Opening post question

[Freefaller]

The scene:

Our house is next door to a GP Surgery. However they have registered it 101-103 The Street.

We live at 103.

Our post keeps getting delivered to the surgery.

I've registered a new address with the post office and spoken to the local depot - our new address is 103a - just to make it stand out. I have put these letters up on the door. The landlord owns the surgery and the house in which we live so I have limited control over that portion of things - and the surgery is not going to change it's address.

We have given a nice laminated bit of card with our names to the Surgery so they know what letters to put aside and give to us in case it gets to them,.

However, this hasn't stopped the problem.

Recently my credit card statement was opened - containing sensitive details that I don't want others to read.

And most frustratingly a letter from work which contains even more sensitive data, especially as it contains where I work - something which I don't tell to people as it's not something I want to share.

The letter had my name clearly written on it with Private & Confidential in clear view within the letter window.

We've spoken to the practice manager, given them our names, registered our address. So 90% of the post gets to us ok unopened, but ANYTHING that is sent to the surgery is opened.

I'm not one to cause too much of a fuss, but surely they should be paying more attention? And is there any law regarding opening a letter, specifically stating private and confidential? I don't want to get work involved (they can sort out these sort of things) but just interested to see if anyone here can offer suggestions or if there's a bit of legalese I can use?

 

[Freefaller]

Yea you need to catch those statements with pr0n payments early.

Absolutely! I don't want everyone getting the same deal.

I thought you were proud to work in a brothel?

I try and keep it to myself.

Isn't it illegal to open other peoples post?

That's my question concern.





Thanks for the suggestions chaps.

To answer some of the other points.

PO box, yeah seems sensible, though it would be a pain registering all our mail and addresses again.

They had 101-103 because the whole building used to be the surgery - it's not anymore. However they've kept the address I guess for ease and admin/paper/stationary reasons?

No point in registering 103b as I've already registered 103a - and stuff 90% of the time gets to us.

The issue applies ONLY when the surgery gets the mail - they don't bother checking the name of the address (at a guess). I think we've done all we can no?

1. Given them our names
2. Spoken twice to the practice manager.
3. Registered a new address.
4. Spoken to the local RM depot.


I think what I need to do is to make sure the surgery's admin team pay attention - but I don't manage them. Maybe there's nothing more that I can do. I might just leave my work mail to be delivered to me via internal mail. It's just a pain as I'm regionally based so it might not always get to me on time!

 

[Freefaller]

Oh JBuk - maybe a quick word to the Practice Manager with that detail might put some impetus onto them to be more careful... Thanks. I'll have a careful read.

 

[Freefaller]

have you tried using an email address instead ?

Yes - it's rather good, did you know you don't even need a stamp?!!!!!!

I don't know the legalities but if there's any route to force them to change their registered address to be 101-102, I'd use it.

102 is on the other side of the street (but strangely a lot further down the road).

It is something worth chatting to them about - they should just have their address as 101. There's only 1 front door to the surgery - if there were 2 and it had been split into divisions of flats then I could understand - but the number is proudly displayed on the door - furthermore, the surgery has "Surgery" written on it!

 

[Freefaller]

Received and replied - many thanks MT!

 

[Freefaller]

The thing is I'm sure they don't "mean" to - but I'm worried that one day something important will slip out when they reseal the envelope and I'll never get whatever it was I was supposed to get!

 

[Freefaller]

I have to say according to that legislation it's not quite as simple as simply being illegal to open someone else's mail - the practice's legitimate excuse could simply be they receive and open dozens of letters a day, 90% of which are correctly addressed and as soon as they note that it is someone else's mail they deliver it to the correct address.

So it's neither intentional delay or opening post without a reasonable excuse, nor are they intentionally acting to anyone's detriment

Best bet is to try and speak to your postie who keeps messing it up, or just keep on at the surgery to re-deliver - maybe suggest that they keep a box under the desk in reception they can just put the mail into and you'll pick it up, something along those lines.

You'll also note that it is arguably perfectly legitimate to open someone else's mail if it is delivered incorrectly to you - you aren't delaying the transmission as it's been delivered to you anyway, and further that if you open it to, for example, try and find a telephone number if the address on it is wrong, then you aren't acting in any way to the person's detriment so you aren't breaking the law for that reason either.

Indeed. It's not often, but typically it's the post I don't want them to open that gets opened!! I have spoken to them ad naseum - but I guess all I can do is hope they get it into their thick heads. They have got a "next door" tray set up - but it doesn't stop them opening it, and I'm sure they don't have time for it, but it's not nice having your post read - if they do.

Have you told your work and CC company - do they know to send the post to 103a and not 103?

Yup - they have the correct address. Sometimes the letters do arrive without going to the surgery - however it's when it does get to the surgery though they tend to be opened without being checked.

Change your house name to "Not the Surgery"?


M

Tempting!

I have put in the past 103 - NOT THE SURGERY

as my line in the address - funnily enough that worked!

 

[Freefaller]

Says something about the surgery if the people opening the mail there cant even look at a piece of mail with private and confidential and a different name on without bells ringing that it's not theirs.

I'd try taking it up with the surgery again in a not so very nice tone.

I'll speak to them again - but as Jonny says I just need to enforce it with the Postie - though Max Tri has offered some good advice in private which I will be doing too.

See if you can collar the postie. You should have the same person delivering each day and the chances are they either don't know your names yet or the post is already bundled when they get it and they don't check it. Your postie will probably be quite happy to have a flick through the bundle of mail just in case anything is mixed up.

Done that - but worth doing it again.

As I said it's the exception that makes the rule, but it's a PITA when it does happen!