is quite the presumption.

EDITED to ADD: Or anyone else. He only opens packages addressed to him.

Thanks for the comment on what your husband would never do…Awaiting your contribution to adressing the issue at hand…

1 Like

I already posted this to you. I was responding to SandyToes…

It’s difficult to tell in your posts if you know what the contents of the package were. Did your husband at least open the package?

You mentioned you called the “company” - I am guessing the return address was a company and not the guest’s name?

Any idea if the items are replaceable or if they are one of a kind items? If you didn’t open the package do you have any idea if this was materials to be used at a conference presentation, etc?

1 Like

Just a thought - how did you know you did receive the package at all? How do you know you threw his package away and not some other random one? It wasn’t addressed to your guest, it could have been for anyone. Maybe just tell him a package addressed to him didn’t ever arrive.

Edited to say - I’m not saying the op should lie to her guest. If she is sure it was her guests parcel that got thrown away, she now needs to deal with the consequences (admit it and pay to replace item).
If she opened it and didn’t throw it away, now would be a great time to say to the guest ‘apologies, I opened it as it was addressed to me. I’ll keep the item for you to collect when you arrive’

1 Like