Real Life MMD: Can I keep the magazines?

Nictopus

I moved into our house two years ago and still get copies of Runner magazine after sending back the first 3 months issues with 'Not at this address anymore' plastered across the front.

It clearly didn't work but i don't have time to fuss about sorting someone elses problem - I just give it to a keen runner at work who enjoys saving £4.50 a month!

Did the same for other mail for them - sent piles back through the mail so it now gets binned. i like the suggestions about filling with stones so they have to pay the weight - will try that!:rotfl:

Brian_Steele

You should make the effort and send the magazines back "gone away" a couple of times. It doesn't cost the magazine company anything, because mail forwarding/returning is free. If that has no success, then as far as I am concerned you can open/read them and then recycle them when you are done.

I understand that it is technically interfering with mail if it is not addressed to you, but you can only go so far.

Anyway, the previous occupant should have set up a postal redirection. That way, they still receive it and get to see who has yet to get the message that they have moved.

scoobydoobydoo

I still get trade magazines from the ex owner of my house 11 years later!

I passed them on at first, but he didnt seem bothered. So I returned them and still they came so after a year or so I started recycling them!

mappleyard

If the sender has been informed and you are still receiving the mail then write to the sender informing them that you will start charging a fee for storing future receipts.
Obviously, you must charge a reasonable rate. Find out how much per day it would cost to store luggage at a railway station.

Sublime_2

No, because that would be so wrong.

Gresp

Keep them.

Like others say, if you've taken reasonable steps to sort this out but the company isn't listening, you have a clear conscience.

Or maybe flog them on Ebay. Several months' magazines, unwrapped, in pristine condition - may fetch a few quid!

What I do with all junk mail (whether addressed to me or a previous tenant) is write on the envelope "Return to sender - not at this address, please remove from your records", and post it back.

This actually works a lot of the time.

But for companies who persistently ignore this simple, polite request, I modify this message slightly to say something like "Not at this address - this person died two years ago. Please remove from your records as it is very distressing for us to receive mail addressed to him."

This works a treat. In fact, it's so effective that even Virgin Media stopped sending junk (for a while, at least)!

Swan_2

offshore1 wrote: »

Strictly speaking it is not unsolicited mail as it is not addressed to you and it is an offence to interfer with mail sent to someone else. However irksome this may be the magazines are not yours & you should mark them "return to sender" and stuff them in the nearest letter box.

Brian_Steele wrote: »

You should make the effort and send the magazines back "gone away" a couple of times. It doesn't cost the magazine company anything, because mail forwarding/returning is free. If that has no success, then as far as I am concerned you can open/read them and then recycle them when you are done.

I understand that it is technically interfering with mail if it is not addressed to you, but you can only go so far.

Anyway, the previous occupant should have set up a postal redirection. That way, they still receive it and get to see who has yet to get the message that they have moved.

it's not an offence in the UK to open someone else's mail provided there is no intent to defraud


can't make up my mind whether I'd bin or read the mags :think:
if people can't be bothered to have mail re-directed/leave a forwarding address/change subscription addresses then that's their look out

but I may be a bit biased having been bombarded for the past year with all sorts of mail for the previous occupants of my flat, 5 people in all, who I get the impression wanted to disappear, & my patience is worn exceedingly thin

bemuzed

I had similar problem in a previous property. Even though I kept writing 'not known' on the envelopes etc, any magazines in clear plastic wrappings would come back. I eventually wrote 'You can re-deliver as many times as you like but they still down live here' and the Post Office finally got the message.
Just stick blank label over the address and chuck back in the post.

Swan_2

bemuzed wrote: »

I had similar problem in a previous property. Even though I kept writing 'not known' on the envelopes etc, any magazines in clear plastic wrappings would come back. I eventually wrote 'You can re-deliver as many times as you like but they still down live here' and the Post Office finally got the message.
Just stick blank label over the address and chuck back in the post.

a thick waterproof black marker works quite well too

thing is, the PO is obliged to deliver to an address, not to a particular recipient, so even if your postie (& ours is a gem) knows full well the previous occupants have gone, he/she still has to put that mail through 'your' letterbox

5and1e

I think a couple of months of trying is enough, if the previous occupier really wants his magasine then he should tell the company his new address; so enjoy your read!