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AIBU?

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Original poster

To send a 'blind' email to this person?

60 replies

dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 10:19

I have a simple email address which I use for freecycle etc. Its a shortened version of my name which I was lucky enough to get when gmail was still relatively new.

Recently I have been getting all kinds of emails -confirmation of bookings ,orders etc. which are not mine.

At first I wasn't too bothered as often people have email addresses that they dont really use or have copied wrongly just one time. However these emails are now growing in number so Im getting more anxious that the woman they are intended for will miss out on something important.There have been round robin type emails from a local political party for example.

There is an address on one confirmation email . The address is in Ireland ,County Tipperary to be exact, and even includes a phone number(I think its a phone number anyway-not familiar with Southern Irish telephone numbers).

I have toyed with trying to contact the person by letter or phone but just know that I will leave it and leave it as I hate starting this type of contact. I am fine with emailing though as its less formal.

The problem is ...how do I get the email to her?Should I just do all sorts of variations on the name and hope that one of the recipients is her?

And how to word such an email so that it doesnt sound like its from some mad woman. Confused

OP posts:
perplexedpirate · 02/06/2012 10:21

Phone and tell her. It will 5 minutes out of your day and may make a huge difference to this woman.

hiveofbees · 02/06/2012 10:22

I would reply to the people who have sent the emails saying 'I think that you have the wrong address, this isnt for me'

Original poster
dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 10:23

Okay . Does anyone know if Tipperary numbers start with 087.

OP posts:
delilahlilah · 02/06/2012 10:24

what perplexed said. Point out out your concern that her personal details are coming to you, and someone less responsible could cause her chaos?

scarletforya · 02/06/2012 10:26

087 is a mobile number. If you stick 353 (irl country code) before it you'll get through.

FartBlossom · 02/06/2012 10:26

I think you are getting junk emails TBH. Im sure 087 numbers are premium rate aren't they?

Id ignore TBH

hopkinette · 02/06/2012 10:26

Could you email one of the senders and ask them to contact her and tell her that she's given them the wrong email address? A lot of companies ask for a phone number when you book online so perhaps one of them could ring her and let her know? Or you could contact the local political party and ask for someone to get in touch with her?

I think it'll be less weird for her to be contacted by someone she's already voluntarily made contact with. iyswim.

delilahlilah · 02/06/2012 10:26

the don't seem to, but it could be a work number. Lots of businesses have 0870 / 0871 etc and they can be routed anywhere.

Original poster
dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 10:27

Hive I thought of that but decided that as these were generally automated emails (and therefore not meant for replies) it wouldnt cure the problem .

OP posts:
scarletforya · 02/06/2012 10:28

Oh, should have said drop the zero. So 353 87 1234567 .

scarletforya · 02/06/2012 10:29

087 are irish mobile numbers!

Original poster
dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 10:32

Definitely not junk emails . She has bought some clothes for example and had dispatch notes sent.

I dont think Im willing to phone a possibly premium number in another country though. I am loathe enough to phone mobiles here when I can email for free.

OP posts:
Birdsgottafly · 02/06/2012 10:33

I used to get lots of emails for someone with the same prefix but letters instead of numbers on the end.

I replied to the more official ones and the intended receipient must have sorted it out because they eventually stopped.

knowitallstrikesagain · 02/06/2012 10:34

Text?

If it was your stuff all getting sent to the wrong place, bet you would really appreciate getting told if someone had contact details for you. I think it is a bit mean to be able to contact her but not want to. It will mean a lot!

Nymia · 02/06/2012 10:35

087 is the beginning of a mobile number in Ireland, used to be the old Eircom ones. If the owner is in Tipperary, it's definitely not a premium rate number.

I have had the same thing happen, so here is my take on it:

I'm not entirely sure that she's NOT getting the emails. I'd email her once, but I wouldn't forward more than one email before getting a reply. I think Gmail copies emails to similar addresses sometimes, particularly if the difference is punctuation. You might find that you will forward an email to her, but it will bounce back to you anyway.

My husband has a [email protected] address, and very often gets emails addressed to someone with the same name, but the email appears to have been sent to [email protected] (no punctuation in the middle of the name). After a few junk emails, he then got an Aer Lingus booking confirmation which he decided to forward it to the owner of the other email address - but it copied straight back to him despite carefully typing the address in!

I have recently started getting some emails from [email protected], despite the fact that mine is in the format [email protected]. He has a very common Irish name, mine is more unusual, so that could be it... We have both had our Gmail accounts since it was invite-only.

FartBlossom · 02/06/2012 10:40

I think Gmail copies emails to similar addresses sometimes

I dont like the sound of that, what if they are sending you confirmation to a web address of your log-in details? Someone else may get them then. Sounds feasible though as DH has a gmail account and has set up a bill with it, but to sign on its his gmail address, but without the . in the first bit when his address has it. I hope someone else isn't getting his important emails with any of his details on.

Original poster
dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 10:46

Flippin'eck!Thank you all for your suggestions Thanks

Why didnt I think to Forward one of the emails to one alternative address at a time.

I have done this with one confirmation and attached a short note of explanation.I await the outcome

OP posts:
Original poster
dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 10:51

Okay - the firstname.lastname email came to me (firstnamelastname ) Sad.

I am actually a bit worried now about what emails of mine have gone to another person.

OP posts:
Monisey · 02/06/2012 10:53

This has really freaked me out as the same thing has happened to me.

My email address is [email protected]. I have been receiving emails for a person with the same name as me, she lives in America. I eventually got in touch with her as I got an email from a person that was a friend of hers and sorted out that way. I think there is another person in Belfast or the north of Ireland as well.

There are a few people still sending me emails for this person, I just send them back saying that they have the wrong address and could they let her know as I have been receiving personal information about her. This seems to be working.

Btw, I live in Tipperary, Ireland. Your name doesn't start with D, does it?

Nymia · 02/06/2012 10:56

FartBlossom, yes that is a worry... we didn't think of that earlier as we haven't noticed missing out any important emails, but it is a possibility.

I'm not sure if it is Gmail or the merchant who may be doing that either though, we have Gmail accounts so I noticed that, but it could well be something built-in to the automated confirmation receipt script. We have never got login details from ANY website for someone else though, just mailing-list newsletters and confirmation of flight or hotel bookings...

Nymia · 02/06/2012 10:57

For full disclosure - I am also from Tipperary, Ireland.

I think there's a pattern here.... God, how bizarre would that be?!!

marshmallowpies · 02/06/2012 11:04

Yes I've had the same issue with gmail & there is no way (that I could find) of informing Google that THIS email is me, but THAT one isn't.

If they have been misdirecting other peoples' mails to me, presumably the same could have been happening to my email.

I've never received a serious email for someone else, just round robins, but I did get a funny one last summer from someone's uncle trying to arrange to meet up with her. I replied saying 'wrong email!' but he either ignored it or didn't understand as I then got a snotty email saying 'you never showed up!'

If the mails are important, like flight bookings, I'd go via the business side first, try and alert them that they have the wrong email address; presumably they have the customers other contact details so hopefully they can get in touch with them.

CatPower · 02/06/2012 11:14

I'm with gmail, and have been getting personal emails for a couple of women in America (both with the same surname, but different first names as me) for a while. Some are invoices for catering jobs, others are updates on a relative's cancer treatment, others are emails from one girl's college sorority! Everytime I receive them, I email the sender back and explain what's happened, and they promise to double-check the email address etc. Thing is, it always comes up as "Stranger's Name ([email protected])", with the email address always being MINE!

Original poster
dwpanxt · 02/06/2012 12:34

Wow - how weird is this Monisey and Nymia Is Tipperary the gateway to Hell do you think?

Monisey my name starts with a U -pretty standard Irish name really. Im from the North although posting from England.

OP posts:
ErikNorseman · 02/06/2012 12:55

I had this! Also in Ireland. I had emails from her priest about confirmation classes, her confirmation email from her wedding venue and a daily bible reading email subscription. I assume her email is katesurname@ or kathsurname@ as mine is katsurname@. I replied to the priest and the wedding venue and unsubscribed from the bible readings. Quite annoying!