I have been getting mail from my back for someone I assume used to live at my place since I moved in. I kept ignoring it, thinking she would change her address eventually. It’s been about a year and they are still sending me bank mail for a person I’ve never met.
This seems like a serious security issue so I called the bank and alerted them to the problem. I was told I would have to find her and get her new address for them so they could change it. This seems…wrong. I’m alerting you to a security issue with one of your accounts and you need ME to fix it? The agent on the phone said there was nothing they could do without a new address.
I pressed harder and asked them to flag that account so she would have a warning she needs to talk to a banker next time she tries to use her account. Eventually he relented and put a flag on her account.
This seems really sloppy. Do banks just, not care about the mail they send out going to the right place? I’m honestly considering switching to a credit union over this.
Write “return to sender, wrong address” on the envelopes and drop them back in the mail.
What do you do after doing this for 4+ years for the same person and bank, and you’ve gone as far as showing up in person at the bank’s local branch?
Try writting ‘Deceased’ on it and return it. At the very least it’ll give any human who sees it a momentary pause, and maybe they’ll take it more seriously.
Damn that’s a great idea! Cheers!
Oh wow that is a good tip. I’ve been getting similar letters for about ten years! Nothing has worked. I’m going to try this next time.
I know a guy who just throws it out.
Not going to say I haven’t done that but I’d rather stop receiving it at all.
Yeah after that long it’s just going in the recycling. Another thing you can do is notify the post office or carrier to deliver your mail by name only. This won’t stop mail addressed to “current resident,” but it should stop the stuff you’re talking about.
Yeah. I go to the post office semi-regularly and I see people complain about this problem; the employees just roll their eyes and say to mark the mail.
Write “Return to sender, not at this adress” on the envelope and put it back in the mail.
Sorry not sorry
Not OP, but live in an apartment, we don’t have any place for outgoing mail, so I need to write in on the envelopes and drop them in a random mailbox?
That’s odd. I have lived in apartment complexes for a large portion of my life. There has always been a single outgoing mail slot with the rows of mailboxes at the apartment complexes. It blends in so it might not look too different than the rest of the bank of mailboxes. This is in the US though so idk how other countries handle it.
If you are in the US, yeah you can drop it in any USPS public dropbox or store iirc
FWIW, this is true of the U.K. too. You could also try speaking to your postie.
Yeah, I have the same issue. I just keep the misdirected mail for a week or two until it stacks up and then drop it all in the nearest blue USPS mailbox, which is in the center of town. It’s annoying, but not a huge deal.
Also I’ve read you shouldn’t write directly on the envelope, the post office prefers sticky notes so the original envelope isn’t defaced.
That seems haphazard - won’t sticky notes be liable to fall off in the mailbag?
Eh I guess it’s possible, but probably unlikely. You could always stick some tape on the sticky note if you’re worried.
You don’t have any place for outgoing mail?? That’s wild. Most people in houses just clip outgoing mail to their mailbox for the postman to pick up. I would’ve assumed apartments always had an outgoing box if they’re using one of those walls of mailboxes.