I Keep Getting Someone Else's Phone Bill.

Remy

Remy

Well-known Member
Location
California, USA
It's AT&T which I don't have. It has my PO Box, city and zip but has Attention: "small town up in the hills" under the customers name. I've wrote on it, put it back in the mail, scratched out the bar code part, put that back in the mail, opened it by accident the first time.

I tried calling AT&T, you can guess how that went. A bunch of auto recordings then some guy in I'm sure India, I couldn't get anywhere with and finally hung up. I don't know if I should open the bill again, give up, toss it in the garbage or what. You would think the recipient isn't getting their bill and would realize it. I'm going to google the name and town.

Any ideas?
 

If you can't locate the person via Google, just cross out the name and write on it: Return to sender, person not at this address.
Or go to the post office and ask them to do it.

You could also open the mail and see if the bill references the person's phone number. If so, call the number and let the person know that you're getting his/her mail.
 

Yes, I'm concerned I could get in trouble for opening the bill. The first time I did it, it was by total accident. I remember thinking "what do these jerks want, I haven't had them in years" (I don't like AT&T) and then realized it was for someone else.
 
Remy said:
Yes, I'm concerned I could get in trouble for opening the bill. The first time I did it, it was by total accident. I remember thinking "what do these jerks want, I haven't had them in years" (I don't like AT&T) and then realized it was for someone else.
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I don't think you'd get into trouble for opening a bill with the intention of locating the person it belongs to.

Otherwise, just keep sending it back...
 
Remy said:
Yes, I'm concerned I could get in trouble for opening the bill. The first time I did it, it was by total accident. I remember thinking "what do these jerks want, I haven't had them in years" (I don't like AT&T) and then realized it was for someone else.
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It was an accident. It had your P.O. Number. No reason why you wouldn’t have opened it by accident. You won’t get in trouble. The people that gave the wrong address are the ones who should get in trouble.
 
Thanks everyone. Probably best to just keep trying to return it by writing on the envelope and putting it back in the mail. It's been going on for months but I don't think I got the bill for a few months and now it's baaack...
 
Remy said:
Thanks everyone. Probably best to just keep trying to return it by writing on the envelope and putting it back in the mail. It's been going on for months but I don't think I got the bill for a few months and now it's baaack...
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Do you have the Nextdoor App?.. if so put on there that you have a phone bill for someone named John Smith at jones street
 
hollydolly said:
Do you have the Nextdoor App?.. if so put on there that you have a phone bill for someone named John Smith at jones street
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That's a good idea. I did google the name/town and a name came up with a phone #, but I think I've decided not to call. If I wasn't getting a bill I knew I should, I'd be calling the company to find out what is going on.
 
Remy said:
That's a good idea. I did google the name/town and a name came up with a phone #, but I think I've decided not to call. If I wasn't getting a bill I knew I should, I'd be calling the company to find out what is going on.
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not everyone will be getting a papper bill tho' that could be the problem... like us many people choose to go paperless and get their bills on the phone.. but sometimes the company still sends out paper copies, so that might be the case with your neighbour..
 
GoneFishin said:
I don't know about the USA but here in Canada it is a federal offence to open someone elses mail.
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It is in the U.S. also. However when my mail box was vandalized when I owned that house, including my mail, I called the post office and they did nothing. It's really not a priority unless they want to make it a priority for some reason.
 
Remy said:
It is in the U.S. also. However when my mail box was vandalized when I owned that house, including my mail, I called the post office and they did nothing. It's really not a priority unless they want to make it a priority for some reason.
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it's an offence in the UK, but I've never heard anyone ever in my life being prosecuted for it.. they have to prove you opened it on purpose knowing it was for someone else.. it's very easy just to pick up a letter and open it without looking at the name.. who would be expecting someone else's name on a letter that's come to your address ?... Don't worry about it Remy...
 
hollydolly said:
not everyone will be getting a papper bill tho' that could be the problem... like us many people choose to go paperless and get their bills on the phone.. but sometimes the company still sends out paper copies, so that might be the case with your neighbour..
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Could be. I was paying my bills online. Really liked doing that. But when I got on my stepfather's account so when he dies, I'm in it immediately all his info started coming up on my online page. Some people might not be bothered by that but it really bothered me. I don't want his crap or name mixed up with my private stuff. So I stopped.

And come to think of it i was still getting the paper bills because I had not switched to getting them by e-mail. The electric company stopped sending envelopes so I had to call them and ask them to include them again.

My cable, cell and Obama Care all go to my credit card so that's cut back on individual bills.
 

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