return to sender

[hahahk]

Another question, I moved house 5 months ago and I am still getting mail addressed to the people before the previous tenant. I haven't opened anything, but they are obviously bank statements or letters and some stuff from lawyers for unpaid bills.

I have written "return to sender" on the front and put them all into a postbox. Is this the right thing to do, you would have thought a bank won't keep sending statements to the wrong address for 5 months after receiving them all back?

[Funked!]

Yes this is the right thing to do, although i would just write 'Gone Away' on them.

[Lounge Lizard]

Yes this is the right thing to do, although i would just write 'Gone Away' on them.

Yes, or if you know the address they've moved to you can redirect them by crossing out the original address, writing the new one on the envelope and dropping it in a postbox, although this should be done within a day of receiving it.

[not me]

Yes this is the right thing to do, although i would just write 'Gone Away' on them.

Yes, or if you know the address they've moved to you can redirect them by crossing out the original address, writing the new one on the envelope and dropping it in a postbox, although this should be done within a day of receiving it.

why would you redirect mail for people not bothered about their mail?

[Lounge Lizard]

Yes this is the right thing to do, although i would just write 'Gone Away' on them.

Yes, or if you know the address they've moved to you can redirect them by crossing out the original address, writing the new one on the envelope and dropping it in a postbox, although this should be done within a day of receiving it.

why would you redirect mail for people not bothered about their mail?

They could be bothered about their mail but forgotten to tell everyone they've moved, or the RM redirection hasn't kicked in yet, apart from which it's not much more trouble changing an address rather than writing 'Gone away' on it.

[not me]

Yes this is the right thing to do, although i would just write 'Gone Away' on them.

Yes, or if you know the address they've moved to you can redirect them by crossing out the original address, writing the new one on the envelope and dropping it in a postbox, although this should be done within a day of receiving it.

why would you redirect mail for people not bothered about their mail?

They could be bothered about their mail but forgotten to tell everyone they've moved, or the RM redirection hasn't kicked in yet, apart from which it's not much more trouble changing an address rather than writing 'Gone away' on it.

after 5 months of still getting mail? they aren't bothered either way.

[FairyFoot]

I'm still getting stuff addressed to previous owners... I've been here 11 years!

[POSTMAN]

Its direct mailers who have not updated their mailing lists.
Easier and cheaper to send a shed load out then go through accounts to delete.

[Lounge Lizard]

Yes this is the right thing to do, although i would just write 'Gone Away' on them.

Yes, or if you know the address they've moved to you can redirect them by crossing out the original address, writing the new one on the envelope and dropping it in a postbox, although this should be done within a day of receiving it.

why would you redirect mail for people not bothered about their mail?

They could be bothered about their mail but forgotten to tell everyone they've moved, or the RM redirection hasn't kicked in yet, apart from which it's not much more trouble changing an address rather than writing 'Gone away' on it.

after 5 months of still getting mail? they aren't bothered either way.

Probably statements or water bills sent twice yearly.

[4mph]

On a purely personal level, I open and read everything that is delivered to my address if it has my address on it. I was glad I did when I opened a letter from a debt collector to the previous owner, saying he would be calling round to distrain etc.. He owed thousands. I don't want some tosser's debts that he has run away from, affecting credit ratings on my address ta v. muchly. If it's junk, I bin it. If it needs action, I act.

[Patrick Clifton]

On a purely personal level, I open and read everything that is delivered to my address if it has my address on it. I was glad I did when I opened a letter from a debt collector to the previous owner, saying he would be calling round to distrain etc.. He owed thousands. I don't want some tosser's debts that he has run away from, affecting credit ratings on my address ta v. muchly. If it's junk, I bin it. If it needs action, I act.

I think I am correct in saying that you are committing an offence to knowingly open mail that is not addressed to you. By addressed I mean to Mr A N Other, not 'To the Occupier.'

Debt doesnt get pinned to an adress anymore. Its to the individiual.

[fishtank]

I think I am correct in saying that you are committing an offence to knowingly open mail that is not addressed to you. By addressed I mean to Mr A N Other, not 'To the Occupier.'

Debt doesnt get pinned to an adress anymore. Its to the individiual.

Kind of...
The Postal Services Act states....
“A person commits an offence if intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.”

The important part of that is...if intending to act to a person’s detriment.
Difficult to pin down.

[unusedusername]

I've been putting tape over the address and stamping the envelope with "Return to sender", they've all been official stuff with a return add on the back.
Thing is, I've had at least half a dozen back! The tape has been peeled back to reveal the address and they've been pushed through the door!
I guess I'm doing something wrong, but honestly can't think what!

[Snaggletooth]

I scribbled lines through the original address and, crucially, through those orange / blue ink lines that RM's machines put on the envelope. Plus I write "not known at this address". If I have done all of the above then none have come back.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Don't put tape over the address as it could be the case that non-delivery personnel have not recognised it as an RTS letter and peeled it off.

Your best bet is to do as snaggletooth does, but don't fully obscure the address, leave it readable but obvious you have scribbled over it. Then put the reason for the return ON THE FRONT of the envelope. Last circle the return address. You should get very few coming back to you then.

When the delivery postie receives the letters back they should "kill off" in RM parlance, the letter using a sticker.