How do you get the USPS to take envelopes you marked "addressee unknown" if they're returned to you?

Forums: Diy, Troubleshooting, Usps, Mail, Self-Help
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Hi. I was told if you write "addressee unknown" on the outside of an envelope you can drop it in a public mailbox. You don't have to hand it in to a local post office branch.

But how do you get the USPS to accept envelopes you marked "addressee unknown" if they get returned to you?

I had an envelope returned to me and I am guessing the USPS wouldn't take it because the envelope had stains on it.

Should I put the envelope in another envelope and put the address that was on the original envelope on the new envelope and write "addressee unknown" on it?

The person whom the original envelope was addressed to doesn't live at my current residence anymore and that person has a right to receive this mail.

Please help. Thank you.

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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 828 • Replies: 5

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@JGoldman10,

Write return to sender on the envelope.

Stick a label or a piece of tape or something over your address, make sure it's completely obscured.

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@izzythepush,

Hello. Thank you for responding. It doesn't matter what condition the original envelopes are in?

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@JGoldman10,

I don't know, and most of my letters are delivered by the Royal Mail but it seems to work for me.

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@JGoldman10,

JGoldman10 wrote:

Hi. I was told if you write "addressee unknown" on the outside of an envelope you can drop it in a public mailbox. You don't have to hand it in to a local post office branch.

But how do you get the USPS to accept envelopes you marked "addressee unknown" if they get returned to you?

I had an envelope returned to me and I am guessing the USPS wouldn't take it because the envelope had stains on it.

Should I put the envelope in another envelope and put the address that was on the original envelope on the new envelope and write "addressee unknown" on it?

The person whom the original envelope was addressed to doesn't live at my current residence anymore and that person has a right to receive this mail.

Please help. Thank you.

If it ain't first class, they wont forward it. If it says Presorted on the stamp area? That's junkmail. The person sent it at a significantly low/bulk rate. That's the equivalent of buying a one way train or bus or plane ticket. They hadn't paid enough for a return journey/mailing.

I guarantee this is the case. I was a casual carrier back in 1999. I bet the rules for these rates are the same. It's frustrating because I've got errant Jury Duty notices coming to my address. You would think they would try to forward these or send them back to their respective entity.

Quote:

I had an envelope returned to me and I am guessing the USPS wouldn't take it because the envelope had stains on it.

I doubt that's the reason. Unless it made the addresses unreadable.

Quote:

Should I put the envelope in another envelope and put the address that was on the original envelope on the new envelope and write "addressee unknown" on it?

That will only work if you add new postage to the new envelope.

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Its hard to get return-to-sender mail to stop arriving in your mailbox because nearly 100% of letter mail is routed to its destination by automated sorting equipment. Which means you not only need to add a message for the USPS mail carrier to see, you also need to tell the sorting machines to stop routing it to you. Sorting equipment reads the little bars printed immediately above or below the address or that are located along the bottom edge of the envelope. Marking out the last few bars of this barcode and some of the address will force the envelope to be reexamine by human and machine.

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How do you get the USPS to take envelopes you marked "addressee unknown" if they're returned to you?

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