Mail "problem" - Keep getting old occupants mail

[Buff]

Every year I get what is presumably a Christmas card in the mail for the previous occupants of my house. Every year I put it back in the mail marked with "RTS" and/or "no longer lives here". Whatever happens to that letter I don't know. The same thing happens every year. I'm tired of having to deal with this. Sure, its only one letter per year, but the people we bought the house from was horrible for forwarding their address. For the 1st year I think I got more mail for them than I did for me (exageration). I get another 3 or 4 pieces of mail for the previous occupants throughout the year too. I've been living at my house for over 6 years now.

So this yearly Christmas letter... I don't know how to have the people stop mailing it to my house. They do not put a return address on it. It comes via Royal Mail, so I'll assume it is from the UK. Thats really all I have to go on this. I've talked to somebody at the post office before and they just said mark it RTS and they'll take care of it, but I keep getting this every year.

It is weird, this is the only mail I get for the previous occupants from the people who use Royal Mail. You would think that the people in UK would either notice that they aren't getting any return correspondance, or would look at any return correspondance and notice a different return address.

[Gozer]

Try a topical cream.

[Bobblehead]

I still get the odd piece of mail for the the previous owners. I've lived in the house for 9+ years.

When I first moved in, I would get mail to the correct address, but sent to at least 3 different names.

[jammies]

I get lots of financial-related mail for the previous residents of my apartment. After a while I got tired of writing RTS on them and now they go straight into the garbage, although I'm sure that's illegal in some way. Still, it's been 4 years and if they can't be bothered to update their RRSP information, too bad for them.

[Dan02]

seriously the next house i am buying is going to be new. We manage to get mail from not only the own before but the owner before him and also some random ass people I assume must have lived here at some point >5 years ago.

[worth]

I got one piece of mail back about 4 times through the mail system. I put return to sender on it, and put it back in the box and what do you know, 3 days later the same piece of mail shows up in my mailbox. And it happened 3 more times. By the 4th time it came through it looked like it had been through the mail processing machine that many times. it was all black and scratched up in the front from going through a bunch of rollers I presume at the canada post facility.

A couple weeks later I got three peices of mail for the same family and I scratched out everything and wrote a long sentence on each letter indicating that this is not the correct address and these people don't live here etc. that was about a week ago and i haven't had anything back...

I don't know what you can do about it. If there's no return address on it pretty tough to do anything. If there was an address you could at least write to the people and say that those people don't live there anymore, and maybe they should call them to find out their new address. Other than that you might just have to live with it.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one plagued with this. Banks seem to be the worst. I have sent RTS or No Longer lives here to the same bank several times a year and STILL get mail from the previous owner (had the place for almost 10 yrs) and roommates that moved out 4+ yrs ago.

I just put it all through the shredder these days.

[Kolbe31]

I was hoping that this story ended with you eventually opening the mail and finding Christmas money! I suppose it still can, but you gotta want it...

[burnin_vernon]

I work for Canada Post and it's amazing what people send. Letters get mailed to people who have been deceased for 15 years.

[Buff]

Actually, one year my wife accidentally opened it up... it wasn't even sealed, just the flap was tucked in... and it was just a card from one family to another. I can't remember the names, but no last names were included on the card.

It was something like

To Jack, Jill & family

Merry Christmas,

From John, Jane & family.

[FurnaceFace]

Just open it up and stick it on your mantle. Conversation starter for anyone who reads it. You could make up some fun story about having changed your names.

[malcolmk14]

When I first moved away from home, we got a package delivered on the third day of living in our new house complete with family photos of a nice looking older couple. Probably parents, or grandparents of whoever lived there before us.

The pictures were so nice, we just couldn't send them back. We went and bought nice frames, and hung them/placed them around our house. Every time someone came over they would comment on how nice the pictures were, and we had a great time explaining that we didn't even know the people in them.

[taco.vidal]

Wow. Life must be pretty good if one piece of mail per year causes so much of a hassle.

[CGYTransplant]

Originally Posted by Buff

Every year I get what is presumably a Christmas card in the mail for the previous occupants of my house. Every year I put it back in the mail marked with "RTS" and/or "no longer lives here". Whatever happens to that letter I don't know. The same thing happens every year. I'm tired of having to deal with this. Sure, its only one letter per year, but the people we bought the house from was horrible for forwarding their address. For the 1st year I think I got more mail for them than I did for me (exageration). I get another 3 or 4 pieces of mail for the previous occupants throughout the year too. I've been living at my house for over 6 years now.

So this yearly Christmas letter... I don't know how to have the people stop mailing it to my house. They do not put a return address on it. It comes via Royal Mail, so I'll assume it is from the UK. Thats really all I have to go on this. I've talked to somebody at the post office before and they just said mark it RTS and they'll take care of it, but I keep getting this every year.

It is weird, this is the only mail I get for the previous occupants from the people who use Royal Mail. You would think that the people in UK would either notice that they aren't getting any return correspondance, or would look at any return correspondance and notice a different return address.

If there is NO RETURN ADDRESS, why do you mark it "Return to Sender"? Where do you think it's going to end up? Yeah, the post office will "deal with it"- they shred them, they don't forward them.

I would put it on my mantle and pretend I have friends.

[swo2k1]

Originally Posted by fotze

I think this belongs in another thread because it doesn't apply to anyone who has posted in this one.

He's talking to the OP.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Sounds like your letter carrier has a memory problem.

Put your name in your mailbox with DELIVER MAIL FOR (insert names here) ONLY.

That might help.

The problem isn't with the former owners or the people sending the card, the problem is with your delivery person.

[ricosuave]

Open all the mail you get, yours or not.

You might get lucky and get a ten-spot from grandma!

[Buff]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

Wow. Life must be pretty good if one piece of mail per year causes so much of a hassle.

Actually life is quite good. I'm sorry that I found something little to complain about. Obviously you don't have anything to complain about, I should strive to be more like you. Oh, how do I ever obtain such lofty heights? Please advise me.

Re-read the post, it ain't the only piece of mail.