PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Hello Forumites! In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non-MoneySaving matters are not permitted per the Forum rules. While we understand that mentioning house prices may sometimes be relevant to a user's specific MoneySaving situation, we ask that you please avoid veering into broad, general debates about the market, the economy and politics, as these can unfortunately lead to abusive or hateful behaviour. Threads that are found to have derailed into wider discussions may be removed. Users who repeatedly disregard this may have their Forum account banned. Please also avoid posting personally identifiable information, including links to your own online property listing which may reveal your address. Thank you for your understanding.

Royal Mail redirection - is it worth it?

2456710

Comments

  • I've used the service twice and been very pleased with it both times.

    In my particular case it was handy when I received a cheque from a lawyer handling an estate. The deceased was a family friend and I was unaware I was in the will. The address was a few months out of date but thanks to the redirection the letter + cheque came to me.
  • davidmcn
    davidmcn Posts: 23,596
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    Silly question, but as someone with an unusual surname who is marrying someone with a 'normal surname' what happens if mr and mrs smith sell to mr and Mrs smith?
    Then you rely on the postie being able to distinguish mail for the new and old occupiers. Obviously if they're all called "J Smith" then the task is impossible!
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 16,073
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Forumite
    I had stuff redirected for the full two years as I realised that mail was still arriving for my vendors after 12 months (they'd clearly only done 3 months). Some of it was clearly important, and I did get some letters from various financial institutions asking if I knew where they had gone. By this time I'd got rid of all their details. I still get stuff addressed to them now fairly regularly, and some looks important - it seems that a lot of organisations don't deal with returned mail.
  • custardy
    custardy Posts: 38,365
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Post First Anniversary
    Forumite
    Silly question, but as someone with an unusual surname who is marrying someone with a 'normal surname' what happens if mr and mrs smith sell to mr and Mrs smith?

    Mail address to Mr/Mrs Smith would be delivered as normal.
    Mail with initial of full forename showing,would be redirection/delivered as appropriate.
  • always_sunny
    always_sunny Posts: 8,314 Forumite
    I did use them but don't think I will in the future; I don't really get a lot of mail anymore, most bills are electronic, etc. Beside junk mail what letter people receive?
    If you will update all addresses, not sure it's worth the money!
    EU expat working in London
  • AndyTails
    AndyTails Posts: 153 Forumite
    Silly question, but as someone with an unusual surname who is marrying someone with a 'normal surname' what happens if mr and mrs smith sell to mr and Mrs smith?


    As someone with a 'normal' surname I've had this happen to me. When we moved out of a rental we ticked a box saying "redirect all mail with this surname". Turned out the new tenants had the same surname as us! Royal Mail redirected a few bits of their post, hence we found out and called Royal Mail, who changed it to "only if first name/initial matches", and we got no more redirected post that should have been theirs. I can't remember if we still got redirected mail that was for us or not, I think we did.
  • jeanzbeanz
    jeanzbeanz Posts: 58 Forumite
    OK, I guess in the grand scheme of things it won't break the bank ... I might get it for 3 months. I honestly feel like I will be surprised if anything comes through redirected.. but we will see!
  • sultanabran
    sultanabran Posts: 172 Forumite
    You just need to read the number of posts from people that have been given CCJs because they thought they had closed an account, then moved and not told the company and not used redirection to see that its cheap when compared with the potential cost of a CCJ!
  • jeanzbeanz
    jeanzbeanz Posts: 58 Forumite
    Haha. I have no debts so this won't happen to me :)
    But I guess it only needs to pick up one bit of important mail to save massive inconvenience/cost.

    Thanks for the input guys, I will set it up!
  • jeanzbeanz wrote: »
    Haha. I have no debts so this won't happen to me :)
    But I guess it only needs to pick up one bit of important mail to save massive inconvenience/cost.

    Thanks for the input guys, I will set it up!

    Yes OP get it done. The chances of the new people stealing your identity (or taking out credit in your name and so on) is slim, but there is a risk. Then, as a few people have said, some companies only write once a year (like pension companies,) and then there's people who only write at Christmas and birthdays. And there are bound to be a couple of people or companies you forget!!! So it's best to use the redirection service imo.
    Silly question, but as someone with an unusual surname who is marrying someone with a 'normal surname' what happens if mr and mrs smith sell to mr and Mrs smith?

    Verrrrrry good question. Although the chance of the person buying your house having the same surname is slim, and the chance of someone having the same surname AND initial is extremely unlikely. If that did happen, you would probably not be able to set it up, and would just have to hope for the best, and hope you had remembered to inform everyone.

    Weirdly, when we moved house last, we had the same surname as our buyers! They were Mr & Mrs Stormcloud too! Though we are Mr H and Mrs F Stormcloud, and they were Mr J and Mrs L Stormcloud. We still did the redirection, and as far as I know there wasn't anything that didn't get to us. In addition, we didn't get anything of Mr J and Mrs L Stormcloud's either. So the P.O. did a good job. :)
    cooeeeeeeeee :j :wave:
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 342.5K Banking & Borrowing
  • 249.9K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 449.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 234.6K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 607.1K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 172.8K Life & Family
  • 247.4K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 15.8K Discuss & Feedback
  • 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards