What to do with post for previous house owners?

ProTofik

Moved into my current home about 6-7 months ago. The house is over 20 yrs old. I am 3rd owner, but I keep receiving letters for 1st and 2nd owners. Many of the letters are from hospitals, banks, investment funds, etc... Stuff I personally updated on the first day I got the keys.

What do you normally do with those? Right now, I put large X on the address and write "no longer at this address, return to sender" and then dump it back into postbox. I don't think it works though because I keep receiving new letters from exactly the same places.

I was able to tell some letters were from a specific bank so I called them and haven't had anything from them since so that's a success, but I can't do it for everything without opening the letters which I don't really want to do it.

Any thoughts? 

user1977

Just keep on returning to sender, most will eventually get the hint.

Despite popular mythology, it's not illegal to open the mail if you want to try advising the senders that their records are out of date (though they'll not necessarily pay heed to what you're telling them, which is understandable).

canaldumidi

After so long I'd just put them in the recycling. And not worry about them.

The last owner, I'd try to forward them for a while if you have an address, or contact them to suggest they use RM post forwarding or inform their corespondants, but after 7 months....?

aoleks

Wrote RTS on it and put back in the mailbox. Don’t do it for longer than 3 months, they should’ve sorted out redirection from day one (or earlier). If they don’t care, you shouldn’t either.

recycling, bbq fuel etc., anything works after a reasonable amount of time.

andy444

If you're anything last my last buyer, keep moaning to the estate agent that they keep receiving post addressed to myself

SpiderLegs

If I had pervious prior owners then I’d be a little worried about anything being poked through my letterbox.

Pow11890

If you’re in contact then just drop them a  note as fyi or keep sending back with return mail via RM

lookstraightahead

I have a lovely ex neighbour who calls me when there's mail. I still have redirection but some people send Christmas cards and presents to old addresses. I always send on post to the people we bought the house from as well.

Personally, I don't find it annoying at all. I think we're all organised in different ways. 

lookstraightahead

aoleks said:

Wrote RTS on it and put back in the mailbox. Don’t do it for longer than 3 months, they should’ve sorted out redirection from day one (or earlier). If they don’t care, you shouldn’t either.

recycling, bbq fuel etc., anything works after a reasonable amount of time.

Why would you sort out redirection earlier than day one? 

user1977

lookstraightahead said:

aoleks said:

Wrote RTS on it and put back in the mailbox. Don’t do it for longer than 3 months, they should’ve sorted out redirection from day one (or earlier). If they don’t care, you shouldn’t either.

recycling, bbq fuel etc., anything works after a reasonable amount of time.

Why would you sort out redirection earlier than day one? 

Because you need to give the royal mail notice to set it up? And/or you may have moved out before completion of the sale. 

Slithery

Bin it.