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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that this isn't legal?

101 replies

WalkingDownTheStreet · 25/04/2021 12:57

I got a letter in the post yesterday.
Addressed to :
My Neighbour
My full address

It's a copy of The Watchtower

Can they send you unsolicited mail? I suppose it's no different to them posting spam through your letterbox themselves but it just seems intrusive.

OP posts:
Nonameslob · 26/04/2021 03:33

Why so aggressive about a letter? Just chuck it in the bin! I get loads of stuff through my letterbox every day I don't want. You seem irrationally angry.

Mandalay246 · 26/04/2021 04:16

Given that you've spent far more time on MN complaining than it would have taken you to bin The Watchtower I consider YABVU. It's really not that big a deal OP and it astounds me that you are so wound up about it.

PhilCornwall1 · 26/04/2021 05:08

@WalkingDownTheStreet

I got a letter in the post yesterday. Addressed to : My Neighbour My full address

It's a copy of The Watchtower

Can they send you unsolicited mail? I suppose it's no different to them posting spam through your letterbox themselves but it just seems intrusive.

Just throw it in the bin.

I guess they are now posting the stuff out as they can't go door knocking, thankfully!!

JackieWeaver · 26/04/2021 05:19

Even drug deals were offering contactless delivery throughout lockdown, people are just thinking outside of the letterbox.

Live & let live Grin

Nicolastuffedone · 26/04/2021 06:20

I’ve just had one addressed to ‘The Occupier’ I just binned it..

TheWaif · 26/04/2021 06:24

I had the neighbour letter a week ago. I was really apprehensive about opening it at first, I thought it was going to be a complaint from an actual neighbour! Not that I've done anything other than have a slightly messy driveway..

I presumed they just got the address from Google.

TooBored1 · 26/04/2021 06:27

@titchy

Illegal?! Lol. Don't you get campaign stuff from political parties during elections then which are addressed to you? I think you can be certain the Conservative party won't be doing anything illegal during a campaigns!
While sending post during elections is legal, the Conservatives have done illegal things during elections!

I had to make 3 GDPR complaints during the last election as they skimmed my email from somewhere and wouldn't take me off their mailing list despite me asking them to.

Was on the news too, so I know I wasn't the only one.

Original poster
WalkingDownTheStreet · 26/04/2021 09:34

@HahaAreyouSerious

So it turns out you did invite them in???

Sorry, but you're a total shit for blaming it on the postman, royal mail, your neighbour or anyone else.
You literally invited yourself to be put on a list fuck sake.

Yes, over two decades ago in a different country! I had a newborn baby and presumed they were social workers or Public Health Nurse type thing. As I said, I was not fully functioning due to lack of sleep and PND at the time, otherwise I wouldn't have invited them in.
I'm not blaming anything on anyone. Take a chill pill.
OP posts:
ForwardRanger · 26/04/2021 09:44

ForwardRanger
I think you're being a bit religious-ist

Hahaha, I suppose I am!

I was only part joking. I was brought up to be rude about JWs but later in life had one as a neighbour and OMG they were the loveliest people. I realised how twattish it was of me to have such a bad attitude to one particular community.

Look I don't like being preached to either but you can just pop the Watchtower in your recycling. I don't think they mean to be offensive.

Mumoblue · 26/04/2021 10:40

@ForwardRanger I think there’s a difference between being nice to your neighbours who happen to be religious and putting up with random people trying to convert you.
I don’t think it’s “religious-ist”.

Original poster
WalkingDownTheStreet · 26/04/2021 10:51

People can practice whatever religion they like, just don't involve me in it!

OP posts:
LemonViolet · 26/04/2021 20:18

I call the bin the bin and the recycling the recycling....otherwise it’s confusing 🤷🏻‍♀️

GreyhoundG1rl · 26/04/2021 20:20

@LemonViolet

I call the bin the bin and the recycling the recycling....otherwise it’s confusing 🤷🏻‍♀️
Not for most people. A recycling bin is not a thing that causes much confusion at all.
ForwardRanger · 27/04/2021 00:29

@LemonViolet

I call the bin the bin and the recycling the recycling....otherwise it’s confusing 🤷🏻‍♀️
Totally. There is compost, recycling and bin. Never heard the recycling called the bin. Because it isn't. Bin is for waste.
LemonViolet · 27/04/2021 06:56
Grin
PollyThePony · 27/04/2021 08:10

Meh, maybe it depends where you live tbf. But, rest assured @LemonViolet, many people say recycling bin, because it is a bin. So your shouty CAPS POST, was probably a little unnecessary Smile

PollyThePony · 27/04/2021 08:12

I'm sure by aren't I a LAUGH, you meant to say, oh my shouty post was a bit unnecessary as clearly it varies from region to region. There, i did it for you. You are welcome Grin

Beamur · 27/04/2021 08:15

JW are required/encouraged to proselytise. We got a 'dear neighbour' letter too, handwritten beautifully. We're not, and will never be, religious, but actually I found the letter rather touching.

steppemum · 27/04/2021 08:17

@WalkingDownTheStreet

Ok, fair enough. Usually though unless you sign up to a mailing list, companies generally can't contact you. It's a bit annoying nonetheless.
that really is not true.

Think of all the advertising mail that comes through the door.
Virgin media, sky sports, pizza restaurants, political leaflets.

Of course people can send you post without you being on a mailing list.

In this case, I assuem they have literally take the street name and all the numbers and sent a letter to every house, no electoral role needed

itsgettingwierd · 27/04/2021 08:24

I got a letter addressed to "my neighbour my address" the other week.

I wondered if this was the new way to canvas socially distanced.

I didn't get a book though - despite binning the letter from Jenny I also feel a little bit robbed Grin

AlternativePerspective · 27/04/2021 08:27

This one has been doing the rounds. I had one on Thursday and my parents who live in a different town had one on Saturday.

TBH it’s probably easier to just mail shot as you can A, cover so many more addresses, and B, are less likely to be abused at the door when you go knocking.

Although i have to say my last two experiences with JW led me to make complaints to the local Kingdom Hall.

First one I answered the door and they said that they were JW, no worries, not interested thank you. But after I closed the door they stood in my garden for about 5 minutes talking about what a shame it was, how I was obviously blind because of my lack of belief, and if only I would let them pray for me I could have been saved and would be able to see again. Hmm

The second lot I opened the door and the bloke stood there almost stammering on the doorstep “er... uh.... er... we um... have... a blind person.” At this point they hadn’t identified themselves so I very abruptly asked them what the hell they wanted. It was only then that they said they were JW, at which point I pointed out that if they hadn’t been so incredibly patronising then I would have just said that no I just wasn’t interested, but given they had to speak like that in front of me before identifying themselves they could get the hell out and never come back.

On the whole I’m not rude to people, but there are always exceptions.

And before anyone suggests that maybe they just didn’t know how to react, I’m afraid that’s just not good enough. I can deal with people’s ignorance in the street, and usually it just passes over me and I laugh about it when I get home. But if you’re going to knock on people’s doors then you bloody well need to sort out your attitude, as you have no idea who is going to answer the door, and it’s their space not yours.

fakeplantsdontlookreal · 27/04/2021 09:04

Polly it is known as the recycle bin in this area, hence when I said earlier that "I binned it" I meant in the recycle bin too. Although technically it is a bag now since they split the recyling into about 5 different things, but I would never say I bagged it.....

At Easter we had booklets from the two local Churches, so the JW mail is no different to that. I binned those too in the recycle bin/bag. We did eat the chocolates though Grin.

Steelix · 27/04/2021 09:52

Vile publication from a vile organisation.

LemonViolet · 27/04/2021 20:55

Nah, I meant to blow a raspberry 😝 🙄

Xenia · 27/04/2021 21:04

There are different rules on "unaddressed" (non personalised) mail and addressed mail and for those posted and those not posted. I think as well as the usual mailing preference service to which you can sign up there is an addition opt out royal mail does for unaddressed mail..here it is - door to door opt out personal.help.royalmail.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/293/~/how-do-i-opt-out-of-receiving-any-leaflets-or-unaddressed-promotional-material%3F

However that opts you from what royal mail deliver. That does not stop someone a few streets away coming round with this JW kind of stuff or any other teenager putting cards through the doors to get garden work.

You could put a sign on your door or fence saying no mail of this kind and then if they enter the garden with it rather than using the post then they are trespassing.

Or you could just recycle it like the rest of us do. I had a handwritten one a few months ago - some poor deluded cult member's child had been forced to write one so yes it might be better for them than watching TV may be but is pretty much a waste of effort for what is not really a good cause.