to think this shouldn't be allowed to happen?

[RedPakora]

I escaped an abusive marriage earlier this year.

In March I got a letter from Royal mail with STBXH's name in the corner, saying all post addressed to this person would be redirected.

I'm currently awaiting delivery of some online purchases and the tracking for one of the parcels said that it has been redirected to a new address. I phoned Royal Mail expecting it to just have been a mistake on their part, to be told that it's correct, STBXH has redirected the whole family's mail!

Royal mail can't tell me where they have been sending my mail as that would break dpa, but they have allowed STBHX to have everything with my name on, how is that right?!

AIBU to think that this shouldn't even have been allowed to happen in the first place?

That's appalling and I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this. Have they given you an option to escalate the complaint and have your post redirected back to you?

Royal Mail's own rules say that a person can't have someone else's mail redirected without their express consent:

www.royalmail.com/sites/default/files/royal-mail-redirection-consumer-and-special-circumstances-terms-conditions-march-2019-20436557.pdf

I have complained and it's been corrected for future post but will take days to take effect. I intend to report the data breach to the relevant authority once I figure out who that is.

Apparently he ticked to say the whole family had moved so anything with our surname is redirected.

ICO?

ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

The terms and conditions posted above refer you to POSTRS as an ombudsman, if their complaints procedure fails. Clause 18

Clause 12 says that he is liable for any legal action taken against royal mail because of the redirection so if it comes to suing them they can sue him for it.

Clause 2.2 says that he must have your consent.

It is not a data protection breach to tell you where your post is going if (which they presumably must) they believe you requested the change or they were told you requested the change. That's your data.

I think having your post redirected is a police matter.

@browzingss and @Musereader thank you, I'll look into those

@Eskarina1 I have reported to the police, I have a non molestation order on STBHX but I'm not sure if theft/fraud is covered.

Isn’t it scary to think how many many letters he may have had of yours since March - meanwhile you’re none the wiser. Disgusting.

This is why I hate receiving physical letters, there’s nothing that couldn’t be an email. I’d rather not risk anything confidential falling into the wrong hands.

Take this opportunity to go paperless with as many organisations as you can

I'm paperless with most things but I'm waiting on things from the court and the NHS, I just assumed the delays were covid 19 related. I have a list of people to ring on Monday to see if I've missed anything important.

IME they send a confirmation letter to the address that would be redirected i.e. yours, and that's the point at which you can say the change of address shouldn't be acted on. Sounds like that letter never arrived, for whatever reason.

@TheSparklyPussycat I got the letter but it explicitly said that only post addressed to STBXH would be affected. Their response on the phone was 'well we can't list every name on the letter'. I've complained in writing to Royal Mail asking why the letter was wrong in what it said.

The ico will be interested. One of the main reasons for following the rules stressed in data protection training is to protect people in/escaping from domestic abuse. They let you down very badly.

Thinking about future proofing yourself... could you get a PO Box and get your mail sent there? Inconvenient but completely stops him doing it again.

The redirect usually applies to everyone in the same household with the same surname. They just don't publicise that clearly when you sign up. Sorry OP but you really should have contacted them as soon as you received that confirmation letter

I redirected recently online via Royal Mail website in January and had to state the full name of every member of the household to be redirected. You can't just select one surname.

But if you read the small print @pippapegg it says that every same surname will be redirected. They just want to charge more per person if they can. I have also done in the last few months

What did the police say?

Stress to them that he has received confidential letters from court/NHS etc and presumably opening them and permanently depriving you of them. He made no attempts to correct his “admin error” if that’s his excuse. He didn’t refuse to accept your mail/parcels, he didn’t get any of your mail redelivered to you/none are in your possession, he didn’t correct his “admin error” at any point by informing RM that he “accidentally” added your name whereas he must have noticed. You can only deduce that he intended to redirect your mail to snoop through your letters and steal your parcels etc. That’s controlling and a clear indication that he isn’t leaving you alone, surely a breach of the non molestation order

I would consider changing your surname by deed poll and updating it with anywhere that sends you letters like the NHS. It’s not as big as a faff as it sounds as I’ve done it myself. But it will ensure that no letters slip through the net - RM cock up all the time, don’t assume it will be smooth sailing from here.

@Ullupullu looking through the terms and conditions posted by @CrocodileFrock "10.5 Jointly addressed mail (for example, mail addressed to Mr and Mrs Smith) can only be redirected where there is a Redirection in place covering both names and redirecting mail to the same new address. If there is no such Redirection, we will deliver jointly addressed mail as addressed. "

So if the letter op got says his name only and does not say "and family" surely the above should apply, or why is there such a clause in the first place?

Op stated she was told the family box was ticked, if that is an option the the option to redirect mail in his name only is possible and the above clause would apply.

Anyway as an objection now has been received according to 3.6 through 3.9 they will investigate and may refuse to put it back in place as she can demonstrate that she did not consent to it as per section 2.2 that reqires him to have the consent of all persons who are having post redirected.

Also section10.10 "There are laws that prevent us from redirecting certain items. There are also laws that require us to return certain items to the sender and we may need to inform the authorities of this (for example, mail from government departments related to benefits). Even if we accept an application, any such items will not be redirected to the new address."

As op says she was waiting for court documents it may be that they are covered by those laws, may be something to look into in if redirecting court documents to him they have broken the law.

@musereader that might well be but in the actual application form (I just checked to copy and paste) it says :-
"Additional information
*To support our operational processes, is your whole household included in this move?
If you select 'Yes' we will redirect mail of all persons at your old address who have the same last name as you. Please do not select 'Yes' if anyone at your old address with the same last name as you has not given their consent or does not want their mail redirected to your new address."

So, OP's ex ticked yes. OP received confirmation letter stating this redirect and did not act immediately.

I totally understand why you're stressed about this and I'm sorry it has happened. But yes you should have queried this as soon as you got the redirect. RM dont know the circumstances and that's why the confirmation cant be redirected.

@Ullupullu, op got the letter, but it had ex's full name only in the corner, letter said people listed at the top will be having the mail redirected. Nowhere in the letter does it say 'people listed and family' so it is reasonable for op to assume that means mr pakora only,since as you have said yourself that redirecting for mr pakora only is possible according to the application form. If it is not indicated anywhere that this is not just the one named person why would she question it?

You're seriously saying @musereader that you wouldn't have checked upon receipt of that letter if it were you?

It clearly says his mail only and not to contact them about my own mail.

.