We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Should I open it?

Options
Hi everybody,

I have just received a letter addressed to someone who does not live at my address & I do not know.

In fact this is the 3rd or 4th letter I have rec'd addressed to this person. In the past, I have marked the envelope 'Not Known at this Address, Return to Sender' and re-posted them.

The return address is on the reverse of the envelope, it is PO Box 7380, Glasgow, G51 9BF.

Obviously the sender is taking no notice of the returned letters.

The envelope is marked 'Private & Confidential - Addressee Only'.

Through the envelope window I can see a 'PayPoint' symbol, so I am guessing this has a finacial context.

Should I continue to return these letters marked 'Not Known at this Address',
disregard them and throw them away or should I open it, to find out what's going on?

Your opinions would be much appreciated.

Thank you.
«1

Comments

  • wallbash
    wallbash Posts: 17,775 Forumite
    Google post code

    its MacKenzie Hall
    Plenty of info on MSE
  • Thanks wallbash, I did google the post code, and found MH seem to have something to do with it.

    Would you suggest I continue returning them, bin them, or open it to find out what's going on?

    I don't know the addressee, it certainly isn't the previous occupier and I have been at this address for 20+ years.

    Could someone have stolen my address details to obtain credit, or is this company trying on something underhand?
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,641 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Get a credit report to be sure that no1 has stolen your id, is it possible its a previous tennant or have you lived at the address for a long tome
  • Alikay
    Alikay Posts: 5,147 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    If you've lived in your house for some time and it's not a previous occupant, I'd be inclined to open it just to check it wasn't anyone using my address fraudulently. We had something happen like this - letters were coming from a debt collection agency for some years-old mobile phone account in a name we'd never heard of. After returning the letters to sender and them still continuing, I called them up and told them how long we'd lived there and had never heard of the individual. They must've sorted it out because we didn't hear again after that. We also checked our credit files just to make sure nothing was logged against us, and it was (and has remained) OK. God knows how they came to have our address to start with but having worked with large databases in the past I imagine it could've originated with a simple mis-keyed postcode.
  • Enfieldian
    Enfieldian Posts: 2,893 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    It would be difficult for someone to get credit at your address without using your name, especially if you are the only one on the electoral roll for the last 20 years.

    It is possible that someone has given a random address to a creditor before they defaulted on an account.

    I know of a case where somebody had a mobile phone and was paying on time every month, then the phone was stolen and he had no insurance so he just changed his address to a random one online to divert all correspondance and washed his hands of it!

    Judging from the above post, it sounds like Alikay was on the other end of my "friend's" actions!
  • Thanks to you all.

    This is from Credit Solutions Ltd looking to recover a mobile phone debt.

    I have emailed them. Just have to wait and see how they reply.
  • fengirl_2
    fengirl_2 Posts: 4,530 Forumite
    It is unlawful to open post addressed to someone else. You should have continued to return the letters unopened and they would eventually stop. How is this company going to beleive that you are not the addressee just by receiving a random email? By opening the letter, you are signalling to them that you are the addressee.
    £705,000 raised by client groups in the past 18 mths :beer:
  • Enfieldian
    Enfieldian Posts: 2,893 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    fengirl wrote: »
    It is unlawful to open post addressed to someone else.

    Absolute rubbish in this case.

    If the letter has been delivered to your address you are well within your rights to open it.

    Do check first to see if there is a policeman hiding inside the envelope just in case though.........
  • olly300
    olly300 Posts: 14,738 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    fengirl wrote: »
    It is unlawful to open post addressed to someone else. You should have continued to return the letters unopened and they would eventually stop. How is this company going to beleive that you are not the addressee just by receiving a random email? By opening the letter, you are signalling to them that you are the addressee.

    I suggest you find the piece of legislation that backs up the myth you are perpetuating.

    OP and anyone else the Postal Services Act 2000 states:
    (3) A person commits an offence if, intending to act to a person’s detriment and without reasonable excuse, he opens a postal packet which he knows or reasonably suspects has been incorrectly delivered to him.

    http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2000/ukpga_20000026_en_8#pt5-pb1-l1g84
    I'm not cynical I'm realistic :p

    (If a link I give opens pop ups I won't know I don't use windows)
  • sarahg1969
    sarahg1969 Posts: 6,694 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    olly300 wrote: »
    I suggest you find the piece of legislation that backs up the myth you are perpetuating.

    OP and anyone else the Postal Services Act 2000 states:


    http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2000/ukpga_20000026_en_8#pt5-pb1-l1g84

    I agree. Why DO people insist on spouting this nonsense?
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.8K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.5K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.8K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.7K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 257.1K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.