phone delivered to my address but not my name

gull991

Just had a mobile phone delivered to a name i have never heard of to my address, also a letter from the network provider to the same name. the letter contained the persons bank sort code which is a bank in a town hundreds of miles from me.
somehow the company has got my address as this ladys address.
i have phoned the phone company and they want me to pay to send it back. i have refused as i dont see why i should lose out.

what are my rights here? does anyone know?
thanks

Tallymanjohn

If it's been sent to you without you requesting it, it's up to the company to get it back. Give them a written time limit - 14 days - in which to collect it (that means collect, not you take to post office!!) after which time, tell 'em you're entitled to keep it, should get them moving.

hjb123

No way would I send it back - its this companys mistake and they should sort it. I wouldnt advise keeping it though - ie. dont tell them after so long you are going to keep it as it will be meant to be with someone else and as you say their bank details and everything are in it - just keep it available for them to pick up.

Which network is it? If its one of the ones that has shops - which alot seem to now - could you drop it into one of their shops - though I realise this would inconvenience you so may not be a viable option

gull991

Its 3 network.

i think i will contact consumer direct on monday and if i within my rights to do so will just inform the company that the phone is here available for colection at a time convenient to me.

i am so peeved as they implyed that i am trying to pull some sort of scam, but as i pointed out to them, if i was trying to scam a phone then why would i contact them to tell them the phone is here.

madauri

Can't you just hand it back at the post office with "Not known in this address" written on the package and forget about it?

hjb123

Did you have to sign for the parcel? If so I wouldnt have signed for it.

Is it not possible to take it to the post office and tell them that they will be paying at the other end?!!

gull991

My wife signed for it not realising that it wasnt our name on it. wasnt until the post man had gone that she reaslised.
dont just want to dump it at the post office as if they know my wife signed for it and if i havent got it any more i might get accused of stealing it.

steve_cov

I have heard of companies sending a postage-paid bag for people to return items they were sent in error. Suggest they do this and see what they say.

Lakeuk

Tell them to organise collection from yourself

You are within your rights after a reasonable time if they haven't organised collection from yourself of the item at your convenience and their cost to send a letter specifying that you never ordered the item and have made reasonable requests to the company for the item to be collected and that if the company doesn't organise collection within 28 days you'll deem the item is a gift.

anniecave

Hm.. are 3 a bit careless? Our church got 5 items of mail to our address addressed to someone we'd never heard of. We returned them all to sender "not at this address". The address wasn't properly correct anyway, the number and street name was ours, the suburb of birmingham wasn't, post town correct, postcode close but also not right. Last week was the next installment - a debt collection letter. I phoned them up (0870 number... ) and they promised me they'd take our address off. We will see....

gull991

I been on to consumer direct and they have asured me that the phone is mine if i want it. I dont have to send it back or let them coolect it. The fact that it wasnt my name but my address means i can still keep it as a free gift. If they hassle me anymore then i have to get back to consumer direct and they will take action.

Whats the betting that they will block the phone.