Annoyed - we keep getting letters for someone we don't know

MBN

Hi all

Hubby and I have been living at our current address (as tenants) for almost 2 years, and we have recently started getting lots of letters for someone we don't know. Of course, we don't open them, but write 'Return to sender - Unknown addressee' on the envelopes, and post the letters back.

I vaguely remember we got one or two letters for this guy last year too, but we returned them, and it all stopped then and there. This time it all seems to be different though: we sometimes get 2 letters for that person a day (like we did this morning:(), and although we return them, those companies keep posting letters to us (I think it's all about some unpaid debts that guy has got - I could read something to that effect through the envelope. The warning was quite visible, honestly ).

I think we get letters from two companies, and both of them have PO Box addresses. I was thinking about finding out which companies these are, and contacting them directly, telling them to leave us alone. Is there any way that I can find which companies have got the PO Box addresses in question?

Or maybe you would advise me differently? Maybe I shouldn't bother that much, hoping that one day the letters will stop coming?

Your help is greatly appreciated.:A

Many thanks

oldagetraveller

I've had three letters from Syk Broadband addressed to Albert Einstein, two letters to them have failed to stop it!!

If there's a return address on the envelopes, which your post indicates with "Return to sender----", could you possible find a 'phone number for that address or organisation. I know it's a hangable offence, tampering with the Queen's mail, but failing that I'd open one to find the source.
My concern would be that if the addressee, would RM employees know what that meant?!, owes money then there might be a record of this on a credit reference file somewhere which could affact your obtaining credit.

pulliptears

When we bought our house ten years ago the previous owners had left a few debts. We got regular letters for them which I would just return with "Not at this address".

One morning, half asleep I opened a letter and discovered it was for them. It was basically saying that because they hadnt responded they would be sending bailiffs round. I was terrified that would happen and rang the company on the letter. I explained Id opened it by mistake and that they no longer lived here. Happily I never got another letter for them
Jane
x

MBN

Many thanks for your quick replies.:T We have checked our credit reports, and everything is fine (touch wood).

So you think I should just open the letters (by mistake ), in order to find out the names of those companies?

alanalea

When our lodger left 2 years ago, he also left a few debts which we kept on getting a few letters for- every day. I lost count how many times we 'returned to sender'. The last few we got through i wrote: HE HAS NOT LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS FOR MORE THAN 2 YEARS NOW. STOP SENDING THESE LETTERS!! ALL FUTURE CORRESPONDENCE WILL BE BINNED! ...... we haven't had any letters since

£$&*"($£&(

I had the same problem with a mobile company chasing bills. First two time I returned the letter. Third time I rang them and sent it back with a covering letter and wrote to and emailed their fraud department. A debt recovery company wrote at the same time. Also returned that at the same time with a covering letter. When I rang them they asked me to open the letter to get further details.

Anyway nothing has been sent since.

I didn't have to open the letters to find out which company it was but I would have if neccessary.

lisyloo

You are not going to be prosecuted for opening a letter by mistake (and who's to say you weren't half asleep at the time or weren't wearing you glasses).
Neither is it very likely that you would be prosecuted for opening a letter for the purposes of stopping a company harrassing you.
The laws about tampering with mail are to stop fraud and malicious acts not to catch out innocent victims of mistaken identity.

I would politely ask the company to stop contacting you.
If they don't stop then I would start getting heavy handed and start talking about harrassment and reporting them to various authorities.
I don't have any legal facts to hand, but if you start to get a bit heavy (after polite attempts have failed) then someone might pull their finger out.

Chances are it's just computer generated ot bored staff following a procedure.