If you’ve ever ordered something online to be delivered to your house (and let’s be honest, most of us have… perhaps more often than our wallets care to admit), you’ll know that trying to be around to receive it can be a headache.

Between the possibility of being in an important Zoom meeting with your boss when the parcel arrives and the stress of not being able to find the parcel although an email says it was delivered, many things can go wrong during the delivery process.

We asked our readers on Instagram to share their most memorable and unusual parcel delivery experiences with us.

Here’s what they said.

Clothing malfunctions

One common issue that readers shared about was not being fully-clothed when the delivery person appeared at their door.

"The delivery man came and I thought it was my siblings, so I opened the door when I was half-naked."

One of our readers wasn’t so fazed by the unfortunate timing, but the same can’t necessarily be said of the delivery man:

"The package came while I was showering, so I came out in a towel. He panicked, threw my stuff at the gate, and ran."

Others had to think of quick-fixes to their clothing conundrums:

"I was changing my clothes when suddenly the doorbell rang. As I was half-naked, I went back to put on my dirty clothes, so that I could receive the parcel."

"I’m a hijabi, and once I put a thick blanket over my head because the person delivering was male."

Logistical confusions

A reader shared with us their logistical difficulties in finding and retrieving their package after it had been delivered.

"Once I got a really big package delivered when I wasn’t home, and the delivery person put it on my shoe rack. And when I got home, I tried getting it out but there was a cat on it, which jumped at me."

And observing some unusual ways to deliver a parcel:

"Delivery man threw the package through the mosquito netting, and tore a hole. S$70 gone."

Dog adventures

Several readers shared their experiences with their dogs antagonising (or perhaps trying to be playful with) the delivery men:

"The delivery man rang our doorbell. My dad didn’t notice our dog running out, and it chased the guy into the fire escape."

"Delivery man passed me my parcel secretly, trying not to wake my dog up, but it still woke up and barked at him."

Unfortunate timing

For many readers, their parcels arrived at just the wrong time. Like when they were relaxing...

"I was eating noodles. No one disturbs me when Indomie is out."

Or trying to be productive:

"The parcel came in the middle of a test. Because of Covid-19 and webcams, I had some explaining to do."

1,000 parcel lockers to be rolled out nationwide

As the many stories of our readers have demonstrated, receiving package deliveries can indeed be a struggle.

How many relatable scenarios do you spot in this video?

Luckily, these problems may soon be a thing of the past with the upcoming roll-out of Singapore’s first Nationwide Parcel Locker Network, run by Pick.

By the end of 2021, these parcel lockers will be accessible from most homes within a five-minute walk.

You can now make an online purchase on Qoo10 and pick up your parcel at a Pick locker. For a limited time, get a S$3 Qoo10 voucher (no min. spend) when you select self-collection at Pick locker as your preferred delivery method.

In the coming weeks, more marketplaces such as Lazada and Shopee will also begin to offer Pick as a delivery option. Say goodbye to missed deliveries or awkward delivery moments.

More information about the upcoming Pick lockers is available on their website.

This sponsored article brought to you by Pick made the author want to go spend her money buying things online… again.

Top photos courtesy of Pick team.