# An Post Mail Redirect Service



## CCOVICH (20 Jul 2006)

Not sure if this has been asked before, couldn't find it, but has anyone used this service on a short-term basis, and was it satisfactory/value for money?

http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/MainContent/Personal+Customers/Managing+Mail/redirection.htm


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## elcato (20 Jul 2006)

I know of one disatisfying person who still had to call up to their old address to collect mail. They did receive some mail but some slipped thru the net.


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## Sherman (20 Jul 2006)

Friends of mine use it every summer when they go away for 2-3 months.

Most post does get redirected to my address. *However*, it is not reliable for all mail, and as such you could ask yourself what the point is.

I generally call to their house a couple of times a month to check up, cut the grass etc. and usually find some mail that should have been redirected but wasn't.

Their local postman told me that the service was a joke, and that you were far better off having a word with your local postman, and he will redirect it for you informally, with a 100% redirect rate. Monetary inducements entirely discretionary  .


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## Spock (20 Jul 2006)

I have used the service on 3 seperate occasions, all for 6 months or more. The first time, I still had to go back to the previous address to collect *some* items that had slipped through the net... I complained twice and, although it's specifically mentioned in the brochure as not standard practice, I was offered a pro-rate refund if I cancelled the remaining time.

I'd hazard a guess that the quality of the service is down to the sorter in the local office; although centrally managed I'd say the letter (when addressed to your old address) gets as far as the pigeonhole for that address which has a note about the redirect; the postie then has a sheet of labels which he sticks on to the letter and it gets put back in the system - you get the redirected letter a couple of days later.

All in all a good service; you're right about going short-term - as redirected letters come in just notify the sender of your new address. You'll probably have 95% of the senders notified within 3 - 6 months.

S.


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## eggerb (20 Jul 2006)

CCOVICH said:
			
		

> has anyone used this service on a short-term basis, and was it satisfactory/value for money?


 
I have had it in place one month now and received a total of seven pieces that had been intercepted before they reached my old address. When I left the old house I left some stickers indicating I had redirection in place and with the new address. I've received more (15+) of my own stickers back. I very much suspect post is going missing so I called into the local delivery office to complain. I spoke to the inspector there and he gave me a whole human resource problem story. He agreed to extend the original 3 month period I paid for until the end of the year. The process is completely manual and relies on your old postman seeing the post pulling it out and sticking a sticker on it for the new address. (Incidentally, my delivery office hasn't changed - the old and new house are in the same area!)

To answer your question, it was (is) neither satisfactory or good value for money. To be honest though, what the alternative? You can leave some stamps and/or a big envelope for the people at your old address and ask them to re-direct them. I was told that if the new people just put the sticker with the new address on without re-direction in place, then the post would be returned to sender!


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## rkeane (20 Jul 2006)

From what I'm reading it would be silly to use the service as your mail could end up in another address for someone who has a redirection setup aswell.  Our postman (assuming its always the same guy) regularly throws mail into our letterbox knowing too well that we will find the correct address for him.  He's too blood lazy to look around himself (fair enough its a big estate but its his job).


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## CharlieC (20 Jul 2006)

The only item that was consistently and continues to be redirected (1 year on) is a request to renew my TV licence in previous address.

Leave large pre-stamped envelopes in your old house to forward on any post for the first few weeks


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## CCOVICH (20 Jul 2006)

Thanks folks, sounded too good to be true.


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## huskerdu (20 Jul 2006)

We used the redirect when we moved house. It was OK, no post delivered to the old house, no missing post (that we know of) but it was very slow. They obviously waited until there was a decent pile before bothering to deliver it. 
One unexpected side effect was that after the 3 months was up, they knew we were no longer at the old address, so started returning letters to sender  as "not known at this address". We hadn't expected this, so thought some post was missing.


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## Dearg Doom (20 Jul 2006)

Used it twice when moving house. The first time was very successful. The second time less so, I received post for someone else in the same estate that was also being redirected. The second time they also grouped up a bunch of letters and redirected them in one bigger envelope, meaning some were delated. I think the quality of the services depends on the individual postman (person?) to catch the items and redirect them. I imagine I'd use it again if I move again.


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## CCOVICH (20 Jul 2006)

Given that we get mail for neighbours fairly frequently, even though we live in a block with a different name, I'm not sure how much faith I have in the guy.

Is the mail holding service riddled with the same problems?


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## nelly (20 Jul 2006)

The previous owner of our home has it and we get a lot of his mail that we have to give to a neighbour to deliver to them by hand. Stuff from the tax office came to the house. So no i don't think it is good value.


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## Guest127 (20 Jul 2006)

what about www.newaddress.ie


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## CCOVICH (21 Jul 2006)

Thanks Cu-www.newaddress.ie doesn't cover everything I need, but I any use it anyway.


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## CharlieC (21 Jul 2006)

On an aside, what obligation does one have for letters addressed to previous occupants. I still receive revenue correspondence, and phone bills for previous occupant 1 year on. Initially I forwarded onto them but have mislaid their address. For now I have put in post box with 'Addressee Unknown' but I am talking about 20 envelopes a week and it is a pain


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## PMU (21 Jul 2006)

I’m currently using it and no problems so far.  I’m not aware of any mail that has slipped through the net.  

Where it is particularly useful is where you are carrying out or have carried out probate on an estate. There are particular rules on this:
These terms and conditions apply to An Post's Residential Redirection Service


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## Guest127 (21 Jul 2006)

old man was a postie and if you inform An Post that the previous residents are no longer in living there or just mark the envelopes accordingly and repost them it should be ok. Has to be a 'mare now for posties with all the new flats and tenents coming and going and lots of non nationals moving around all the time. compared to the old days anyway when my old fella was on the job.


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