Help! XP still using my address for credit, mobile bills etc 5 yrs after leaving.

[lorrikeet]

Does anyone know the legal position on this please? or practical advice on how to stop it?

My XP still uses my address for his bank accounts, credit cards, mobile phone bills etc. He has the post office forward his mail, so when I challenge him he will say he's sorted it out, and I don't see any more post, until he forgets to pay the oat office or they ale a mistake and some letters slip through.

1. I simply don't want this. He hasn't lived here for 5 years. He doesn't have my permission to use my address.
   
2. he is heavily in debt, and I don't want his debt linked to me.
   
3. I don't want HIM linked to me!
   

I understand why… he's lived on a boat: maybe the banks wouldn't be so impressed with 'molly berth 18' as an address ; then he's living in an unofficial address which doesn't have it's own postal address… he has to get his post ? his landlord. HOWEVER these are his problems not mine.

I have tried phoning his banks and credit card companies, but they say they cannot do anything unless the accountholder contacts ten. I have tried returning post to sender… no impact. I have tried calling the police. they say its a domestic matter.

Any advice please on how to stop this? And by the way, if he was diligent enough to keep paying his forwarded post bills, the postoffice would keep forwarding the mail, and I would be none the wiser. This could be happening to any of us!!

[titchy]

Just return to sender instead of giving it to him. Write to the credit reference agencies and ask to be unlinked from him with immediate effect.

[Vitalstatistix]

Check your credit - experian and equifax. See what's on there. The last thing you want is him affecting your credit.

As titchy says, get yourself unlinked fast! Write to the credit card companies with the details you do have about him, where he is living, etc. Have a note put on their systems that nobody of his name lives at this address, if that's possible.

Anything that does come to you, mark it not known at this address and put it back in the postbox.

In short, make it very difficult for him to continue using your address!

[acharmofgoldfinches]

You can ask the credit reference agencies - Experian etc - to put a note on your file (ie the one linked to your address) that says he doesn't live there any more and hasn't done so for five years.

And as others have said, just put "return to sender not known at this address" on everything and put it back in the box, make it their problem not yours.

[iPaddy]

I thought the post office had a limit to the number of times you could renew a re-direct? Could you contact them to find out?

[EhricLovesTheBhrothers]

If you keep returning to sender they will take steps. They have to receive several in a row before they investigate.

[tribpot]

The maximum length of a post office redirect is 2 years, so I'm not sure how he can have kept it going for so long. He must be allowing it to lapse on purpose so that he can then get a new redirection. I would check with the post office to find out if there is a way to prevent repeated redirections as these break their own terms and conditions.

Are you sure he is not still on the electoral roll at your property? (I can't see how he's getting new credit at your address if not). Presumably as the electoral roll registration form will come to you, you aren't confirming him as resident.

Keep sending everything back as not known at this address .. eventually it will have an effect.

[specialsubject]

I also agree that he can't have a redirect at this stage, there is a limit. Keep RTS.

credit history goes with people, not addresses. Make sure he is off the electoral roll at your house.

BTW 'unofficial address' - sounds like he's renting a shed off a slumlord. Not good.

[lorrikeet]

Thanks for the replies: I have been returning the post to sender (whenever it comes through, which is infrequent) with no effect. I have made sure he isn't on the electoral role. I have opened the post and telephoned the companies involved: I only had one company (his new mobile phone provider) who said they would put a block on his account . most banks and credit cards just say they will only take this information from the account holder themselves. I can see why, however not helpful.

My point is, that all the normal routes do not work in reality. However, thanks for the tips about contacting experian. It is my understanding also, specialS, that the credit rating is linked to the person, not the address; it was changed years ago because of this very issue, I believe. also i will contact the post office, however I don't suppose he will care if his bills don't arrive; in my experience he never opened them anyway. And these days we can get most stuff over the telephone or on-line if necessary. As for me I don't want out of the blue reminders about him or his methods of managing money. Had enough while we were together!!

I will try to get experian to put a note on my address, I will let you know how it goes

[titchy]

Experian AND the other credit reference agencies - I think there are about four.

I think you need to complain formally to the Post Office and they are effectively complicit in fraud. He may not open bills, but he can use them as proof of address when opening other accounts using a false address.

In fact can you contact banks etc again and this time talk to the fraud department - they're more likely to take this seriously.

[ProbablyMe]

I have a neighbour who's niece used her address repeatedly after living there for a short while. She eventually told the police and they said the behaviour was classed as fraudulent.

[TarkaTheOtter]

The post office won't be redirecting his mail. It has a two year limit and if they were they would be redirecting everything in his name, not just some of it.
More likely he's switched to online statements only so you are just getting official notifications that they are obliged to post out as well (like interest rate/conditions changing).

[Mabelface]

This is fraud. You can report it to the police.

[CantBeBotheredThinking]

I don't think this is a redirect as such. I assume he is using a post office box at the sorting office and his mail is being 'transferred' to the box. This can go on for as long as it is renewed however he isn't entitled to it if he is not at the address he is giving royal mail. Ring Royal Mails helpline and speak to someone there, you may need to speak to a manager to get some sense made of this but they should help you, what they should do is stop the po box until he gives them a correct address for himself and no they won't accept a boat address either. Royal mail really hates people doing this because it is completely against the rules for using a po box, as soon as they get any hint of impropriety they will stop the box.

[lorrikeet]

I googled Identity fraud, and came up with the UK ACTIONFRAUD, linked to the police:
[http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud_protection/identity_fraud]

they agree this is a form of identity theft, however identity theft itself is not a reportable crime unless there are actual losses.
Nevertheless I did report it, and have a reference number.

They advised me to contact National DebtLine for further advice.

Since I got another credit card bill today from Barclaycard I phoned them, but they were unwilling to stop post or change the address details because of 'DATA Protection' the normal story, However I persevered and at least got them to put a not on his account and take his telephone number with a promise that they will call him. A bit of a waste of time again.

But I thought the infer about ACTIONFRAUD was useful: I hadn't heard of them before.

[lorrikeet]

By the way, I HAVE contacted the banks and spoken to their fraud departments!! the answer is always the same… DATA PROTECTION. even if it's fraudulent data.

The post office is definitely redirecting his post. And knowing my xp I'd be surprised if it goes to a PO box… it would be overflowing by now…. probably just his actual address. These are not once a year annual statements, they are regular monthly statements, just they are the ones that slip through the net. It is not organised fraud, just he is too lazy to sort it out, and its more convenient for him to use my address than his own. He sees no reason why he should change it. He always has some excuse why his address isn't a real postal address. What nonsense.

I will contact the post office next

My point is, we all know this is wrong, but there's not much that anyone actually wants to do about it. especially the banks themselves. One guy at Barclaycard suggested to me that I simply 'disregard' the letters!

[lorrikeet]

Update:
I spoke to NationalDebtLine… they couldn't help but advised me to talk to the Money Advice Service. Who told me to keep sending the letters back to the senders with his new address and tee phone number on. Exactly what I have been doing for years now whenever these letters show up.

They also told me to check my credit rating and see if I am still 'financially associated' with my ex partner, which can happen if you have had joint loans, mortgages etc. In this case I need to get a 'letter of disassociation' to unlink myself from him and prevent his credit rating damaging mine

I wrote to the post office redirection team as it's been well over their two year limit for redirections.

[Thistledew]

You could try telling the bank that if they were to take legal action against him you would not accept service of any legal documents at your address, and they could not rely on using that address as their 'last known address' as they have been notified for some time that he does not live there.

You could also try the Office of the Information Commissioner. I don't know if they can help but it is worth asking if they have any advice. Tell them that your details (ie your address) are being held as part of a fraudulent record made by the bank in relation to your ex.

[lorrikeet]

mmm good ideas ….
thanks x

[Moniker1]

When you set up a mail redirection they always send a letter to the old address saying that a mail redirection from this address to such and such has been set up. So you should get that letter each time he sets it up. Which would be when you contact them to say no , some mistake.

I think the Post office should be doing something. Speak to you MP or Citizen's Advice you just need someone to put some pressure on them.

Also you have to take proof of address into the post office so he must still have passport or maybe driving licence at your address to be able to use it. Perhaps contacting DVLA or Passport office might do something.