So we’ve lived at this address for more than a year and a half. We get mail occasionally for the previous occupant, sometimes junk mail (which I throw out) and sometimes bills, etc. (which I also throw out. I figure if they want their money they’ll track him down). Never any mail from friends of his or anything…
So anyways, today I came home to find a package on my doorstep. It was addressed to the previous occupant.
It’s a small (maybe 12 inch by 6 inch by 4 inch) package. Very light, but when I shake it, something inside rattles.
What do I do with it? Obviously this is something the guy ordered but mistakenly had delivered to his old address. Unfortunately, his name is pretty common, so if I opened the phone book I’d find a dozen or more people with the same name. And I’m not gonna spend my night calling a bunch of strangers to figure out if this is their package.
There is nothing on the outside of the package to indicate what it might be, and the originating address reveals nothing of use…
What do I do with it? Sit on it in the hopes that the guy contacts me? Throw it away? Open it?
Why would it be delivered back to you? As long as there is a return address just write “RETURN TO SENDER, ADDRESSEE NOT AT ADDRESS/INCORRECT ADDRESS” and let the shipping company figure it out. They’ll probably just use the phone number they have on file to call the person and get the correct address.
(Having said that, I might open it anyways and then tape it shut and send it back)
Because in the past I’ve done that with mail that looked to be bills only to find that the mail was back in my box the next day. Apparently we have a stupid mail carrier.
Also, this package is much too large to fit through the slot we have to send mail.
I’ve had that happen also. I normally take a marker and black out the address so they have no choice but to send it to the return address.
Are you in an apartment? Can you just leave the box near where they drop the mail off? Otherwise, they only way you’ll get it back into the USPS system is to take it to a post office.
Can you take it to where ever you work and give it to the letter carrier there?
I haven’t opened it. And his name is common enough that it might as well be “Joe Smith” (though it isn’t). I’m not going to bother that many people, or waste my own time, sorry.
There are stickers plastered all over it obscuring the sending address, I did try peeling them off but that resulted in also peeling off the originating address. No joy there. I could leave it by the mailboxes, I guess, but I’m sure someone would steal it.
I’ve had that happen to me too. So when I asked the post office, they said to be sure to cross off the address AND the bar code at the bottom. Sometimes, they scan the bar code and don’t notice that the address is crossed out. Be sure to cross out both.
So…open it, find the receipt, call them up and explain the situation. They’ll more then likely tell you one of three things:
1)Keep it, we’ll ship out a new one to the proper address.
2)Tape it shut, we’ll send you a new postage paid shipping label so you can send it back to us.
3)“Um, er, could you send it back to us?” To which you reply “Sure, can you send a me a return shipping label (or whatever they call it), I’m not going to pay to mail it”
Write on the package/envelop “not at this address”, “moved” or something like that. Either leave it for the mail carrier or hand it directly to him/her, in which case you can actually say the person no longer lives there. Our mail carrier is an old guy and I sometimes get the wrong mail–it’s usually the number mixed up. It pisses me off to an extent but I’m not going to make a big deal because maybe the guy is doing the best he can and I’m right behind him in age and I need a job myself. I’m not going to ruin someone else’s. We all need each other, you know?
Anyway, it’s the responsibility of the post office. It’s really not yours to throw out…
I’d simply cross off the address, write “Return to sender/moved/not at this address” (likely in French!) and drop it off at the nearest post office or mailbox. Let the post service figure it out. I wouldn’t open it, simply because it’s not my mail and it’s none of my business, and there is that whole illegality factor to it.
There isn’t a sending address. Well, there is, but from what I’m reading there’s stickers over it and when he tried to peel them off it peeled the address off with it.
Sorry. Yes I opened it and it turned out to be a DSL USB adapter from AT&T. I have some errands to run this morning, but when I get back I’ll give them a call and see what they want me to do with it…