Post Gamble!

Badadumdum · 10-08-2012 02:47PM #1

I've a strange and possibly mildly creepy sounding question.

What would happen if I sent a letter to an individual, without their entire address? That is, just their name, town and County.

For example:

John Smith,
Ballina,
Co.Tipperary

Does anyone reckon the letter might just actually make it to John?
Sadly, I cannot ask "John" for his address, surprise and all that. :pac:

SEPT 23 1989 · 10-08-2012 02:49PM

Would that be John Smith, Managing Director of Ballina Beverages?

AEDIC · 10-08-2012 02:49PM

If there is no other 'John Smith' in Balina, Co Tipp then it should get to him just fine, if not.... it might not

Vicar in a tutu · 10-08-2012 02:50PM

Do it..and just enclose a badly drawn smiley face / penis.

Diapason · 10-08-2012 02:50PM

It will be delivered to John Smith, Ballina, Co. Mayo.

Bad luck OP.

Mr. CooL ICE · 10-08-2012 02:56PM

Yes.

One time, I wanted to get a shipping quote from a music site so I went as far as putting in the address without actually paying/confirming the order. The address I entered was a semi-fake one as follows:

<made up first name> <actual surname>
<correct house number> Zurich Street (not my street name)
<badly misspelled town name>
Ireland

With the only correct line being the country (note no county in the address), the company still sent out a catalog and it managed to arrive at my house. I suddenly had a lot of respect for An Post after that

eth0 · 10-08-2012 02:58PM

LordChessington wrote: »

With the only correct line being the country (note no county in the address), the company still sent out a catalog and it managed to arrive at my house. I suddenly had a lot of respect for An Post after that

In other places they fire it straight into the bin if it doesn't have some cryptic code in the address. Lazy bunch of slackers

Badadumdum · 10-08-2012 02:59PM

Thank you all in equal amounts, I'll take the plunge then!

I shall let you all know how it goes, knowing how much it must mean to you personally now. :pac:

Also if it ends up in Mayo, I'll be damned and someone gets a cookie. That would be amazing.

Einhard · 10-08-2012 03:01PM

According to Bill Bryons, a letter was posted in America with the following address:

Hill,
John,
Massachusetts.

The postal service managed to figure it out and get it to the correct address. Which was:

John Underhill,
Andover,
Massachusetts.

So...that doesn't really answer your question. But I think it's interesting. And that's all that matters.

Badadumdum · 10-08-2012 03:02PM

Einhard wrote: »

According to Bill Bryons, a letter was posted in America with the following address:

Hill,
John,
Massachusetts.

The postal service managed to figure it out and get it to the correct address. Which was:

John Underhill,
Andover,
Massachusetts.

So...that doesn't really answer your question. But I think it's interesting. And that's all that matters.

That's pretty savage nonetheless, I'd almost make up a name and address, and put my details in it...see who gets it.

Jaxxy · 10-08-2012 03:03PM

Badadumdum wrote: »

Thank you all in equal amounts, I'll take the plunge then!

I shall let you all know how it goes, knowing how much it must mean to you personally now. :pac:

Also if it ends up in Mayo, I'll be damned and someone gets a cookie. That would be amazing.

Please do report back, as someone who recently worked on a quality and control project within An Post, I'd be very interested in the outcome. :pac:

TPD · 10-08-2012 03:12PM

A friend of mine's father received a letter which just had his name and county, and not a crazily uncommon name either.

Lando Griffin · 10-08-2012 03:12PM

Put the sender address on the back of the envelope as

John Smith,
Ballina,
Co.Tipperary.

kerry4sam · 10-08-2012 03:16PM

Badadumdum wrote: »

I've a strange and possibly mildly creepy sounding question.

What would happen if I sent a letter to an individual, without their entire address? That is, just their name, town and County.

For example:

John Smith,
Ballina,
Co.Tipperary

Does anyone reckon the letter might just actually make it to John?
Sadly, I cannot ask "John" for his address, surprise and all that. :pac:

An Post have been wonderful in the past with some post I have received. Their would only be limited address with my mis-spelled name but they reached me none-the-less.

OP: You know it's a gamble. If it is important you should contact someone who would have the full address and then post. Otherwise, take the chance. If it's a common name for the locality, don't count on them receiving it any time soon.

Also, do include your name and address on back of envelope in the event it does have to be returned to yourself

eth0 · 10-08-2012 03:23PM

TPD wrote: »

A friend of mine's father received a letter which just had his name and county, and not a crazily uncommon name either.

So with an uncommon name you could just have the name and the country and it should work?

Badadumdum · 10-08-2012 03:24PM

Thanks for all the advice

On an unrelated note, I once got a postcard from a friend on holidays in Thailand who had decided to be overly specific, just for the laugh. It read something like:

[My house name]
[Street address]
[Town]
[County]
Ireland
Europe
Northern Hemisphere
Earth
Solar System
etc..

If only I could find it to scan, it was only last summer!

Diapason · 10-08-2012 03:26PM

eth0 wrote: »

So with an uncommon name you could just have the name and the country and it should work?

Do you know, I should try this.

I've got a *really* uncommon name, I know for a fact I'm the only person with my name in the country, so it's maybe worth a go. I'd stick an extra bit of postage on it maybe, to sweeten the deal for An Post.

Badadumdum · 17-08-2012 07:00AM

For those actually interested, it arrived, and in one day also, talk about speedy.

Some postman deserves a hug.:pac:

TwoShedsJackson · 17-08-2012 07:53AM

In the paper years ago they interviewed some guy who had worked in the Post Office in the 30s and 40s - they once got a letter addressed to 'Betty Grable, Hollywood' which had come back with an undelivered stamp saying 'not known Hollywood County Wicklow, try Hollywood County Down'.

inmyday · 17-08-2012 09:02AM

Some addresses dont have house numbers in ireland. In very small towns.

For example, in a very very small town like Paulstown in Kilkenny, there would be no need for a number at all.

So for example the address would be

Tommy Smith
Paulstown
Co. Kilkenny

TPD · 17-08-2012 09:44AM

eth0 wrote: »

So with an uncommon name you could just have the name and the country and it should work?

If it's uncommon enough and you've had other things posted with your full name and address, I'd say so. I imagine there is some sort of database at the main an post headquarters, so if a letter comes in with just a name, it can be delivered.

My name would be uncommon enough for this to work, but I've an uncle with the same name living nearby, and I get stuff shipped to mine and my parents house all the time.

ScumLord · 17-08-2012 09:57AM

An Post postmen are very good when it comes to delivering mail like that. I once got a package sent from China that had my name spelt incorrectly, my town spelt incorrectly and then just Ireland. They did try a few different towns all over Ireland (they had stuff like "try Galway" written on it) but they got it to me eventually.

Once it gets to the local postman he'll more than likely know who it's for if it's a smallish town.

doubtfir3 · 17-08-2012 10:02AM

I've had a letter delivered to me with just my name and county.. granted I don't have the most common name in the world but fair play to An Post!

exiledelbows · 17-08-2012 12:01PM

This reminds me of a joke Dara O'Briain tells about posting stuff from England to his mother and the whole lack of postcodes thing

He'd write on the envelope
Mammy
Mammy house
Mammy Town
IRELAND

And he'd march up to the counter pointing at the massive 'Ireland' and say: "Just get it here and they'll know what to do!!"

zoe 3619 · 02-03-2014 02:04AM

Had a friend received a letter addressed: Steve,Lough derg,Ireland.never underestimate an post.

PizzamanIRL · 02-03-2014 03:30AM

zoe 3619 wrote: »

Had a friend received a letter addressed: Steve,Lough derg,Ireland.never underestimate an post.

Also never underestimate the imaginations of people on the internet.

uch · 02-03-2014 04:04AM

I Like Cake!

stupid head · 02-03-2014 06:09AM

Mighty bump

asteroth · 02-03-2014 06:23AM

A friend of mine sent a letter from the US to a mutual friend of ours in Dublin. Basically he was a bit drunk when he wrote the letter. On the envelope was essentially:

Dear Mr. Postman please deliver to
<our friend's name>
<street>
"house with yellow front door, cant' remember number!"
Dublin
Ireland.

Letter was delivered.

SuperS54 · 02-03-2014 07:29AM

I got a postcard delivered which friends sent from Spain when on holiday. They couldn't remember the townland I lived in so wrote;

My Name,
Correct nearest village name,
Take the left at the crossroads when coming from Dublin,
Right at the T Junction,
200 meters up the hill on the left,
Bungalow with white PVC windows and big black dog,
Correct County,
Ireland

Received it about 4 days after they posted!

Ken. · 02-03-2014 08:28AM

My mother,step-father and brothers were in Spain a few years ago. Met an English couple from Newcastle. Exchanged addresses(before internet) for sending xmas cards. The English people lost the piece of paper.

They did however remember My step-fathers nickname and the golf course he was a member of. So a card arrived (Nickname, blah golf club) not even Ireland was written on it so the English postmen must have had to look up some book to see where in the world this golf course was.

Post Gamble!

Comments