Dodgy post

[mypropertea]

Long and boring I'm afraid.

There is a shop down my road, it is a long road so we are talking 100 or more properties between us. Their post keeps being delivered to my house, it has my address on it so it isn't like it is wrongly delivered by the post man.

The letters are invoices from multiple companies and bank stuff so it isn't like a one off mistake. To start with I was talking it round to them but then started to worry, could they be setting up a fake address at my house?

We have no numbers in common in our address and the post code is different so it is hard to think it is a mistake.

I have started returning the post to sender. Am I being unreasonable/paranoid/mean?

[MothersGrim]

I'd open them all and contact each individually explaining that you've opened the letter by accident but there are multiple letters a day that all have the wrong address on and you feel like something fishy is going on.

Will take bloody ages on queue being passed around departments as I've had to do the same but is worth it.

[ilovesooty]

Simply send them back to sender. It's a criminal offence to open someone else's mail.

[mypropertea]

So you don't think I am being unreasonable?

[ilovesooty]

No I don't. I'd just send it back.

[Creampastry]

Dodgy as hell, start opening and sending back. Do not pass them on. Yanbu.

[PeppaPigTastesLikeBacon]

I get this at work and I open all post then call them - when sending it back didn't work, eg, repeated EDF energy bills etc - to tell them to remove the address from the records. Explain that you're concerned as the post keeps coming to you that they may not be getting paid and give the correct address. The reason I say this is because IF bailiffs turn up you will have to prove that you didn't set up the account which is a faff

[acasualobserver]

Is it an obvious mistake where unclear handwriting or poor data entry is to blame - 131 vs 181 for instance? If not, I'd do what MothersGrim suggests.

[MinonsMovie]

Do not open them. That's illegal. Do return to sender. Either score name and address and write that on envelope, or if you want to explain the situation send each one back in a brown envelope with a cover letter.

[mypropertea]

Defo not an obvious mistake. Except road name the addresses are very different.

[Tiredbutfuckingfine]

Report it to ActionFraud. Someone set up a business at my home address, and this wqs the advice I had.
Everything enow gets marked "not known at this address/reported to actionfraud/return to sender.
No baliffs so far.

[IwishIwasalesbian]

Great idea to report it as per Tireds advice. Personally, I would have no compunction about opening mail which had my address on it, rather than that which had been delivered in error. It may be illegal (arguable though if it's addressed to your home and there's a reasonable apprehension of fraud you would be entitled to find out what's going on) but who's going to report you, and to whom? So write to the companies involved and tell them too. Not much more you can do.

[mypropertea]

I am all set to do what tired says tomorrow.

Thanks mum's net (particularly tired) :)

[Chesntoots]

I wish people would stop posting that it is illegal to open somebody else's mail that has been sent you your address. It isn't. It is illegal to delay or intercept someone else's mail.

We have the same thing on every thread about post...

[wasonthelist]

Thank you Chesntoots if I've heard/seen that once, I've heard it 1000 times and often wondered if it was just one of those myths like "if you have not MOT you car insurance is invalid" (it isn't).

[TheCompanyOfCats]

A few months back, we accidentally received a big jiffy bag that felt like it was full of beads. We drove it down to the neighbour it was meant for. Fast forward to just recently - the neighbour it was for was arrested for drug dealing via the dark web. I'm betting the delivery wasn't actually beads.

But anyway, enough about me... I'd definitely start opening/ returning to sender if I was you, just to be sure. It does sound suspect.

[wasonthelist]

in nay case, even if it was illegal -

It would be a victimless crime in 99% of cases on here

It would surely be the easiest crime to get away with ever

[RedSauceAndJellyJuice]

Return NKATA keep doing this

[Tiredbutfuckingfine]

Actionfraud.police.uk

On one occasion they asked me to open one of the letters to see if there was useful info inside. There wasn't.

[mypropertea]

Oh god cats, one of the things I took over was a large Jiffy bag!!

[eightbluebirds]

It is not illegal to open someone else's mail when it's without malicious content. I would just put return to sender and back in the post box. If it continues I would be opening and phoning the companies because I would not want someone else's business associated with my address.

[HellsBellsnBucketsofBlood]

It's not sodding illegal to open someone's post, if you have good reason. I wish people would stop repeating that it is.

If the mail is coming to your address and you are suspicious of the reason, open it, contact the sender and tell them to remove your address from their systems. Then return future mail to sender. If I didn't open post that looks dodgy my address would still be being used by Mr Khan, the car insurance fraudster.

As it is, Mr Khan is now using someone else's address in my town (as I recently discovered from the local rag letters page).

[MinonsMovie]

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/pdfs/ukpga_20000026_en.pdf

[MinonsMovie]

It's "without reasonable excuse".

What's the excuse? "I felt like being a detective because my nosiness got the better of me?

[mygorgeousmilo]

I've had this. Open them all, contact each one and tell them Mr.X is not at this address. Return to sender I'm pretty sure someone just chucks them in the bin. Also contact the post office and get a redirect for that specific name.

[mrsfuzzy]

hells it is illegal to open post that is not addressed to you, unless there is good cause, post office act 2000, my exh was in the post office and he was often asked about this as a supervisor.