Opening other people’s post

[Remainiac]

Builders working outside have just knocked and handed me a letter from HMRC which has been opened and read by a neighbour.
She says that it was put into the wrong box (we have individual locked post boxes, not letterboxes in the door), she assumed it was for her and didn’t realise until she had opened and read it.
It is clearly addressed, and also has my name in very large bold type at the top of the first page - impossible to miss.
Neighbour now knows my NI number, tax code, reference number and that I am due a tax refund.
I’m a bit bemused by the whole thing- why did she carry on reading it as soon as she realised it wasn’t for her? Why did she hand it to the builder with the explanation (which she also wrote on the outside of the envelope).
Would you read someone else’s post?

I've genuinely accidentally opened neighbours post. Especially when I used to get a lot. Have a pile just open in order.

Would you actually go on and read it once you realised it wasn’t for you?

She may not have bothered reading the addresses and name as it was wrongly delivered in her locked box, have you spoken to her about it.

I'd read it, not going to lie, it's natural curiosity isn't it. How many people could honestly say that their eyes would see the wrong name then they'd shut them to not see any more?

How do you know that she carried on reading it?

I've occasionally opened my DDs' mail by accident. They no longer live here, and I live alone so don't think to check the outside of any envelopes. Sometimes it's taken me a few seconds of reading and confusion before I've realised it's not for me. I tend to scan and skim things, so I don't really look at the top of letters and can easily miss the Dear (Name) bit.

Did she tell you she read the whole letter or are you assuming she did

The very odd time I have opened my neighbours posted. Our post is no delivered everyday so sometimes there can be a bit of a pile and I open without looking at the front. Once I spotted it was not for me I stopped reading. They have also opened my post by accident.

She told the builder she had opened and read it, and also wrote that on the envelope.

How do you know it's been read?

What would I say? She can’t un-read it.

You could just say sorry it was deliverd to the wrong box, but you are a bit worried because it contained personal information and see how she responds.

I can’t think of anything I’d be less interested in than my neighbour’s NI number etc. she might not be able to unread it but it’s not exactly juicy dirt she’s stumbled onto, she won’t remember.

Just ask her, say you have to inform the authorities, tax office, that your info has accidentially been shared, she may not even have noticed, are you worried that she photocpied it or wrote down your info.

By saying she didnt realise until she had opened it and read it didnt mean she read the whole thing, maybe just that she read the first few words then realised.

I've opened my husbands post before by accident and then only realised when I got a couple of lines in, its quite easy to do if you are on autopilot or being a bit absentminded

She probably means she read it as in she looked at it before she realised it had nothing to do with her and looked at the name and address again.

I really couldn't get my knickers in a twist about this one. Do you really think she has bothered to memorise your NI number and tax code?

I’m not so much worried as I think it’s odd that she would go to the trouble of telling the builder that she opened and read it and wrote a note to that effect on the envelope. Why not just say opened in error as delivered to wrong box and stick it in my box? It feels like she wants me to know that she knows my business. The letter has the amount of the refund in it and my accountant’s details as they have received a copy.

I'd read it, not going to lie, it's natural curiosity isn't it. How many people could honestly say that their eyes would see the wrong name then they'd shut them to not see any more?

Yes me too. I suspect most people would.

I would be less than bothered about my neighbour knowing the details you've mentioned too tbh.

I really think you are overthinking this. I'd probably write something similar that I'd opened and read it before I realised - ultimately opening it by mistake and opening it by mistake and reading it are pretty much the same thing as she had to read it to realise it wasn't for her? She wouldn't have opened it if she had read the name and address first.

Unless there is some history with the neighbour you are massively overthinking this

Your neighbour can't win sadly. In her position, I'd have probably opened the letter assuming it was for me, then started to read the contents and get to the part about a refund and thought "hold on, this makes no sense" and then checked and found that it wasn't for me.

At this point what is she supposed to do? Chuck it in the bin to avoid the embarrassment or hand it over and be truthful? Damned either way for a genuine mistake. Seriously forget it. The details she has are of little use to her and I'm sure she's a nice person and not looking to scam you using your stolen information.

Yes me too. I suspect most people would

I disagree that most people would read someone else's post, I wouldn't.

In her position, I'd have probably opened the letter assuming it was for me, then started to read the contents and get to the part about a refund and thought "hold on, this makes no sense" and then checked and found that it wasn't for me.

Ditto. I got halfway thru a neighbour's wrongly-delivered bank statement before I realised it wasn't mine. If it helps, OP, I can't remember anything except we (obviously) have the same bank.

I opened and “read” a letter for DS this morning. Handed it across to him with the apology “sorry I read your mail”. However, I didn’t get past the first sentence which was when I realised the letter wasn’t for me.

You are over thinking it. And I am sure she has no interest at all in your NI number or tax code.

How do you read a letter? I would see the thing as a whole before I started reading it word by word so would see it all as once but obviously I accept that if you are someone who only reads one word at a time you could maybe stop your eyes after the first couple of words, it's not something I could do.

I've opened wrong post that was put in my box, I lived alone and was always addressed to me so eventually didn't even look at the name and address on what was coming through. It can happen OP