Among Friends

[Allegheny]

I think we all at one time or another get unsolicited mail because our name/address get on mailing lists that are bought and sold.

Here's a example of the inaccuracies of these lists.

In my mailbox was a piece of mail addressed to "Viola  T..........."

I recognized the name.

It was my ex-Mother in Law.   I have been divorced from her son for 26 years.  He has been deceased for 22 years.  She has been dead for 15 years.  She never lived at this address.  On top of that, years following my divorce there has been a name change to my street address.  

Makes you wonder how much misinformation is floating around out there.

[ItsME]

There is a LOT of information on all of us floating around out there.  Minimal privacy.  If you do a search for her, you'll most likely find her name, and will show you associated with her.

[Allegheny]

@ItsME

I know.  Many years ago, my current husband and I started to get mail addressed with his sister's name.  She lived no where near us.    Came about after their mother's home was sold and all heirs were listed in the real estate transaction.

[lolakimono]

@Allegheny

I don't know if this works, but it's worth a shot.  Both of these are "opt out" options, and you can register the deceased.

https://dmachoice.thedma.org/# 

National Do Not Mail List-

http://www.directmail.com/mail_preference/

[beckyb1012]

It is strange that that can happen and cause some to have practically a melt down.  I divorced my husband in 1999 and he has been with this new wife for about 16 years.  Recently my middle age son told me while visiting them some mail came that day and she went in a rant that lasted all day.  No one's fault but it set her off that a home I had never lived in yet still received mail there.  My son finally had to leave her rantings were so bad and absolutely no ones fault.  I get mail at my office for ex from time to time and I just junk and he only walked through this door here one time back in 1999.

[CelticCrafter]

They must go through old lists.

All of a sudden I've been getting junk addressed to my mother.  She's been gone almost 13 years now.

If it included a postage paid envelope, I'm sending it back to them.

[Peaches McPhee]

There are lots of crazy examples of this.

My elderly mother stated to get mail in my sister's maiden name.  My sister had never received lived at my mother's current address, and has been married for 30+ years.

I got mail addressed to my maiden name, addressed to my current address.  I changed names before we moved here.

[Mominohio]

It is odd. 

We still get mail for the previous owners of this house, 24 years later, and my father who died in 1979. We still get a piece of junk addressed to him from time to time, and my mom sold the house and moved in 1988, having relocated four times since then. So go figure.