Good question, springy. I don't know for sure, but I think people should have the right to refuse a parcel even if they have to go back to the post office. There could be many reasons for a refusal, including being harassed by someone, like an ex. You can't block a sender like you would do with emails, so you should have the right to refuse a parcel you don't want I think, but I really don't know.
I was once sent a replacement because an item had not arrived and when they sent the replacement they said if the first item arrives, just refuse it. It was a small item that would have fitted in the normal mailbox. The first one never arrived, but the concept was to just write "return to sender" on the unopened envelope and put it in a red mailbox. As I said, I didn't have to do it because the original item never arrived. Maybe someone who really did something like that can share their experience here.
