Two people can't have the same email, right?

aliasojo

I'm getting several Hotmail emails for someone who has the same initial and surname as me so initial & surname @hotmail.co.uk.

These emails are from holiday companies, Owner's Direct and Sykes to name but two.

They don't ask for anything and simply refer to booking enquiries and include this other person's mobile number and details about their family for the booking.

I googled the mobile number but nothing comes up so I have no idea if this is genuine or not.

I had assumed they were spam or phishing but I have to admit to wondering now.

Thoughts?

Edit: Actually, upon thinking about this some more, I've been getting emails for this person for some time on and off (it's always the same first name the emails are addressed to). If it was *just* spam of some sort would they all use the same name?

Lum

Some plonker, somewhere on the internet, can't spell his own email address.

If you like, you could go through their password reset process, log in, change his name to "Mr. I can't spell my own email address" then cancel his holiday, but you might get in trouble for that.

cgk1

This is more common than you think - people simply note down the wrong email address.

I have a lot for someone who shares my name and cannot understand that FIRST.SURNAME@gmail.com is the same as FIRSTSURNAME@gmail.com and also for people who have the same name but a middle intital that is missed out when sending - I get three or four emails like this a week.

Sollytear

Its possible, but complicated.

Chances are someones put your email address into a website to avoid getting spam themselves.

Sollytear

cgk1 wrote: »

This is more common than you think - people simply note down the wrong email address.

I have a lot for someone who shares my name and cannot understand that FIRST.SURNAME@gmail.com is the same as FIRSTSURNAME@gmail.com and also for people who have the same name but a middle intital that is missed out when sending - I get three or four emails like this a week.

gmail.com and googlemail.com is a common one too

mysk_girl

hotmail.co.uk and hotmail.com is a common mistake! I get emails for the "other" version of my name a fair bit.

InsideInsurance

Could be people not be able to type their own name, could be a mistake of hotmail.com -v- hotmail.co.uk, could be the companies typing in the email address wrong etc

It could also be that they used to own the email address you have but stopped using it and so it lapsed and you then registered it. Given the email appear to be about current enquiries this seems less likely unless you only just registered the address.

I've bought a few domains after they've not been renewed and for many of them I receive the occasional email for the previous owners and the occasional password reset etc where eveidently they havent told a company about their new email address

Mat_Lock

cgk1 wrote: »

This is more common than you think - people simply note down the wrong email address.

I have a lot for someone who shares my name and cannot understand that [EMAIL="FIRST.SURNAME@gmail.com"]FIRST.SURNAME@gmail.com[/EMAIL] is the same as [EMAIL="FIRSTSURNAME@gmail.com"]FIRSTSURNAME@gmail.com[/EMAIL] and also for people who have the same name but a middle intital that is missed out when sending - I get three or four emails like this a week.

I have had this with googlemail umpteen times. I just send the originator an email stating this is not their email and explaining the gmail naming convention too them. It then stops.

I do wonder sometimes should I reply to emails and actually try and do stuff haha only in my head though, i never would.

Lucero_2

Sollytear wrote: »

Its possible, but complicated.

Chances are someones put your email address into a website to avoid getting spam themselves.

Eh? It's possible but complicated for two people to have the same email address? No, it's not. It's impossible.

The only likely options here are:

• Someone can't spell their own email correctly
• Someone is just signing that email up for spam so they don't receive it.

I have had some real clangers. I've had a UKSF repatriation saga whereby, if I hadn't been honest, I could have replied to an email with my bank details and started claiming some serious government benefits. I've had amazon purchases, courses, all kinds of stuff, all because someone else, with the same name as me, forgets to put the me (dot) in between their first and last name!!

SunnySusie

I remember reading a good article about this where a lady was receiving her namesake's email for many months. Despite her best efforts to alert this lady and organisation it just kept coming.

It's mind boggling that it went on and on without noticing. Didn't she realise she wasn't getting half her mail?

Here's some tips from lifehacker:
http://lifehacker.com/5864090/how-to-handle-emails-you-receive-that-are-intended-for-someone-else

Sollytear

Example:
I host my own webserve. I give out the same email to two friends that share it.

Now they have the same email address.

[edit spelling]

Lucero wrote: »

Eh? It's possible but complicated for two people to have the same email address? No, it's not. It's impossible.

The only likely options here are:

• Someone can't spell their own email correctly
• Someone is just signing that email up for spam so they don't receive it.

I have had some real clangers. I've had a UKSF repatriation saga whereby, if I hadn't been honest, I could have replied to an email with my bank details and started claiming some serious government benefits. I've had amazon purchases, courses, all kinds of stuff, all because someone else, with the same name as me, forgets to put the me (dot) in between their first and last name!!