How to stop former residents' post?

L.Riley

For the last two years (since our place changed owners) we've been getting post for one of the previous residents. Writing "return to sender" and "no longer at this address" had zero effect so far. If anything, it feels like the letters are now coming in more often. The return address is a PO Box for AIB so chances are it's credit card debt.

We've contacted An Post but haven't heard back from them yet.

Is there anything else we could do? Would contacting AIB make a difference?
If anyone has experience successfully dealing with this, please share.

Captain Flaps

Write to AIB and An Post and tell them this is a data protection issue and that if this mail doesn't stop you'll be contacting the previous resident and informing them that a GDPR offence (unapproved sharing of information with a third party) is taking place. I'd say you'll get action by one or other party pretty sharpish.

Boardnashea

Put them in a pile and drop them back to the post office once a month marked "Not at this address". After that live your life and stop worrying about it.

Tabnabs

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Write to AIB and An Post and tell them this is a data protection issue and that if this mail doesn't stop you'll be contacting the previous resident and informing them that a GDPR offence (unapproved sharing of information with a third party) is taking place. I'd say you'll get action by one or other party pretty sharpish.

How is it a GDPR offence? They aren't sharing anything until you open the envelope. In which case you would be guilty of an offence under the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983

dobman88

Had this issue recently with Bank of Ireland. Previous people getting business letters sent to this address. I rang BOI and they looked into it, they said that no more letters would be sent to my address. Took one phone call.

Mint Sauce

I still occasionaly get post for the previous occupants, two to three times a year. Last time I contacted An Post, was told they are obliged to deliver to the printed address, and to maybe contact the sender my self. Unfortunetly, its not easy to find out who owns the PO Box, as its probably a breach of their data protection, and opening it is probably a breach of the addressee DP.

A couple of them I have no idea where they are originating from, I have no idea where the previous occupants live, nor do I really care. But its a slight irritation doing the whole, not known at address/return to sender each time. I post to them more often than I do to anyone else.

Graces7

Mint Sauce wrote: »

I still occasionaly get post for the previous occupants, two to three times a year. Last time I contacted An Post, was told they are obliged to deliver to the printed address, and to maybe contact the sender my self. Unfortunetly, its not easy to find out who owns the PO Box, as its probably a breach of their data protection, and opening it is probably a breach of the addressee DP.

A couple of them I have no idea where they are originating from, I have no idea where the previous occupants live, nor do I really care. But its a slight irritation doing the whole, not known at address/return to sender each time. I post to them more often than I do to anyone else.

Someone I omitted to give my new address to tells me her letters came back marked GONE AWAY. That was a small rural PO. Worked well.. AFAIK

zl1whqvjs75cdy

Lash straight in the bin

Captain Flaps

Tabnabs wrote: »

How is it a GDPR offence? They aren't sharing anything until you open the envelope. In which case you would be guilty of an offence under the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act, 1983

Oh absolutely, it's just a buzzword to put the fear on them. It'll get their attention anyway as it's unlikely the drone who opens the post will know that and will have to escalate.

Victor

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

Lash straight in the bin

This won't stop them coming.

LiamoSail

Open the letters from the bank and if it's a card, start spending. I bet it gets sorted quite quickly after that.

marklazarcovic

Put a note on your letterbox , laminated to protect from weather,

NO POST FOR (INSERT THE OFFENDING NAMES) ,GONE AWAY FOR YEARS.

make it a size the postie can't miss,they should return it to sender themselves then,it's part of the job, if you still get it put a big X through the name and address with gone away written on envelope and pop it into any post box,it will work it's way back through the system to your postie who will then have to rts anyway.

Captain Flaps

marklazarcovic wrote: »

Put a note on your letterbox , laminated to protect from weather,

NO POST FOR (INSERT THE OFFENDING NAMES) ,GONE AWAY FOR YEARS.

make it a size the postie can't miss,they should return it to sender themselves then,it's part of the job, if you still get it put a big X through the name and address with gone away written on envelope and pop it into any post box,it will work it's way back through the system to your postie who will then have to rts anyway.

I would imagine that rather than getting themselves into a situation where they have to explain to the manager why they didn't deliver mail, they'll just deliver it anyway. CUstomer will complain to the company and either the mail will continue to be sent and delivered or it won't. Such a decision is above postie's pay grade.

mrcheez

Boardnashea wrote: »

Put them in a pile and drop them back to the post office once a month marked "Not at this address". After that live your life and stop worrying about it.

Do not do that. Drop them in the bin and email the people sending them.

Worked for me, and I got all mail stopped. Took a year.

tvjunki

This happened to me so the ones that I got from the bank I walked into the local branch and told them they had left and did not know where they moved to.

Catalogue and solicitors bills I rang them and said the same. After a while they will stop.

It is a pain but the last thing you would want is bailiffs turning up at your door due to some bill not being paid.

If you just put return to sender some companies ignore thinking the person does not want to pay the bill and will continue to send them out.

marklazarcovic

Captain Flaps wrote: »

I would imagine that rather than getting themselves into a situation where they have to explain to the manager why they didn't deliver mail, they'll just deliver it anyway. CUstomer will complain to the company and either the mail will continue to be sent and delivered or it won't. Such a decision is above postie's pay grade.

I'm a postie, do like I said,it's the easiest way,and nobody gets in trouble, there are tons of them every single day that get returned.

You can also tell the postie to their face these people are long gone and to return any mail, they may forget if busy ,hence the reminder on your box, or if regular postie is off.

It's how it works.

_Kaiser_

I just write "Not known at this address" and stick it in the postbox the next time I remember to actually bring it with me/am going to the postbox myself (which is very rare)

THat reminds me.. there's been one for "the parents of whatevername" at home for a few weeks now. Must send it back.

L.Riley

Thank you for all your replies, everyone. Talked to AIB, they told me to bring the letters to the nearest branch. Will see if that helps.

witchgirl26

Captain Flaps wrote: »

Oh absolutely, it's just a buzzword to put the fear on them. It'll get their attention anyway as it's unlikely the drone who opens the post will know that and will have to escalate.

Given the fines and penalties involved in GDPR, I'd imagine most employees of the high risk areas such as banks and utilities know exactly what it is and will know it's a pile of cr*p being used in this circumstance.

We had that for ages, recognised the envelopes as Bank of Ireland but PO box on return address. Just continually sent them back with "not known at this address" on it. Mentioned it in a BOI branch then and they asked the address & said they'd put a note on the system. Nothing after that.

crossmolinalad

donkeyoaty0099 wrote: »

Lash straight in the bin

Indeed
Did it with post for someone else from a bank asked them thousand of times to change their address but nothing happened
All ended up in the fire place
Some day post from the bank arrived and I know by feeling there was a bankcard in it and it also ended into the fire
After that never got any post again from previous owners , finally they changed their address