A hi-vis jacket looks like certainty. A handheld device looks like proof. In that narrow gap between the first buzz and your hand on the latch, trust gets decided.
It was a wet Tuesday when the bell went. The man in the yellow jacket had the kind of practised smile you learn from small talk in lobbies. He said my name before I’d said his, then pointed to a parcel-shaped silhouette tucked under his arm. “Just a tiny fee today,” he added, tapping the card reader like it was friendly. A neighbour’s radio drifted through the hall; my phone buzzed; the kettle clicked. Life, in other words, nudged me to get it done and get back to the day.
I kept the chain on. I asked him for the tracking digits, and I looked them up on my phone from my own email. He shifted. He didn’t have them. He left. What you do in ten seconds decides everything.
The doorstep game: fast, friendly, and fishy
Fake couriers succeed because the performance is crisp. The jacket, the lanyard, the label with your road half-visible. You’re meant to feel grateful it’s arrived, and just guilty enough at the idea of inconvenience to go along with anything small. Two sentences and a beep of a handheld device are all it takes to notch you into autopilot.
Ask anyone on your street and you’ll hear a version of the same story. A knock at dusk, a “redelivery charge,” a polite request for a code. A friend in Bristol told me a man even knew her dog’s name from Instagram. She almost paid out of embarrassment. Then she checked her inbox and saw no order. The silence between her question and his answer said everything.
The psychology is simple: compress time, flood the senses, present props. If you’re juggling dinner, kids, or a Teams call, you default to social ease over scrutiny. That’s why the counter-move matters. Not a long speech. Not an argument on the doorstep. One small action that breaks the spell and puts control back in your hands.
The simple action: verify from your side before you open
Here’s the move that works: before you open the door fully, open your own order or tracking on your phone. Use the retailer’s app or the email you received when you bought the thing. Match at least two details without prompting from the person outside: the last digits of the tracking code, the item description, the courier’s name, sometimes even the driver’s photo or van reg in certain apps. **Open your own order confirmation before you open your front door.** If it matches, you’re golden. If it doesn’t, you don’t proceed.
We’ve all had that moment where the bell rings mid-chaos and you just want it off your list. That’s normal. So make the check tiny, repeatable, and calm. Use the door chain. Speak through the letterbox if you want. Say, “Give me a second while I pull up my order.” It buys breathing space and sends a clear signal: you’re choosing the channel. Soyons honnêtes : personne ne fait vraiment ça tous les jours. Practising it twice makes it feel natural on the third.
Most missteps happen because we let the visitor guide the proof. They flash a badge; we squint and nod. They say, “You’ll get a code by text,” and then they nudge you to read it aloud. Don’t. Your screen is home base. Your records beat their props every time.
Always verify from your side, never from theirs.
- Never pay on the doorstep for a “redelivery fee”. Use the app or retailer website instead.
- Match two details you control: tracking digits, item, delivery window, driver name.
- Keep the chain on while you check. No rush beats no refund.
- If in doubt, decline and rebook within the app. Real couriers don’t argue.
Why this tiny pause works — and how to keep it
The trick is that you’re not hunting for magic tells on a uniform. You’re anchoring the moment to data you already own. By looking down at your phone, not up at the visitor, you flip the power dynamic. The person outside can’t manipulate what’s on your screen. **If it doesn’t match, you are allowed to say no.** That sentence alone stiffens your spine and shortens the conversation.
Make the habit quick: put a “Deliveries” folder on your phone’s home screen with retailer apps and your email search. Type the word “order” or the shop name as you walk to the door. If something looks off — wrong courier, wrong time, vague item — ask them to leave it in a safe place or to re-attempt. Genuine drivers hear that all day and move on to the next stop.
*There’s also a subtle benefit: you start noticing patterns.* Regular drivers often leave the same calling card, the same knock, the same route on the map. Scammers tend to be hazier. **They rely on your hurry, not on your history.** Once you’ve done the check a few times, your brain recognises the rhythm of a real delivery, and that rhythm becomes your early-warning system.
Keep the door, keep the day
You don’t need to become a bouncer at your own home. A ten-second pause and a quick look at your own records is enough to keep you safe without turning the hallway into an interrogation room. Tell your family the line: “I’m just pulling up my order.” Share the trick with the group chat. The more of us who normalise it, the less effective the fake knocks become. This is about dignity on your doorstep, and not letting a busy afternoon decide your privacy, your money, or your mood. It’s a small ritual with a big payoff, and it travels with you: front door, office reception, building lobby, parcel shop counter. Try it this week and notice how the air changes when you take that tiny bit of control.
| Key points | Detail | Reader Interest |
|---|---|---|
| Verify from your side first | Open your own order/tracking and match two details before opening the door | Clear, doable action that takes under 10 seconds |
| Refuse doorstep payments and codes | Pay and rebook only via official apps or websites; never read out texted codes | Prevents the most common fee/code scams |
| Use tools you already have | Door chain, inbox search, retailer app, and a simple line: “I’m checking my order.” | Low effort, high control, no special tech needed |
FAQ :
- What if I’m not expecting a parcel?Say you’ll only accept deliveries listed in your order history. If nothing shows up in your email or app, decline politely and close the door.
- The courier wants a small “redelivery fee”. Is that ever legit?No. Real fees are charged through the retailer or courier’s official channels. Never through a handheld on your doorstep.
- They asked me for a one-time code by text. Should I read it out?Only if your app shows a matching request you initiated. As a rule, don’t share codes at the door. Codes are for you to enter, not to hand over.
- What if the person looks genuine and I feel rude questioning them?Use a neutral script: “Give me a moment while I open my order.” Professionals respect it. Scammers don’t like it and often leave.
- Can I just ask for ID instead?ID is easy to fake. Your own order details are much harder to spoof. Take the ten seconds. Your records beat their lanyard every time.
