AIBU?
Would you open their letters?
JustAskinPa · 08/04/2021 11:48
Moved into a new house last year and since then we've just received letter after letter and multiple visits from bailiffs for the old tenant.
I'm getting frankly sick of it. The seller doesn't know where he went neither do the agents. I get multiple letters a day for this guy and have had another bailiff visit this morning when I was out with a card saying they would come back. I know they aren't for me but it's embarrassing when they are at the door tbh.
WIBU to open the letters that have come and ring every single one of these companies to tell them to stop writing here and sending people out.
The last time a bailiff came and we were in it was at 10pm and I had to stand at the door showing them our ID with a screaming baby they had just woken up. Its really starting to get on my nerves now.
stablefeet · 08/04/2021 11:56
Had this when tenants moved out of a rented place. Opened them all and rang all the agencies. I didn't have the person's new address, but unfortunately for them (!) they left paperwork behind giving the address of their workplace, so I passed that on. It was fine, no more visits or letters.
MsSquiz · 08/04/2021 12:05
I had this at out previous house. Did "return to sender- not at address since X date" for almost a year.
Then 1 day I opened it and rang the debt collector. I explained the situation, said I was more than happy to provide evidence that we had lived there since X date. They said I didn't need to, apologised for the letters and stopped sending them
Speakuptomakeyourselfheard · 08/04/2021 12:07
Please DON'T open the mail, it is a criminal offence! Instead, do as 'devuskums' advised, and write 'Return to Sender' 'Unknown at this address'. The Royal Mail can then open and forward to the sender, saving you any problems with having committed what is actually a crime.
WorraLiberty · 08/04/2021 12:12
@Speakuptomakeyourselfheard
I knew someone would say this (because it's true) but there's not a court in the land who would do anything about it in these circumstances.
I was in exactly your position OP and I got fed up of writing 'Not known at this address' as it wasn't getting me anywhere.
So I opened the letters, rang each debt collector individually and they apologised and put a stop to it straight away.
Good luck
Fairyliz · 08/04/2021 12:13
@Speakuptomakeyourselfheard
It’s not a criminal offence unless you intend to use the information for your own purposes. So say you opened a letter with a credit card inside and used the card. It’s fine to open to see where to return to.
No point writing return to sender on envelope, Royal Mail give these letters very low priority and they can sit around for weeks.
dementedpixie · 08/04/2021 12:16
@Speakuptomakeyourselfheard
It's only a criminal offence if you're intending to do something malicious with it
A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.
WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants · 08/04/2021 12:17
And AGAIN
It is NOT illegal.
One of these days people will stop spouting this nonsense!
@JustAskinPa
After a couple of years of ' not known at this address, return to sender'. I started opening them all & phoning. They were all very helpful & I haven't had one in a while now.
10 years on I STILL get phone calls for her. I just tell them they can only speak to her if they can communicate with the dead!!
No idea if she's dead or not 🤣
FlyingBurrito · 08/04/2021 12:21
@Speakuptomakeyourselfheard
As soon as I read the thread title I knew this urban myth would make an appearance in the first few posts
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/part/V/crossheading/offences-of-interfering-with-the-mail
Section 84 (3) would seem to apply here.
Hagqueen · 08/04/2021 12:25
Deffo worth calling then up - I had a few when I bought my house. One company did want more personal details such as evidence I owned my house (!!). I gave them my first name and told them to go to the Land Registry and pay for the info if they wanted further proof lol, but it did stop them.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.