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Main site > Forums > MoneySavers Arms > The Money Savers Arms > Money Saving Polls > Real Life MMD: Can I keep the magazines?
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    • User avatar
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      scotsbob
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    • scotsbob
    • By scotsbob 7th Dec 10, 8:06 PM
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      What's this?

    scotsbob
    • #2
    • 7th Dec 10, 8:06 PM
    • #2
    • 7th Dec 10, 8:06 PM
    Under the 1971 Unsolicited Goods and Services Act, as amended, they are yours to keep.

    However, as you have just moved, suppose something were sent to your old address, what would you expect the occupier to do with something of yours?

    Now you do the same.

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  • Drama_Queen
    • #3
    • 7th Dec 10, 8:39 PM
    • #3
    • 7th Dec 10, 8:39 PM
    My daughter moved and I had subscribed her to a monthly mag for a pressie, she forgot to tell them and even though she was only a few doors away couldn't retrieve her mag from the householder that took on her ex-lease. It's only fair to try and find the rightful owner, but if a couple of attempts fail, then I agree they are yours to keep

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  • offshore1
    • #4
    • 7th Dec 10, 10:48 PM
    • #4
    • 7th Dec 10, 10:48 PM
    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.

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      dobsoncrew
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    • dobsoncrew
    • By dobsoncrew 7th Dec 10, 10:54 PM
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      What's this?

    dobsoncrew
    • #5
    • 7th Dec 10, 10:54 PM
    • #5
    • 7th Dec 10, 10:54 PM
    Just keep sending it back as the company has to pay the return postage

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  • carrie_grace
    • #6
    • 7th Dec 10, 10:54 PM
    • #6
    • 7th Dec 10, 10:54 PM
    how about marking the envelope "NO LONGER AT THIS ADDRESS: PLEASE REMOVE FROM MAILING LIST, OR I WILL KEEP FUTURE COPIES"?

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  • elliep
    • #7
    • 7th Dec 10, 11:41 PM
    • #7
    • 7th Dec 10, 11:41 PM
    My dad runs a magazine and as odd as this sounds he has to keep sending out magazines after he's had a 'no longer at this address' one sent back because technically it's a paid for subscription and he could get in trouble for not sending a paid for item.

    As there is no forwarding address for the subscriber, and the magazine is still being sent, I think I would open and read them if I was interested in them but be careful to keep them in good condition and save them for a while, perhaps 3 months, while I waited to see if the rightful owner came to ask for them back. Chances are they will stop coming when he realises that he's missing them and he'll call the magazine and give them his new address.
    Cross Stitch UFO club member 18.

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  • thepurplegoldfish
    • #8
    • 8th Dec 10, 1:52 AM
    • #8
    • 8th Dec 10, 1:52 AM
    You've done the right thing by sending them back, but if the company continues to send them - I'd just throw them out with the recycling (feel free to read if it is of interest to you first).

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      ronangel
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    • ronangel
    • By ronangel 8th Dec 10, 4:14 AM
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      What's this?

    ronangel
    • #9
    • 8th Dec 10, 4:14 AM
    • #9
    • 8th Dec 10, 4:14 AM
    After you have told them the person is no longer there, keep the magazines (read if you want) until you have a large amount about 50 or more if weekly, then send back by post with " postage will be paid by addresse" bet you do not get any more!
    or just keep for 6 months if you have space & recycle.
    The richard montgomery matter

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  • archived user
    “
    Under the 1971 Unsolicited Goods and Services Act, as amended, they are yours to keep.
    Originally posted by scotsbob ”
    Incorrect as they are not addressed to the OP

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      ShaneUK
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    • ShaneUK
    • By ShaneUK 8th Dec 10, 7:47 AM
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      What's this?

    ShaneUK
    If the house was leased/bought through an estate agent - contact them and get them to contact the previous tenant.

    If through a private landlord, contact the landlord to do the same.

    At the end of the day, there will be someone else involved somewhere along the line who will have contact details for the previous tenant.

    I am obviously not suggesting they give you contact details, as this would be wrong! However, they can make contact on your behalf.

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      jgriggle
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    • jgriggle
    • By jgriggle 8th Dec 10, 10:03 AM
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      What's this?

    jgriggle
    I think everyone has their own moral code on this one and there is no right or wrong answer.

    I rent and therefore have moved house a number of times.

    My own rule is that I will forward mail for two months after I move in. If the previous occupant has left a forwarding address I'll forward it on. If not I mark the envelope 'no longer at this address, return to sender'.

    I would consider two months more than adequate for somebody to advise the organisations they deal with that their address has changed.

    Therefore, if I'm still receiving post after this time it goes in the bin. If it looks worth keeping, I'll keep it (although that hasn't happened yet!)

    On a slightly different note, my parents received an item of post last year addressed to the previous owner of their house, who had moved out 28 years previously. Can anyone beat that?

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  • catweazel
    Can I keep the ,Magazines
    We moved into a house down here in Cornwall The previous owner did not tell anyone she was moving out,other than the Estate Agent and her Solicitor Hence we received Post for up to 3 years ie; Bank statements, Credit accounts, Letters, Xmas Cards,etc We were told by the Royal mail that all post is sent to the address not the person We put on the mail received, Not at this address, Contacted various Mail order companies, Credit Companies, Banks, Building Societies,etc Same responce, They kept sending the post , We asked the Estate agent if they would contact the seller on our behalf in view of the Personnel bank statements etc. They appeared reluctant to do it. So I told them, that from now, on all post would be binned ,As 3 years as far as I am concerned is enough

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  • ringoof
    I think you have done all you can. People have to take responsibility for their own lives (and their own subscriptions). Enjoy the magazines and if the person comes back for them at a later date give them the address of your local tip so that they can go find them, after telling them that you did try to sort out the problem but to no avail.

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  • ringoof
    We bought our house 10 years ago and continued to received all forms of personal documents for 8 years for the previous owner who had not left a forwarding address and no way of contacting them as the estate agent we dealt with had closed down. I phoned the companies involved numerous times and asked them to remove our address from the person's account but they didn't bother so I decided to take action out of desperation. One of the credit card companies continued to send statements so I once sent it back in an envelope filled with stones and old newspapers so that it weighed very heavy and they would take notice and stop sending the statements out to us. They then took notice. With another company I just opened the envelope, threw that away, and wrote on the statement that it should be returned to sender. I also scored out the address. Everyone in the post office who dealt with it would have seen it on its way back. That company then took notice. With another company who sent yearly statements I threatened to leave the documents open in the middle of our local city and told them that it would cause them a lot more trouble to sort out any fraud that ensued than it would be to just sort it out there and then while I was on the phone to them. The company then took notice. In each case I had spent a lot of time contacting the companies concerned but to no avail and it was only then that I decided that drastic action was called for. It was lazyness on the previous owner's part in not informing companies when they moved which was the only reason that drastic measures were called for. At least those worked and we have not had any further documents for them since.

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      frugalstephen
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    • By frugalstephen 8th Dec 10, 11:09 AM
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      What's this?

    frugalstephen
    Keep it.....
    Keep it!!

    You are actually doing the magazine a favour. All magazines survive on their advertising rates. The advertising rate is determined by how widely the magazine is circulated - a verified ABC rating.

    By keeping the Econmist, you are helping to maintain and increase its current circulation of around 195,000 in the UK. That's why people in a 'trade' are very often given a FREE subscription to a trade magazine to keep the circulation figures up.

    If you've done your best to cancel, keep it with a clear conscience - it actually does have the odd interesting article!

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      pennypinchUK
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    • pennypinchUK
    • By pennypinchUK 8th Dec 10, 11:13 AM
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      What's this?

    pennypinchUK
    You've done the decent thing (attempt to stop them arriving) enough times to have a clear conscience. Keep them, if you want them.

    About a year ago I printed a load of labels saying "Return to sender, Please remove from your database" and started putting junk mail back in the post. I've had a dramatic drop in junk mail. A quick and easy way to remove one of the little niggly things in life.....

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      A.Jones
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    • A.Jones
    • By A.Jones 8th Dec 10, 11:25 AM
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      What's this?

    A.Jones
    Keep them. The previous occupant obviously doesn't care about his/her mail as if they did, they should have set up mail diversion with the Roayl Mail. You have done your best to inform the company that the previous occupant has moved. The previous occupant obviously doesn't care too much about the magazine, as again he/she would have informed the company about the move if they wanted the magazine.

    No doubt they also have other mail still delivered that you have to deal with. We still get junkmail for the previous occupants of our house after 6 years. It all goes in the bin / recycling now or used for other purposes. I cannot be bothered to contact the companies any more.

    One purpose I find junkmail useful for is stuffing into addressed / prepaid envelopes from credit card companies touting their cards, and returning to them. Every little helps the Royal Mail stay afloat.

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      LameWolf
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    • LameWolf
    • By LameWolf 8th Dec 10, 11:32 AM
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      What's this?

    LameWolf
    What a nuisance not to have a forwarding address!

    I had this situation back in the 1990s, the chap I bought from skidaddled and left no contact details, and it seems he had good reason. I had everyone, from the gas board to the County Court looking for him; all I could do for the official bods was tell them the name and address of the solicitor he used for the house sale.

    For the mail, I did, for a year, pop it back in the post, marked "no longer at this address, return to sender". After a year, I just put it in the recycling.
    LameWolf
    If your dog thinks you're the best, don't seek a second opinion.

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      Ebenezer_Screwj
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    • Ebenezer_Screwj
    • By Ebenezer_Screwj 8th Dec 10, 12:08 PM
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      What's this?

    Ebenezer_Screwj
    You don't have to do anything, they will stop coming when the subscription lapses or is renewed at a different address.

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