Do I have the right to open any mail which comes to my home?

treepotato1

peachyprice wrote: »

Preventing the mail being delivered to an address is an offence, i.e pinching mail sacks. Once it has been delivered to the address on the envelope it's only an offence if you use the information contained within the post to the detriment of the intended recipient. i.e you can read whatever you like, but if you then use that information to, obtain credit or for defamation of the recipient for example, it is an offence.

The OP has not committed an offence in either opening the post or using the information to protect themselves.

Ahhh...okay - I didn't know that. My apologies to all.

poppyolivia

I had men come to the house trying to prove who i was, i was also receiving letters in the persons name...they told me to open them if I wanted (via the phone)...I did, took them into the bank where they were coming from..(found that out by opening)...they said that what I did was illegal..and I just told them tough and to get a grip, I had folk at my house etc...and if they were doing their job right then I wouldn't have the stress...never heard back and never got anymore letters!..ps it was going on for months and months....BUT I did wait til I was told to open them from the baliff company!!

I even saw the lass in town one day and told her...she looked at me like I was talking cr*p!

Swan_2

treepotato1 wrote: »

Ahhh...okay - I didn't know that. My apologies to all.

it's just as well it's not illegal, or I'd likely be in jail

one December day the parcel postie handed me a huge pile of Amazon parcels all elastic-banded together, I thought they were Xmas stuff I'd sent off for, & they were, until I opened one that was full of religious books, checked the label & realised it was for one of the students living downstairs from me :eek: it wasn't as if I could just send it back or bin it & pretend it never happened

although it wasn't my fault, I was mortified but he was really nice about it ... I think the grovelling helped

custardy

sunshine12344 wrote: »

...

spammer reported

daska

poppyolivia wrote: »

I had men come to the house trying to prove who i was, i was also receiving letters in the persons name...they told me to open them if I wanted (via the phone)...I did, took them into the bank where they were coming from..(found that out by opening)...they said that what I did was illegal..and I just told them tough and to get a grip, I had folk at my house etc...and if they were doing their job right then I wouldn't have the stress...never heard back and never got anymore letters!..ps it was going on for months and months....BUT I did wait til I was told to open them from the baliff company!!

I even saw the lass in town one day and told her...she looked at me like I was talking cr*p!

If you see her again you might like to give her a copy of the relevant bit of the Postal Services Act 2000

84 Interfering with the mail: general
(1)A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, he—
(a)intentionally delays or opens a postal packet in the course of its transmission by post, or
(b)intentionally opens a mail-bag.
(2)Subsections (2) to (5) of section 83 apply to subsection (1) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.
(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.
(4)Subsections (2) and (3) of section 83 (so far as they relate to the opening of postal packets) apply to subsection (3) above as they apply to subsection (1) of that section.
(5)A person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (3) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both.

Swan_2

custardy wrote: »

spammer reported

I saw that & their other posts & thought it looked like spam, but couldn't figure out what they were doing? I couldn't see a link?

custardy

building up posts so they can post URLs

Swan_2

custardy wrote: »

building up posts so they can post URLs

ah, never thought of that :doh:

thanks, I can watch out for that in future now I know

System

After receiving mountains of letters for a previous tenant i admit i did cave and sneak a peek at one. And i'm glad i did seeing as it says they are sending bailiffs round :eek: least we are prepared for it. Previously we have sent everything back but they don't take any notice, we get about a letter a day from this guy, most look to be debt collection as well.

superstylin

bylromarha wrote: »

There would be a return address on the envelope. Easy enought o get company name, therefore phone number, from there via a quick google.

Actually there was no company name or return address on the envelope. I don't know if debt collection agencies do this on purpose so that the letter has to be opened, and therefore taken notice of, instead of just being sent back? I suppose it's in their interests to have communication from anyone at the address, even if it's not the person in debt so that they can move their case forward

By the way I've since returned another letter and rang the company to explain the situation and, fingers crossed, haven't had any more in a few months.