bank card & pin wrong address

dr_adidas01

Gromitt wrote: »

Indeed, I don't care who its addressed to, if its got my address on it I'm opening it regardless of whose name is on it. If they don't want me to read it, they shouldn't have sent it to me! I want to know what people are using my address for. The only exception I make is if it was directed at the previous owners, then I just take it to the post office, but I wouldn't do that any more as they have said they just shred it!

I've seen it before where someone has attempted to open an account at my address - I took it down to the bank concerned and although they obviously couldn't discuss it, they thanked me for bringing it in rather than calling to police.

Then lets hope you don't get found out about opening someone elses mail even if its got your address on. After all if anything goes on its in the name of the person concerned and not the address they live at.

Its illegal and you can be prosecuted for interfering with someone elses mail. You have no legal right to open mail that does not have your name on. You should have popped it back in the post and put not know here on it.

dr_adidas01

Heng_Leng wrote: »

I would say the OP has a 'reasonable excuse' to open this questionable mail. As such, they have not acted unlawfully.

The law doesn't class anything as reasonable excuse to open someone elses mail especially if it is not addressed to you by name.

They have acted unlawfully by opening mail not addressed to them its as simple as that they have breached the: Interfering with mail - Postal Services Act 2000 Section 84 and can face prosecution and also a prison sentence.

The only exception to this is if you have a legal power of attorney to deal with someone elses affairs.

rb10

beetlebug1 wrote: »

not just card and pin also an isa account

If there's a savings account then it's probably just an error - someone put in the wrong house number or postcode.

Just take the letter(s) into the bank concerned, let them deal with it.

zerog

It is NOT illegal to open someone else's mail in all cases.

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.

The OP did not intend to act to anybody's detriment and had a reasonable excuse to open the mail that was not addressed to him.

Gromitt

dr_adidas01 wrote: »

Then lets hope you don't get found out about opening someone elses mail even if its got your address on.

Found out? I received a letter from a bank about opening an account. I opened the letter, took it down to the bank concerned and handed it in. They read it, said "Thank you, we'll take it from here" and I left.

So, according to you, both myself and the bank member concerned (and anyone else who read it) should now be facing a prison sentence. Unlikely, I'd say.

beetlebug1

after the credit card fraud problem earlier the police asked me to open any suspicious mail.

I will phone the bank concerned tomorrow. there is not a local branch

matttye

dr_adidas01 wrote: »

Firstly by opening someones mail you have breached the:

Interfering with mail - Postal Services Act 2000 Section 84 and can face prosecution and also a prison sentence.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/26/contents

You should have crossed out the address and put on the envelope return to sender not known here. If you know where the person has moved to then you should have put their address on it and popped it back in the post.

In future don't open any mail or packets that are not addressed to you. Plus you also wouldn't like it if someone opened your mail and knew your own personal business.

The legislation you posted only says it's an offence if it's interfered with during transit or if the mail is opened with intention to cause detriment to the addressee. Reporting the mistake to the addressee's bank is not acting to their detriment, therefore no crime has been committed.

Edit: I should say addressee rather than recipient.

Goldiegirl

Well, the post has been opened now, so what's done is done.

What the OP needs to do now is return everything to the bank and let them sort it out.

It's not actually any of the OP's business whether or not they tell the intended recipient of the mail, so this shouldn't have an bearing on what the OP does.

For what it's worth I believe the bank will tell the account owner, as ( I know a lot of people won't want to believe this) they do treat their customers in an open and honest way