It’s not that common, but it happens that we receive someone else’s mail in our mailbox and open it without even noticing the name. now you may wonder if it was a crime to open someone else’s mail?
If you accidentally received or opened someone else’s mail, the first thing you should do is contact the messaging service provider. If you have booked the shipping service through a parcel broker such as eurosender, you must contact the broker directly. they are your point of contact should any issues arise.
you must inform eurosender or the courier providerwithin 48 hours after receiving the package. In case the courier company makes a mistake, the courier will most likely pick up the mail from your address again.
read more about:
- ups shipping
- amazon FAQ
- royail mail
- fedex shipping
Is it illegal to open someone else’s mail?
Please note that in many countries, it is illegal to open mail or packages if you are not the intended recipient on the shipment. however, certain scenarios will classify whether what you did was a crime or not:
- If you’ve opened someone else’s mail, read it, and then thrown it away, you may be in trouble. or you may have panicked and decided to burn the letter you have opened. please do not, as it is considered a crime and the courier can see it as if you have intentionally stopped the delivery process.
- if you accidentally opened someone else’s envelopes or packages and then plan to return it to the sender, then you have not committed a crime. you can seal the mail/package again and write “return to sender”, or if it is one of your neighbors, you can deliver it yourself and explain the error. by doing so, you are not doing anything illegal.
however, if someone is caught stealing from a courier, be it for letters or packages, they can end up serving a prison sentence.
read more about:
- the package arrives open and sealed
- wrongly delivered packages
- the courier has the wrong package
what is the most common cause of misdelivered mail?
- maybe the mail was from someone who previously lived at the address.
- maybe the delivery person delivered to neighbors ‘ mail to your address and didn’t realize it wasn’t yours until you opened it.
- maybe the sender accidentally delivered the wrong package to driver because he had more than one package to send.
Courier service providers are always on the lookout to provide the best service. but with the increasing number of incoming orders, mistakes are more likely to happen. packages can travel in many different vans, trucks, and depots on their way to you. although it is not usual, the label can be damaged or come off during transit, causing the package to be delivered wrongly to another address.
how to avoid accidentally opening someone else’s mail?
If you notice that the mail is not for you at the time the courier is delivering it, you should always deny it. please refer to the shipping label for details on the name and actual address of the recipient.
tips to avoid misdelivery
– be careful when delivering the package. the best way is to deliver it yourself so you can be sure the courier has the right package. if you can’t be there, you can ask someone else to give it to you. If you leave the box in a pre-arranged location, make sure it is clear that this is the package that the courier is to pick up.
– fill in the correct and complete address. this includes street name and number, zip code, town/city, and any additional information such as name or doorbell number. it may also help to fill in a local phone number for the pick up and drop off address. this way, the courier has the option to contact you.
– regularly check the tracking of your package. The fastest way to find out if something went wrong with your package is through online tracking. We always recommend that you keep an eye on the tracking information. If you notice any irregularities, you can contact us at any time for help.
To summarize, inform eurosender or the courier immediately when you notice that you have received an email that does not belong to you. You must do so within 48 hours of receiving the letter/package. from there, the courier or us will help you further.
This article was written in collaboration with Annelieke Muelders.