Today I took delivery of a package that wasn't meant for me...

[parsleysage]

A jiffy bag addressed to someone who doesn't live at our address with a slightly different postcode than it should be - opened it and it contains an unpackaged child's toy (ebay win?) No slips inside with any addressee details.

Did the following: Looked up the postcode and can see the house numbers on our road that it covers (about 40 house numbers)

Did a search on the name on online phone directory - nothing listed in that name

Took the package to the playground and asked about 4 or 5 people who live on the same road if they knew the name - no one did.

Took it into the office at my child's primary school and asked if they had any pupils with that surname - No.

So my child is eyeing up this toy and I can't think what else to do. The postage was franked - and there are numbers on the franked label - would that indicate anything? Is there any way of tracing that? I think that's my last port of call to be honest but don't know anything about franking machines.

What would YOU do??

ASk you postie if he recognises the adressee or if there are similar adresses locally.

Is the toy used (ie is it likely to be a much loved and missed favourite?)

I would not keep it though - the PO should be able to identify the franking number.

CAt me the name and the postcode and I will find you the address in work tomorrow, so long as they are on the electoral register... or post it here and tehn get it deleted tomorrow?

Little Pushka - the toy is just a plastic, mass-produced branded toy - so not some forlorn looking, much loved toy that has been left behind (thank goodness otherwise I would be going door-to-door) but still someone may have paid hard-earned cash for it! Postie (who is brilliant) didn't know the name but I may ask him again tomorrow.

DuelingFanjo - can't do CAT and am a bit paranoid about revealing the details here (have namechanged for this post for the same reasons!). But thanks for the offer. I should add that I am renting this property and have only been here for 6 months - know who was here the past two tenancies but this name is unfamiliar. Perhaps they could have been here years ago? Or even 3 or 4 years ago? Interesting you have the facility to look at this - can you give me an email address I could send you the details (or would you not do that for the very same reasons I'm not prepared to reveal the requested details?!!)

LOL at parsley sage trogging the streets with battered half sucked bear, teary eyed and at wits end..

Am just curious about why you opened a package that wasn't addressed to you...? Wouldn't the normal thing be to return it to the Post Office 'not known at this address'?

If it had a return address maybe. We get a lot of post for the previous tenants (they did a runner, we have baliffs and all sorts trying to find them) If there's no return address for the PO to return it to I open it to find out who to contact.

I usually send letters back by the truckload with "not known at this address" - but when it comes to packages and I can't find any indication of an addressee's address on the outside of the package I usually open it up.

I don't know why really, it's to gauge its importance I guess - if it has an address inside I'd simply seal it back up again and write the addressee's address on the envelope and say, "please redirect to.." I think it speeds things up and I feel it is helpful and wouldn't mind somebody doing it for me one day.

And yes, God forbid if it had been some much-loved toy - I think I might have ended up putting a poster up at the local Spar!