# Why am I still getting my ex-wife's mail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135 "2009-09-15T02:52:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/1 "2009-09-15T02:52:15Z")
It’s been 3 years since we divorced. She changed her last name. I moved half-way across the country, and she moved to a new address. Then, a few months ago, I started getting junk mail sent to her (with her old married name) at _my new_ address. What gives? And is there any way I can stop it? ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/2 "2009-09-15T04:36:32Z")
Someone’s done a people search for you and looked at the family / roommate column? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/3 "2009-09-15T07:33:09Z")
Heh… the owner of the business I work for still gets mail catalogs from Macy’s/Chino’s/Vict. Secret/Abercrombie & Fitch at least once a week, and it’s addressed to his ex wife of 8 years ago. He’s still paying her a buttload of alimony (all their kids are 21+), this mail pisses him off to no end. 🙂 I’m guessing it’s some marketing quirk, maybe some company linked your name with her name, and now they’re just sending out advertising material figuring your residence has a good chance of ordering something. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Buttons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Mr\_Buttons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Buttons)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/4 "2009-09-15T07:39:28Z")
Missed the edit window… If you wanna stop it, you probably gotta call whoever publish/distributes it. If you let them know you’re not interested in their products, I can’t imagine the company code would be to blow $.50-$1 to send you a catalog once a season. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/5 "2009-09-15T13:55:25Z")
I found a number online for the return address (SmartSource Direct), called them this morning and left a message on their voicemail to remove her name from their lists - not sure if it will do any good. Is this a common thing? Do direct marketers really just take a stab at any name/address combo they find that may or may not be legit? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/6 "2009-09-15T13:58:12Z")
I get about one letter to my ex-wife a year. We’ve been divorced since 1982. (I’m at the same address, but still). ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/7 "2009-09-15T13:58:26Z")
My wife received mail for about ten years. I’ve never been married. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/8 "2009-09-15T14:03:41Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I get about one letter to my ex-wife a year. We’ve been divorced since 1982. (I’m at the same address, but still). Yup, I’m still getting mail for my father. He died in 1996. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/9 "2009-09-15T14:14:04Z")
My son once got a solicitation for a credit card with a $10,000 credit line. I sent it back in the conveniently postage-paid envelope with his handwritten and truthful reply, “No thanks, I’m six years old.” ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-am-i-still-getting-my-ex-wifes-mail/510135/10 "2009-09-15T16:12:15Z")
I get a lot “cramming” on my phone bill. The scam name and my phone number and my address were, apparently erroneously, printed in a phone book some years ago.