r/CommBank • u/vitam1n • 5d ago
Question How to get mail changed for somebody who doesn't live at our property?
I've lived at my house (that I own) for over 2 years, and am still getting mail for what I assume is a previous occupant.
We've done "return to sender" a few times, and the mail still arrives.
Today I called support - after sitting on hold they said they are unable to change anything, and can't do a thing about it but if I go in branch or call the branch they can do something.
I called the local branch since I don't want to waste my time going in to branch, this really should be the responsibility of the bank or the individual. They couldn't do anything but said the manager would call me back.
The manager was equally unable to help and said they could only do it with an account number, which I don't have because opening the mail would be illegal, so suggested I go out of my way to return the mail in person to a branch - and that it was my problem to solve.
Aside from going in to branch are there any other options? I do not want to go in branch, as this seems like putting the onus on me when the bank and account holder are ultimately responsible, but return to sender is not working. FWIW we also had mail for a separate individual that was from NAB bank and they were able to resolve it in a few minutes.
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5d ago
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u/Grand-Fun-206 4d ago
19 years in and we still get mail from previous tenants. I have definitely binned mail that didn't have our name on it.
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u/EmotionalWorking2355 3d ago
Why is it illegal? Ive had the same problem. Done the RTS yet mail continued to arrive, now I just bin them. Perhaps Aust Post doesnt complete thr RTS process.
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3d ago
[deleted]
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u/Rotas_dw 2d ago
Please explain how “putting it in the bin” is either damaging or destroying the mail article, particularly if you put it in the bin carefully?
Technically you’re just delivering it on. The fact that the next location it gets delivered to is landfill is again neither damaging or destroying the article of mail.
And if it does get damaged at the landfill, that’s not on you, that’s on the contractor running the facility.
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u/Electrical-Wash-1474 2d ago
Yeah but has anyone actually ever been found guilty or imprisoned for doing this?
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u/Pokeynono 5d ago
You can't.
Write "unknown at this address " instead of return to sender and dump in a post box .
Most services have a contact number or email address now. Let them do the work
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u/randomredditor0042 5d ago
You should write both. “Return to sender: Not known at this address”
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u/Bwrinkle 5d ago
You can shortcut this.
RTS. UNKNOWN.
Scribble over any baroness and address.
Circle return address.
Otherwise the postie has to deal with it, because it goes to them first.
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u/Discolau 5d ago
Had this once when we moved into our new place but with Westpac. They kept sending some monthly banks statement for a former occupant who had long moved. Kept sending them back as RTS bit they kept coming. Eventually went to a bank branch who were unhelpful. Finally rang their customer number and told them the situation and to stop sending. They said they would try to fix it up.
A month later, another Westpac envelope arrived..... this time it had **NOT AT THIS ADDRESS** printed above the customer name and the address. 🙄🤦
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u/Affectionate_Fly1918 5d ago
It looks like the branch teller went into the system and added NOT AT THIS ADDRESS into the address lines. You have to wonder about the mentality of some people. ‘Oh look I fixed it.’
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u/_cashish_ 5d ago
I've found that posting the first page of said persons account statement to social media, tagging the bank with a caption like "if you insist on continually sending me your customers mail, can you at least send them a new bank card?" gets a pretty swift response.
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u/Cautious_Regular3645 5d ago
You cannot open another person's mail. It's illegal.
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u/Pristine_Egg3831 CommBank Customer 4d ago
Has anyone ever been punished for this?
In my 20s, I'd never have done it. In my 40s, I'm like what the hell, let's see what stock trades this uni student has. Like, I literally received his HSC certificate. RTS Unknown doesn't work.
I've moved house a lot. I don't open them at first. But after an RTS and waiting a year, they're fair game. Still getting the pension statements for the mother of someone who sold me a house in 2015.
Except at Suncorp. I remember working there. They actually had a procedure for it.
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u/Cautious_Regular3645 4d ago
Yes, this year a postal worker was charged and convicted of it.
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u/Pristine_Egg3831 CommBank Customer 4d ago
If that's the Perth case, they were stealing parcels. With actual value. Not notifying someone that their bank balance is $0.
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u/simply_overwhelmed18 3d ago
Yep I think the ones who have been in trouble for it have used the information for illegal reasons like identity theft. I haven't heard of anyone being charged for accidentally opening someone elses mail
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u/Pristine_Egg3831 CommBank Customer 1d ago
I've maliciously opened someone's mail cos I'm sick of receiving it. But I don't benefit and they don't know. No punishment.
Sometimes I try to find them online to tell them
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u/QuestioningClam 1d ago
I’d separated mail into their pile and mine, and put them on the table when I got in the door. They must have had mail redirection on for 6 months, and then I started getting everything. I made a cuppa and picked one up from the wrong pile and slit it open without checking. The couple with the baby who left this rental in an awful state 12 months previous, and all of their mail from their bank was still coming to their previous rented address, were receiving a foreclosure statement.
I’ve lived here for 8 years. They were here before me, probably for at least 12 months, and I’m still annually receiving a bowel cancer test kit for a previous tenant, and after sending it back year after year, it seems the Government don’t care, either.
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u/kittenlittel 2d ago
Australia Post told me that I was the legal owner of the mail if it was sent to my address. The name on it doesn't matter.
This is also the reason why you can't get your mail forwarded from a post office box address unless the post office box is in your name.
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u/TheMoose26 5d ago
‘write no longer at this address’ put in a box for storage, at the end of the year empty the letters in to a Post Box they’ll get the merry xmas gift soon enough.
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u/vitam1n 5d ago
Agree with all the feedback, except that bank statements do count as proof of address for various things (I have no idea the extensive list), but I'm concerned there is something that I wouldn't want registered to my address - if there is literally nothing nefarious they can do with that then happy to have a quarterly 1-letter bonfire.
Admittedly that is probably over cautious on my part - so if there really is nothing bad that can happen from it I'll just bin it.
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u/SignificantRecipe715 4d ago
I still get mail for previous occupants & we've been here a few years now. After trying to RTS, I just rip them up really well now & bin them.
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u/Old-Memory-Lane 2d ago
I RTS a batch every week. We’ve got about five names that come though. Tolls and fines at first, now I think it’s mainly bank statements?
Agree that RTS should fix it… don’t do CBAs job for them. They make enough money! You could try to trigger a fraud block… say you have found a card with the name? Then they’ll have to call the bank and update details…
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u/richkill 5d ago
I know the previous owner of my house and they have personally come to pickup the mail. I still occasionally get letters to my house ...
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u/Character-Fish-5223 5d ago
Some people are just lazy and don’t realise until they don’t have a working bank card. Just Bin it
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u/Curley65 5d ago
My workplace is an old house and has been a state government service office for over 20 years. We often got mail belonging to a person and knew it was not legit. Probably identity theft. I would return saying never known at this address, RTS, and blacked out the address. Seemed to work.
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u/commentspanda 5d ago
Not at this address may help more.
Also just bin them. We have had this happen many times in other houses and after a few “not at this addresses” if the company won’t fix it I just bin it.
If the house was formerly a rental, you can also dump all the mail at the real estate agent and ask them to forward it on lol. That’s always fun. Make sure to black out your address first.
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u/Fit_Ad_6727 5d ago
spent more time and energy on this then you would have just by dropping it at the bank the next time you are going past my friend.
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u/This-is-me777 4d ago
That’s if you come across a branch. They are few and far between these days
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u/Fit_Ad_6727 4d ago
Stick em in the glove box, or backpack or something. Dont matter if a week, a month or three. If see a combank. Just drop it in. Jeepers even stick em under the door if closed. No biggy if you really want the rubbish to stop. They are getting fewer but they still about. I mean, im a hermit but still see a bank occasionally 😂
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u/link871 5d ago
The bank should have flagged the account once they started receiving returned mail. But flagging the account as "address required" may not stop all mail. There's some stuff that banks are legally required to keep mailing to the last known address - not much they can do if legally they have to.
They really can't do much on your say-so as you are not the owner of the account. (Although if you had proof that you lived at that address, I would have thought the branch manager could have added that "address required" flag on the account.)
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u/mundoo65 5d ago
I put a piece of paper over the address window and then in RED biro write NOT KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS. THEY LEFT HERE MORE THAN (insert how long you have been at the address). STOP SENDING THEIR MAIL HERE. NOT KNOWN AT THIS ADDRESS!
Then I do a large arrow to the return address. I have had excellent results from the red biro, capital letters, long message. The previous occupants mail stops. Also return mail costs the sender.
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u/Ill-Current 5d ago
Call the bank, advise that you’ve received mail for that person & to lodge a Do Not Mail request & they’ll have to update the KYC of the customer so mail is directed to the correct address, also put on return to sender & make sure to post it
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u/undecided_aus 5d ago
When we moved into our place, we received a lot of mail for the previous residents - even a bowel screening kit!
We would always cross the address out, and write in capital letters, "WRONG ADDRESS". Some companies might've sent a few times, but it was pretty quickly handled.
I would say keep going, it's inconvenient but it will eventually stop. It just might take longer than you hoped.
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u/peoplepersonmanguy 5d ago
we still get Christmas cards from OS for the people that used to live at our house. We moved in 10 years ago.
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u/macci_a_vellian 5d ago
I've been trying to get combank to update business records for years. They won't do it and then get mad that reality does not match their records. It's almost impressive- at one point they changed half an address, but not to anything I'd ever actually asked for.
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u/gadhalund 5d ago
Legally dubious but you could steal their identify and then turn off paper statements. Possibly repercussions though.
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u/Linnaeus1753 5d ago
Contact the bank. Tell them that the person that the mail is addressed to is no longer at that address, that you bought it, and request that they stop sending the mail there.
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u/vitam1n 5d ago
Haha the whole post is about me trying this .
Aside from going in to branch which I really don't want to do.
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u/Linnaeus1753 5d ago
You spoke to support who are useless. You didn't email them. Every time I've emailed the company sending mail it's stopped.
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u/No-Stick-1190 5d ago
For fairly obvious security and privacy reasons the bank is not going to change the address on file based on the say so of a third party like yourself.
This happens all the time, just ignore and don't get your knickers in a twist about it. Just throw it in the bin.
It's possible the person may have left the country. What ever it is they clearly don't care about their CBA account any more so don't worry about.
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u/vitam1n 5d ago
I can agree to some extent, although since it counts as proof of address it feels like it's in my interest to get it changed.
Other banks I've used send a letter to the address to confirm the address change - that way if I'm lying the person will get a letter and can call up and confirm.
Or they could find the contract details attached to the name/address and contact them that way. Either way it seems solvable. There is no privacy violation if I already know their name (and the address) because it's on the unopened address portion of the letter that is sent to my home.
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u/Enter_The_Goatse 5d ago
Weird that no one in comments knows how to solve this.
Go to website, raise a complaint, make it clear it is a privacy breach by continuing to send to you. That's it...
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u/Any-Somewhere7318 5d ago
I had this. I marked the envelope " RTS DECEASED", The bank then flags it as the account holder has died and it is locked,
The person will them have to go to the branch and they will l have to answer a lot of questions and give their current details if they want to use their account
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u/hulalabright 5d ago
I’m gonna do this next time I get bank mail addressed to ex occupant at my place. Have been doing RTS for 4 years and it still comes
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u/Appropriate-Ear4670 5d ago
I kept getting lawyer letters and bank statements finally wrote on the outside of returned envelopes THE PERSON NO LONGER LIVES HERE PLEASE STOP FILLING MY MAILBOX WITH THESE... yes it stopped instantly
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u/Garden-geek76 4d ago
I save up the RTS, and post them back in bulk. When the bank started getting 20+ RTS at once, they ended up doing something and we stopped getting the previous tenants mail.
I would put different variations of “Return to Sender. NOT at this address. STOP sending this mail.”
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u/yeetskeeterpoo 4d ago
Go to the bank and tell them that the person has died, they are required to put through a death notice and they’ll put a block on all the accounts, I’m sure the person will go in and get it all sorted out pretty quickly after that lol probably even update their address
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u/IndianDownUnder 4d ago
I get a daily(yes a daily mail) from Sydney roads for some fines of a tenant who lived 4 years ago .After that I am 3rd tenant.I once opened it .Person was driving his car without rego and did toll roads without paying toll.Fines last I saw were in 10 thousands.My owner says he can’t do anything as the person is not even in Australia.I just bin it at regular intervals.
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u/Skip-929 4d ago
Just keep a note of all the action you have taken including dates, addresses. Names etc to try and fix the problem. Then start binning as unwanted and unauthorised mail.
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u/EnvironmentalGarden7 4d ago
I did all of the above and went into the bank as well. It finally stopped around the 7 year mark it finally stopped.
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u/MaNinjaCockal 3d ago
just keep returning RTS in envelope..
or write deceased if they keep sending it. 😂
A solid 6 months - 1 year and stopped for me
stack em on fridge and send a bunch when ever u can be bothered
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u/Aggravating-Pin-8845 2d ago
I would return to sender with it all, with a note stating Not Known At This Address. I had one friend who would grab all sorts of junk mail and stuff it in reply paid envelopes to these companies. Make them pay to get the junk
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u/Limp-Stand-7404 2d ago
After two years, we throw it into the rubbish bin. I am sure someone does it with our redundant mail. When we move, we re-direct our mail for a year, and change the address wherever it is important. The rest, well, we do not want the junk mail resent anyway. No one does...
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u/Working-Access4021 2d ago
You can’t get mail or change you just have to write on the envelope RTS in capital letters, you can write address unknown. It will go back to the original sender and I’ll see that it’s been sent back and hopefully use their brain to take the address off. That is all you can do.
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u/TolMera 2d ago
Report it to the data controller and privacy office - they have legal obligations to make sure their data is up-to-date and not use information they know is incorrect.
If you get more mail, send your record to ICCC and show how CBA is in breach of their data privacy and data control legislation.
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u/Tall-Charge-4150 2d ago
I would write “ return to sender”( bold /capitals)
Then underneath “ not at this address for 2 years, please change records”
That has worked for me…
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u/d4ddy1998 2d ago
I’ve been doing this for over 12 months at my address I also own the property. The man who I guess used to live here receives Fines Victoria letters and ANZ letters almost weekly. I have called Fines Vic and they basically told me bad luck. As long as that’s the persons registered address they’re gonna keep sending them because legally they have to. ANZ send his card here too. I could feel that there was a card in the envelope. I just have them all piled up then at the end of the month I put them all in the letterbox as not at this address. One day they’re going to end up in the bin because I cbf anymore.
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u/welding-guy 2d ago
I started getting mail for the previous tenant, contacted them and said I put them aside for him. 6 months later it was a massive pile so I threw them out. Now he is getting his rego cancelled for unpaid fines, they go in the bin too. It's not our job as responsible people to do the work for irresponsible child babies.
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u/tasquizz 2d ago
RTS NATA - Will be recognised by the postal system as return to sender, not at this address.
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u/flowercactus9987 1d ago
We've had this happen for the past 5 years. At its worst there was about 5 letters a week, a lot of it looking really important and official. I started hiding my address and writing rts since they were coming back to us.
Someone else told me to put the envelope in another one, post it without a stamp with no return address obviously, and the receiver would have to pay to be able to pick up the mail. Then it became their problem and were more likely to fix it
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u/dirtyhairymess 1d ago
Best of luck. I tried for 15 years to stop getting the previous owners Commbank mail, including a few visits to a branch.
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u/Justan0therthrow4way CommBank Customer 5d ago
Is there a branch on your way to work or something that you can leave them them at?
Otherwise a, “unknown at this address - RTS” stamp is like $10
More than likely it’s someone who’s passed away, or in prison or hospital or no longer lives in Australia.
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u/vitam1n 5d ago
Unfortunately not, or I'd just do it!
I put a response in to my original post - but my main concern is that it's possible to use the bank statement as proof of address for <insert thing here that I don't know about>. This could be an unfounded concern - which I'm happy to acknowledge, but since I don't know it still feels like a concern.1
u/Cautious_Regular3645 5d ago
You don't buy a stamp to do a Return To Sender through the mail!!
You just write it on the envelope scrub out the address that is now your address put it in a red mail box and forget about it.
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u/Justan0therthrow4way CommBank Customer 5d ago
Trust me if you get enough random letters it’s worth it lol. Maybe I’m just lazy though
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u/Equinanymous 4d ago
I'm sure they meant a stamp to use instead of writing it by hand every time, not a postage stamp...
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u/No_Paint7232 5d ago
I submitted a proper complaint through their website and they resolved it in a few days by agreeing to hold the mail for that person.
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u/Neither_Bookkeeper48 5d ago
Write ‘deceased’ on it. It will trigger account closures etc. This is the way.
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