What's my obligation for packages for previous owner?

[Anonymous]

I got several packages over the summer for the previous owners (18 months ago). I left them outside and they mysteriously disappeared after about a couple weeks. It's a quiet neighborhood so I am not sure who picked them up. Just got a package with some of those Bombas socks. I've been meaning to try those-am thinking of opening them!! I don't have contact details for previous people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's Christmas, and they probably have no clue that people are still sending them stuff at the old address. I would contact them with the list over this Holiday season and ask them to please notify the senders. I would return to Fedex as well, with "NOT AT THIS ADDRESS" in big marker.

Not OP but I have done this before! I have written in sharpie on packages “wrong address” “return to sender” “xyz does not live here” etc. doesn’t work…no one is reading what you write on the package—it’s all done by machines and they just scan the barcode on the shipping label. So writing on it in sharpie has no effect.

Black out the barcode with a sharpie or put a sticker over it.

[Anonymous]

No obligation, discard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We received a package for the previous owners that is clearly a (not very perishable) food item. Can't tell if it's a business or personal gift. We've sent a bunch of mail and items to them already (it's been 5 months) and Christmas feels like a good time to break the cycle of paying to mail things 1000 miles away to people who lived here half a year ago. They're nice, but I feel like if I send this it'll never end.

I took the package back to FedEx to return to the sender.

Today it showed up again on my doorstep.

What's my obligation? Tell the previous owners? Find the sender (that's pretty easy, actually, but awkward). Take it BACK to FedEx with my address blacked out (which I already did out of frustration, but I'm sure the scan will show it)? Throw it out? It's a small annoyance but I don't want to be dishonest.

No obligation, perhaps. But your ethical self will feel better if you reach out and give the old owners a chance.

Karma works!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yay! I love sequels so much!

HAM ALONE? 🤷🏻‍♀️😂❤️

Ham Alone 2: Lost in DC

Oh, I could really use a good 2023 Ham tale.

[Anonymous]

Toss it! We bought our home 3 years ago and I still get mail for the previous owner. She is local so I just text her to pick up, if she doesn't I toss it - which has happened a few times already. One was even a tax related document. I texted her twice, no answer - right into the trash.

[Anonymous]

We still get mail for people who moved away six years ago. I have no idea where they moved to so I just toss it out. Early on I sent it back to the post office but stuff still comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d eat it

this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We received a package for the previous owners that is clearly a (not very perishable) food item. Can't tell if it's a business or personal gift. We've sent a bunch of mail and items to them already (it's been 5 months) and Christmas feels like a good time to break the cycle of paying to mail things 1000 miles away to people who lived here half a year ago. They're nice, but I feel like if I send this it'll never end.

I took the package back to FedEx to return to the sender.

Today it showed up again on my doorstep.

What's my obligation? Tell the previous owners? Find the sender (that's pretty easy, actually, but awkward). Take it BACK to FedEx with my address blacked out (which I already did out of frustration, but I'm sure the scan will show it)? Throw it out? It's a small annoyance but I don't want to be dishonest.

No obligation, perhaps. But your ethical self will feel better if you reach out and give the old owners a chance.

Karma works!

NP. They've had 5 months worth of chances. At this point it's time to move on.

[Anonymous]

I would open it an eat it with zero qualms!

[Anonymous]

I texted them for six months, now I just stick them in the shredder.

[Anonymous]

We’ve been gracious about getting mail to the former owners of our house. Certain things addressed to their names get fwded but sometimes Christmas cards and other packages don’t. I moved out of a rental and my grandparents still sent everything there despite many reminders (including baby gifts and things that had sentimental value) and the new tenants were kind enough to notify us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d eat it

This! Especially if FedEx returned it.


It’s possibly from a business or someone who doesn’t know them personally, or that they moved.

And even if it is from someone that they know, it would be assumed they received it. people usually don’t check up on @did you receive my gift?”

And even if the person did check up on it, their sellers’ answer would be @oh yeah, I moved” and it would be forgotten.

No one is expecting you to mail it to them.

[Anonymous]

You should tell the owners but definitely don’t need to bring it back to FedEx again! But tell the owners so they can send an updated address to whoever sent it to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We still get Christmas cards for the old owners and we have lived here for 12 years. Every year I write “return to sender, not at this address” and put back in the mailbox and every year they are redelivered to me. At which point we open them and enjoy reading about the adventures of these mystery families we have followed for 10 years.

Finally this past year I wrote notes to all the people who sent them saying the recipients moved over a decade ago but I don’t have their forwarding address, I’m sorry. So far this year no cards!!

You should hand let them know that you've gotten a kick out of reading about their family for 10 years, lol.