Opening post to get return address

[AhhBisto]

Ive been getting previous owners post for a while and putting "return to sender no longer at address" however items with no return address are being mailed back to the address with my rts message...

I've just received a letter that's clearly a certificate by employer due to the rather large revealing window (fail in itself) with no return address.

I've tried looking it up myself and it seems as long as it's opened without intent to commit fraud etc it's OK.

 

[Terminal_Boy]

When I suddenly had mis-addressed post coming to my old London house after 15 years of my living there with no return address visible, I opened it, found the sender’s details and phoned them. Clerical error by person’s new employer.

I returned the letter to them by post, so I was not longer in possession of someone else’s private mail.

 

[AhhBisto]

Ive just realised it's "Your employers full name and address" that's my current address.

I've opened it and its two employees p60s each with different employer address and same employer name.

There is a contact address for the company sending them so ill guess I'll use that.

 

[Semple]

We moved into our house 6 months ago, previous owners emigrated. We still get a good few pieces of their mail every month.

I've got to the point where i've stopped putting RTS on it and now just binning it.

 

[NoobCannon]

We moved into our house 6 months ago, previous owners emigrated. We still get a good few pieces of their mail every month.

I've got to the point where i've stopped putting RTS on it and now just binning it.

this.

called the useless guy i bought my house from multiple times about still receiving his letters. Tried writing rts on them but as above they came back. Now they go in the bin or get used to start the charcoal chimney

 

[Daaaavvveee]

I block out my address on the mail then write RTS on it and post it back, I assume someone opens it and sorts it out as it never comes back.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

I block out my address on the mail then write RTS on it and post it back, I assume someone opens it and sorts it out as it never comes back.

This is either Catch-22 or Kafka-esque, and is to be applauded regardless.

 

[Semple]

I block out my address on the mail then write RTS on it and post it back, I assume someone opens it and sorts it out as it never comes back.

That's not a bad idea, as it'll force them to do something. I've never had any of my RTS mail back, but i guess you've no idea if the company just dumps it into a new envelope and re-posts.

I've keep getting so many letters from Boots opticians for people who used to live here ages ago. I'm tempted to group them all together and attach a heavy weight to it so boots get charged extra for return postage and will be forced to remove the address from their system.

 

[darael]

I used to try and gain company information from the return to address sometimes found on the back of letters, or just open the mail. I'd then contact the company by phone to let them know that the person no longer lives here and to correct their records, then return the post to try and be double sure. After about 6 months, the mail did mostly stop - but every few years I'll still get the odd debt collection letter.

 

[norm]

It's actually a criminal offence to open mail not intended for you.

Mark the letter as 'Not at this address, RTS', put it in a post box and if there's no return address to follow it'll end up in Royal Mail's specific department based in Belfast where they're allowed to open mail to trace a return, if not it gets disposed of.

 

[AhhBisto]

It's actually a criminal offence to open mail not intended for you.

Mark the letter as 'Not at this address, RTS', put it in a post box and if there's no return address to follow it'll end up in Royal Mail's specific department based in Belfast where they're allowed to open mail to trace a return, if not it gets disposed of.

"A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse surely a reasonable excuse" is what I went by.

I can only assume that I wasn't acting at the detriment of the person and it's reasonable to attain the senders address?

I have tried the RTS for other mail for the same person it to be sent back with my RTS stamp on it, so that doesn't work lol.

I did get in contact with the company and they were happy to provide a address to return to.

 

[tres]

Ive been getting previous owners post for a while and putting "return to sender no longer at address" however items with no return address are being mailed back to the address with my rts message...

I've just received a letter that's clearly a certificate by employer due to the rather large revealing window (fail in itself) with no return address.

I've tried looking it up myself and it seems as long as it's opened without intent to commit fraud etc it's OK.

You need to completely block out the address (your address), and then write your message

 

[Smok3y]

Block out your address and write on it RTS or whatever, plenty posties just chuck returned mail if handed back back into the frames. Also any returned mail should be "killed off" by the postie and they will put a small sticker on it where they can choose a reason for it being returned and "killed off". I work for RM btw.

 

[AhhBisto]

You need to completely block out the address (your address), and then write your message

Doesn't work well with windowed envelopes, had to find some self adhesive labels to cover the thing up this time.

You'd think it would be obvious having written return to sender, no longer at address?

 

[Smok3y]

Doesn't work well with windowed envelopes, had to find some self adhesive labels to cover the thing up this time.

You'd think it would be obvious having written return to sender, no longer at address?

If you put it back in the mail box, the mail will get emptied, put into a sack then goes off to be sorted again by machine. As the address is still there the machine will sort it. Then it goes to the DO where either the postie will put it back in the frame for delivery or if you get a good postie that notices the RTS written on it they will "kill it off"

 

[AhhBisto]

If you put it back in the mail box, the mail will get emptied, put into a sack then goes off to be sorted again by machine. As the address is still there the machine will sort it. Then it goes to the DO where either the postie will put it back in the frame for delivery or if you get a good postie that notices the RTS written on it they will "kill it off"

I'm going to have to start charging an admin fee at this rate, I actually get more of the previous tenants mail then my own

 

[The_Arbiter]

I imagine it's easier for admin to ignore such things than chase up database editing to remove you/them from the list.

 

[Smok3y]

I'm going to have to start charging an admin fee at this rate, I actually get more of the previous tenants mail then my own

If the previous tenant or who ever lived there didn't inform RM that they wanted their mail redirecting then there's not a lot you can do.

 

[Semple]

It's actually a criminal offence to open mail not intended for you.

There's a bit more wording to that to make it a criminal offence. It's not a criminal offence to just open someones mail at your address.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga...heading/offences-of-interfering-with-the-mail

Summarised in the post below yours. Essentially as long as you're not doing something that will negatively impact the person on the letter, and you have reason to open it, such as trying to find the senders details to send the letter back to, then it's OK.

If you put it back in the mail box, the mail will get emptied, put into a sack then goes off to be sorted again by machine. As the address is still there the machine will sort it. Then it goes to the DO where either the postie will put it back in the frame for delivery or if you get a good postie that notices the RTS written on it they will "kill it off"

Ah that makes a lot more sense now. Thankfully I've not had a single RTS letter back. But I guess the reason I might be getting repeats is if the RTS post is getting destroyed rather than going back to the sender.

 

[MrRamone]

Depends whos doing the manual sorting at the sorting office. When manual sorting it should go into the correct slot in a frame to go to that post code area next. If no return address shown then they have just thown it back in your post code slot. Scribble out your address so it cant be seen, then post it back as RTS. That should stop this happening.