Forwarding letters

rn

I had guy living in my house a few years back and he registered the address for a lot of his mail - since he moved out a good few of the letters still keep coming to me - either he hasn't updated the address or the companies didn't update it correctly.

I used to simply wipe out the address with black marker and put his new address on the unopened letter and pop it in the post box down the road. However the missus reckons that these are never reaching the lad as you have to put a new stamp on the letter... so can you fwd mail for free? What about return to sender?

No one from an post has ever come to the house saying it was a problem and I can't seam to find information about it on the an post website - they have a mail redirection service, but mention nothing about adhoc forwarding.

Malari

You can't forward for free anymore OP, not for a couple of years:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/1119/anpost-business.html

Bin them

saiint

open them could be a nice check or birthday card in them :P

id be a terrible post man :L

inmyday

Don't bin them... Just write on it "not at this address, return to sender". then put it in a post box.

So it will go back to the company and they will contact the person for an up to date address.

Hersheys

inmyday wrote: »

Don't bin them... Just write on it "not at this address, return to sender". then put it in a post box.

So it will go back to the company and they will contact the person for an up to date address.

How will they contact the person if that's the contact address they have for them?

MJ23

Save them up, and use them to light the fire.

él statutorio

Hersheys wrote: »

How will they contact the person if that's the contact address they have for them?

phone? email? carrier pigeon?

SEPT 23 1989

I forward them into the fire

Tow

Malari wrote: »

You can't forward for free anymore OP, not for a couple of years:

You can still forward mail. An Post came out with the above a couple of years ago, but then had to retract it, as they are legally obliged to forward mail.

At this stage, I would return them back to the sender as 'gone away'. When they start getting letters returned they will stop sending them to your address.

Lollipops23

The previous tenants of the apartment i live in took ages to change their details with the companies- I had to start posting them back with "not known at this address" on it.
6months on and I'm still getting his bloody phone bill- have started binning them, as I gave him plenty of time to look after it before. Surely he should realise he hasn't gotten a bill in 6 months?!!

Ziegfeldgirl27

Used to work in a post office and people would come to me with the same problem. I would always either return to sender, or tell them to put a new stamp on the letter just to be sure.
Some of them were trying to forward mail on to addresses in Australia and other countries, so I doubt very much that they would in fact get there.

JuliusCaesar

I'm fairly sure that interfering with the mail is illegal - unless it's obviously junk mail, you should return to sender with 'gone away' or 'not known at this address'.

rn

return to sender is the way to go so... thanx

--LOS--

I've always just crossed out the address and written forward to...... no cost.

Mint Sauce

--LOS-- wrote: »

I've always just crossed out the address and written forward to...... no cost.

I do this as well. Former housemates have told me they received the mail, and I have received mail this way as well.

flutterflye

I don't get them that often, but whenever I do - they go straight in the bin.
I used to put them aside with the intention of sending them on, but it's too much effort, and not my problem.
Fcuk it.
I don't care if it's illegal.

griffdaddy

So does that mean if I want to send a letter for free I can get an old envelope, write 'Not at this address; forward to xxxxx' and have it sent on? and here I am sending text messages and emails like a fool

Sarn

I've been in my current place for over two years now. I'm still getting mail for several former tenants that I've been writing 'return to sender' on. It hasn't stopped some muppet companies/councils repeatedly sending letters to the same people. 3 are still sending a bill addressed to the former tenant every few months.

Shame I don't have an open fire in my home.

shopaholic01

JuliusCaesar wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that interfering with the mail is illegal - unless it's obviously junk mail, you should return to sender with 'gone away' or 'not known at this address'.

After a year you are entitled to burn them or throw them away - according to my postman anyway.

up for anything

Let a few pile up and then hand them to the postman and ask him nicely to stop delivering mail with that name on it to your address.

mrcheez

Have this issue with official letters (with the "postage paid" stamp on them).

I have the person's new address, what do I need to write on the letter?

"Forward to [address]" (and cross out original) ?

dxhound2005

mrcheez wrote: »

Have this issue with official letters (with the "postage paid" stamp on them).

I have the person's new address, what do I need to write on the letter?

"Forward to [address]" (and cross out original) ?

Do not let it be an issue for you if that person can't be bothered to have their own mail redirected.

Mark them "Gone Away" and put them in a postbox. Or just burn them.

Jake Rugby Walrus666

Flick open a random page of the yellowpages.
Draw a cock on the envelope.
Write the address of the first business on the yellowpages on to the envelope and post it to them.
This won't achieve anything but it is another one of your options.

Feathers

griffdaddy wrote: »

So does that mean if I want to send a letter for free I can get an old envelope, write 'Not at this address; forward to xxxxx' and have it sent on? and here I am sending text messages and emails like a fool

Well some people are saying this won't work any more. But everyone agrees 'return to sender' is still valid. So instead, flip over the envelop & put "If undelivered, please return to XXXX" and have it sent on

Mr. Tom

One step "forward", two steps back.

wil

Sarn wrote: »

It hasn't stopped some muppet companies/councils repeatedly sending letters to the same people. 3 are still sending a bill addressed to the former tenant every few months.
.

same problem with 3.
Other letters from different companies eventually stopped, but not 3.
Must be incapable of reading as I have returned dozens of bills for someone living here years ago, I made it abundantly clear all over in big black marker, even handed a bundle in to post office with complaint, they said they'd probably deal with it.
And yet they come.

Unstoppable I tell you:(:eek::mad:

wil

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Do not let it be an issue for you if that person can't be bothered to have their own mail redirected.

Mark them "Gone Away" and put them in a postbox. Or just burn them.

It costs a considerable amount to get mail redirected, so people just don't.
60 for 3 months, 120 for year:eek:

Some companies seem to take ages to update their records, got a work one from HR in a public company to someone who must have been here over a decade ago. Bad when employers cant even update their records in 10 years.

whatdoicare

I bought my house six years ago and im still getting important mail for previous owner, stuff like credit union statements and doctors appointments.
I think six years is more than enough time so it goes in the bin. I used to ring the companies the letters came from to let them know they have wrong address but nine times out of ten they would get snippy with me for not knowing a forwarding address and some even asked to go out of my way and post the letter back to them.
After a while I had enough of that.

Annasopra

mrcheez wrote: »

Have this issue with official letters (with the "postage paid" stamp on them).

I have the person's new address, what do I need to write on the letter?

"Forward to [address]" (and cross out original) ?

Yes

snickerpuss

At a rental I once got someone else's phone bill from 3 for three years! And Christmas and birthday cards from her relatives. They were also all forwarded to the bin/shredder.