Letter received for unknown person - special delivery.

alewin

Hi all,
Received a letter this morning for an unknown person via special delivery. The address perfectly matches mine and it was just delivered, not signed for. The tracking shows it was signed for by his unknown person, presumably done by the post man because of covid.

It's from Hemingways Marketing Services, who I googled and they seem to supply gift cards. The letter is a bit thicker than a normal letter.

Shall I just pop it in the post box with never know at this address. I'm tempted to open it.

user1977

I would just return to sender, yes. I expect it contains a gift card and somebody's made a mess of the address.

Jenni_D

It has been properly delivered if the address is correct, so there's nothing to stop you opening it to find out what it's about. You could then make a better-informed decision regarding what to do about it. (e.g. call the sender to explain that the delivery was unexpected - is someone using the address in error or maliciously?).

Ignore anyone who says it is illegal to open the letter/package because of the Postal Services Act or similar - they're wrong; as long as you're not opening it with the intent (and conduct) to do something to the detriment of the intended recipient then you're allowed to open something correctly delivered to your address - even if it isn't in your name.

MovingForwards

Brown cardboard envelope is a gift card. Usually has a compliment slip with a message inside the card to say who it's from.

Contact the sender company and let them know what's happened.

MalMonroe

If it's the correct address but the wrong name, then it's obviously a mistake and the package is meant for the named person and not you.

The best thing to do is as user1977 suggests, write 'not known at this address' on it and pop it in a post box. 

Whatever the legalities, it's just plain wrong to open mail that is not meant for you. And you know it's not meant for you because your name is not on it. Opening it and then investigating who exactly it's for just involves you more and more in something that isn't your concern.  

Jenni_D

Whilst I understand your point, Mal, things are not always so simple. I've received mail for someone who has no relationship with me at all (edit: as in they're unknown to me) and has never been associated with my address (I bought new so am the first owner). I did as suggested and put it back in the post as Not Known etc. Mail still kept coming (sporadically).

One day I decided to open it - it was a bank letter (same bank as me) about debt issues! I contacted the bank and told them to amend their records - they already knew that the address is mine - and to disassociate that person with my address. I never received any further mail for that named person.

clearancer

It is a VERY bad idea to "pop it in the post box". What if it then goes missing? The PO has "proof" that you accepted delivery. I suggest you open it. If its a gift card then there will be a message. Otherwise, take it to a post office and ask for their advice.

Ditzy_Mitzy

clearancer said:

It is a VERY bad idea to "pop it in the post box". What if it then goes missing? The PO has "proof" that you accepted delivery. I suggest you open it. If its a gift card then there will be a message. Otherwise, take it to a post office and ask for their advice.

I'm inclined to agree.  It's potentially a valuable item and you don't want to end up on the hook for stealing it or something equally silly.  The easiest course of action is to open it and get in touch with the sender.  They may be able to cancel it or similar, which will solve the problem, or advise something sensible.  

Manxman_in_exile

I agree with Jenny_D and the others who suggest opening it.  MalMonroe is simply wrong about this - even if well-intentioned.

I make a practice of opening everything that comes through our letterbox that is correctly addressed to my house.  I am particularly keen to open mail that is addressed to anybody I do not know.  I want to find out why someone I don't know is apparently using my address as a post office box.  Who knows what else they may be doing with my address?

The last time this happened some new neighbours of ours had a letter delivered to us from their solicitors.  (The solicitors used our address even though they'd done the new neighbours' conveyancing and presumably knew their correct address!).  I opened it and our nighbours were able to give their solicitors a well-deserved "telling off".  If I'd simply returned it as "Not known at this address", our neighbours would never have found out how incompetent their lawyers were.

(To explain - when the letter arrived I didn't recognise the name because these neighbours had only just moved in.  A bit of research after opening identified them).

alewin

Manxman_in_exile said:

I agree with Jenny_D and the others who suggest opening it.

Same here, totally agree with Jenny_D and others who have said the same thing.
If the address has your correct postcode and includes the postal town (which you normally have to enter manually) then how can it be a mistake. You have every right to see what has been sent to your address.

Anyway, it turned out to be bit of an anti climax.
I opened it and it contained a John Lewis gift card along with a note to say it from from my daughter. I spoke to her at work and it turns out she had ordered it for a work colleague. The company had simply used the persons name the gift card was for on the delivery address.
I least I know that no one is using my address for other purposes.

Apologies if I started an argument, anything in future I will simply open.

Jenni_D

Jenni with an i not a y