SINGAPORE: An employer recently found out that their ‘domestic helper, who was hired to take care of an elderly relative, had been sharing their address with her friends so they could use it for online shopping deliveries.’
Posting on Reddit’s ‘Ask Singapore’ forum, the employer shared that these friends—also domestic helpers—were directing their Shopee orders to a nearby collection point, where the helper would pick up the parcels and pass them along to her friends on her day off.
While the employer clarified that they didn’t mind if the helper made personal purchases and had them delivered, they felt uncomfortable knowing that their elderly relative’s address was being shared with unknown individuals.
“I don’t have a good feeling about her giving out my relative’s address to her friends. I don’t know who and how many exactly and I don’t feel secure. I’m fine with her making her own personal purchases,” she wrote.
Looking for guidance, the employer turned to the Reddit community for suggestions on managing this sensitive situation.
“The maid doesn’t need to give your address for a collection point.”
In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors felt the employer should have an open and honest conversation with the helper about the issue.
One Redditor said, “Oh dear this time I’d have to stand on the side of the employer. Privacy is paramount and I would similarly feel uncomfortable for strangers to use my address as a collection point.
I would tell her not to give her friends my address, although there should not be any issue for her own parcels to be sent here.”
Another shared, “I wouldn’t be comfortable telling strangers my full address details so I’m not okay with it. Also if I’m a guest at someone’s house, I wouldn’t do this to them. Address is a personal detail to me.
“I had a friend who was a victim to loanshark and she didn’t even borrow the money. apparently someone took info on her delivery box parcel and used it to borrow money. No idea who and loanshark came to harass her home and had to make a police report etc.”
Others, however, defended the helper, explaining to the employer that the Shopee collection point is not exactly “their address,” but simply a location near their address where parcels are picked up.
One Redditor said, “So the other helpers are sending parcel to a collection point which is close to your house, not directly to it? I don’t find any problem as long as the maid doesn’t interrupt her work.”
Another pointed out, “The maid doesn’t need to give your address for a collection point. Are you just upset that the maid has a life? Do you want her to be focused on work 24/7? Typical BS.”
Shopee collection points
A Self Collection Point is a service offered by Shopee, a popular online shopping platform, that allows customers to pick up their online orders from a nearby location rather than having them delivered to their home.
This location could be a convenience store, a residential address, or even a locker. The idea is to give customers more flexibility in when and where they pick up their parcels, within the operating hours of the collection point.
The benefit of using a Self Collection Point is that it’s typically within a 250-meter radius of most homes, making it super convenient and saving on delivery fees.
According to CNA, hosts earn at least S$90 per month for managing these points.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
