Unwanted mail
Question
I've recently bought a house and I keep getting letters for previous owners including letters from bailiffs. Sometimes it's got to 20 letters a day, is there anyway to stop them?
Answer
Many people find that when they move into a new house they get post for the previous owner and sometimes this can keep coming for months, if not years. Often those with debts don't have their mail forwarded after they move and resolving the issue is unfortunately not simple, and can be time consuming.
One of the first things you can do is to contact the mail preference service and register with them, both in your name, and that of the previous owner. This will stop most junk mail you'll be receiving, you can also do the same for telephones and faxes on the same website.
Next, you can register with the main credit reference agencies (Experian Limited, Equifax plc and Callcredit plc) that the previous owner no longer lives at that address. This will keep you credit rating intact and ensuring any checks by bailiffs or credit companies will show the previous owners have left.
Finally, you can return all mail by crossing out the address writing on to the letter 'no longer at this address, return to sender' then just put them back in the post box.
Updated: 12/04/2010
Question answered by CAB
