AIBU to throw away packages for previous residents?

[CecilieRose]

I've started to get really pissed off by the number of letters and packages addressed to previous residents. I'm quite sick at the moment and I'm getting tired of having to make trips to the nearest postbox (a 30 minute round trip walking, almost) to return things to sender. Would it be awful to start throwing them away? I've lived here for seven months. I always arrange redirections for my post, and I don't see why I should keep going out of my way for people who didn't bother to do that. Maybe a few weeks after moving is acceptable, in case there's a gap before the redirection kicks in, but I'm getting letters for one particular person several times a week, and have just been interrupted on a work call to open the door for one of his Amazon parcels! How hard is it to sort this stuff out instead of expecting other people to help you? It just feels so entitled.

AIBU to start throwing anything that isn't addressed to me straight in the bin?

Going against the grain here, but if parcels are still arriving from Amazon after all these months then whoever they are addressed to probably doesn't care about them. I would open them, keep them if useful and donate if not.

@CecilieRose I would flat out be refusing the Amazon parcels. Or any others for that matter.

Also, as pps have said, just store the letters up, write 'not known at this address' on them and stick them in the postbox when you are passing it. As someone asked you, why on earth are you making special trips to the postbox? Like fuck would I be doing that!

Also, it's been 7 months since they left. IMO, I reckon that YANBU to start binning any post that comes after say 12 months. (So as you have been keeping them/popping them in the postbox for 7 months, just keep doing it for another 5 months, then start binning stuff. After you have checked for anything valuable of course, which you should absolutely keep.)

As I sad though, keep refusing the parcels.

Nah, I dump stuff but I lived at my address for a while. I do not have the time or inclination to deal with someone else's stuff.

*said, not sad.

@GreenWheat

Going against the grain here, but if parcels are still arriving from Amazon after all these months then whoever they are addressed to probably doesn't care about them. I would open them, keep them if useful and donate if not.

Me too

[quote LittleDandelionClock]@CecilieRose I would flat out be refusing the Amazon parcels. Or any others for that matter.

Also, as pps have said, just store the letters up, write 'not known at this address' on them and stick them in the postbox when you are passing it. As someone asked you, why on earth are you making special trips to the postbox? Like fuck would I be doing that!

Also, it's been 7 months since they left. IMO, I reckon that YANBU to start binning any post that comes after say 12 months. (So as you have been keeping them/popping them in the postbox for 7 months, just keep doing it for another 5 months, then start binning stuff. After you have checked for anything valuable of course, which you should absolutely keep.)

As I sad though, keep refusing the parcels.[/quote]
I would refuse them if I could. What happens is the delivery person usually buzzes another flat or comes in behind another resident of the block and then just leaves it outside my flat door, so I don't even know it's there until I need to go out. So irritating. And as for the letters , they go into the mailbox downstairs.

I'm never really "just passing" a postbox. Taking stuff to work with me and having to find a postbox near the office is even more of a faff than making a special trip to the one nearer my house - there are loads of letters and packages that pile up every 2-3 weeks!

YANBU OP just start binning them. I'd definitely open the packages though.

@HoseMeDownWithHolyWater

Open them in case there's anything good in there.

I'm joking, of course... 😏

Have it and sell it - I’m not joking

Amazon stuff comes really qickly and isnt amything to do with redirect - theyve not updated their address in their amazon account! Thats so bad.
Id throw the amazon parcels in a cupboard until they come to ask for them, aaauming you can't refuae them.

If it's flats and they have to be buzzed in, are you able to put a note on the main door saying XXX no longer lives here, please do not leave parcels.
I worked in a delivery company's Traffic office and drivers use to take photos of signs etc as proof they attempted delivery but a valid reason they couldn't. Or if solicitors, estate agent, property agent, landlord involved in the sale / rental, contact them asking them to get in contact with the offender and get it sorted.

Nobody would spend money ordering stuff on Amazon and then not care that they went to an old address. Surely that is someone else sending them gifts, or maybe a forgotten subscription for something.

I wouldn't bin them but I wouldn't make a special trip either. I'd save them up and then dump next time you're passing a postbox. Quite cruel to bin them imo unless clearly junk mail.

@Lizlou85

If it's flats and they have to be buzzed in, are you able to put a note on the main door saying XXX no longer lives here, please do not leave parcels. I worked in a delivery company's Traffic office and drivers use to take photos of signs etc as proof they attempted delivery but a valid reason they couldn't. Or if solicitors, estate agent, property agent, landlord involved in the sale / rental, contact them asking them to get in contact with the offender and get it sorted.

Unfortunately not. I had a note up and it was taken down by the building management/cleaner, who said it looked crappy and lowered the tone, basically. It's quite a nice block.

@fourminutestosavetheworld

Nobody would spend money ordering stuff on Amazon and then not care that they went to an old address. Surely that is someone else sending them gifts, or maybe a forgotten subscription for something.

I wouldn't bin them but I wouldn't make a special trip either. I'd save them up and then dump next time you're passing a postbox. Quite cruel to bin them imo unless clearly junk mail.

You'd be surprised. It happened at my last flat as well.. You'd think anyone with half a brain would delete the former address completely to ensure that it was never selected by mistake, but I must be overestimating people's intelligence. I also had a neighbour who constantly sent stuff to my flat (think 3A) instead of his (think 3B). Like, how do you get that wrong? Time and time again?

I get that it’s a total inconvenience and think it’s shitty to have put you in that situation.

But. The last time I moved house, I got a redirection but it was a fortune! I only got it for six months. I changed my address with everyone I could think of, but I’m sure I missed one or two.

I feel bad that the person in my old house might still get crap junk Mail but I did my best!

As a PP said, I’d be mindful of the unnecessary waste of binning the parcels. I know it’s an inconvenience but can you drop Amazon’s customer service people a line? Or investigate by trying to find contact information?

Not your responsibility but might solve the problem longer-term and gves you the warm and fuzzy feeling of doing the Right Thing….

@WeatherwaxLives

Put a label on your postbox saying 'post for C. Rose Only'

This ^^

I had a sign above my postbox Mail for Posh only please and it worked very well. You could further quantify this with “strictly no mail or parcels for Mr P. Owner”

God fuck that. Bin them.

When I left my previous place I set up a mail redirect.

I didnt move far, so once popped by old place to check if any of my mail had been received. Lo and behold, some had been. So the redirect service doesn't always work properly.

It was only when I got debt collection letters a couple of years later, that I found that old property was rented out, and they were committing identity fraud from it, running up debts in my name. Possibly helped by post that wasn't rediected properly.

Yanbu and it’s a pain, but unless you return to sender you’ll keep getting them.

I agree with a pp - put a photo on the local Facebook page and hopefully someone will notify them. Otherwise just keep returning them to sender, with that highlighted and in large letters! You don't have to go out of your way for them, just take them when you are going near a postbox.

Why anyone would order something and then not try and track it down when it doesn't turn up however is beyond me

I would open some packages if you get a lot, and nobody has ever bothered to contact you about anything.. you might find some useful items that you fancy.!

With letters I write ’gone away’ in thick black marker and put them back in the post. Very satisfying.

Unfortunately ywbu. You just have to:

• refuse deliveries
• put up a sign as pp said
• gather letters and do in a bulk lot

Seven months is not long and it does reduce over time.

@Muddybanks

I thought it was an offence to "interfere with Her Majesty's postal service" or something like that anyway ... .

I definitely would let a few stack up before taking them to P O though.
.
Is the property rented? If so, you could ask the landlord to contact the previous tenant about this on your behalf.

Ditto contact details of vendor if owned to drop him a line about his post.

Once its in your house its no longer the property of the postal service though, so I don't see how it can be a problem.

OP I would open some of the parcels or letters to see if there is an email address or phone number on the order confirmation. Then I would send the person one email or text to tell them what's going on. After that I would start binning to be honest, or if its parcels, opening them and donating the contents.

I don't understand what people think will happen if you "dump" a load of amazon parcels in a post box? Why would the postal service spend time and resources hunting down the owner of parcels which they didn't even send?

As PPs have said - open a parcel and find an email address or phone number.
Contact them and ask them to come and get it all or you're binning it.