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A-return to sender..

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A bank keeps sending letters to a company that's no longer at my company address and has never been anything to do with me, and hasn't been there for about 5 years. I keep scribbling "no longer at this address, return to sender" on the envelope but I still keep getting 1st class letters, one a week or so.

 

Shall I keep doing this (it's been going on for a few months now) and hope they get the message or shall I open one and ring them? What's the legal implication for doing that? My concerns are two fold - somebody might be better charged overdraft fees or something or worse still the bank send the balifs round and start taking MY stuff.

 

Opines?

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There's no danger of bailiffs taking your stuff, nor can I see any legal ramifications of notifying the bank that the company isn't at your address.

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I keep scribbling "no longer at this address, return to sender" on the envelope but I still keep getting 1st class letters, one a week or so.

 

If the bank is using a mailing house for its correspondence then they don't get returned, just shredded.

 

Just open one and contact them directly. If you're not opening it for malicious purposes there's no problem.

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go to companies house online you should be able to get enough info to track down someone if you getting worried, then tell post office to send future mail there.

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I've been getting letters for the previous resident for 14 years from Lloyds Bank. I just bin then now.

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If the bank is using a mailing house for its correspondence then they don't get returned, just shredded.

 

Just open one and contact them directly. If you're not opening it for malicious purposes there's no problem.

 

Practical, but technically it's an offence to open mail addressed to someone else.

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Practical, but technically it's an offence to open mail addressed to someone else.

 

Only if:

 

If any person not engaged in the business of the Post Office wilfully and maliciously, with intent to injure any other person, either opens or causes to be opened any postal packet which ought to have been delivered to that other person, or does any act or thing whereby the due delivery of the packet to that other person is prevented or impeded, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both

 

And, from the Postal Services Act 2000:

 

127. Section 84(1) provides for it to be an offence if persons intentionally delay or open postal packets without reasonable excuse. It amalgamates the content of offences previously included in the Post Office Act 1953.

 

128. Subsection (3) makes it an offence for a person, intending to act to a person's detriment and without reasonable excuse, to open a postal packet which he knows or suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.

 

As I said, if done without any malice or nefarious purpose then there's no problem.

 

Opening the mail is actually the opposite of preventing or impeeding as its allowing the sender to perhaps seek information as to where the recipient might be. You could even argue that by not contacting the sender, you are delaying the post.

 

I had a problem a few years ago with a former tenant using my address to avoid bailiffs for debts he'd run up and had his car registered and insured to that address.

 

I popped to see the police to discuss it and they were fine with my opening the mail.

Edited by alchresearch

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We've just had the same problem at home. i opened the mail and contacted the bank who was sending the mail.

 

Turns out they had the details wrong at their end had "accidentally" added our address to someone else's name

 

Yes it is worth opening it and contacting them.

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Binning it will solve nothing

 

You are correct to send it back. The best thng to write on it is "not known at this address". This means you should be flagged as what is known in direct marketing speak as a "Goneway". I.e the address and name, no longer match

 

Its odd that a bank are not responding to this so as has been suggested call them

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Only if:

 

 

 

And, from the Postal Services Act 2000:

 

 

 

As I said, if done without any malice or nefarious purpose then there's no problem.

 

Opening the mail is actually the opposite of preventing or impeeding as its allowing the sender to perhaps seek information as to where the recipient might be. You could even argue that by not contacting the sender, you are delaying the post.

 

I had a problem a few years ago with a former tenant using my address to avoid bailiffs for debts he'd run up and had his car registered and insured to that address.

 

I popped to see the police to discuss it and they were fine with my opening the mail.

 

Fair enough, I'll try to remember that.

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