Post by High Priestess on Feb 21, 2016 23:35:46 GMT
Guest getting mail at your house
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-113471
Julie shared a year ago on New Hosts Forum
Guest Mail
Hi everyone. I am a new host and my previous guest stayed for 2 weeks whilst he was looking for permanent accommodation and has used my address for his mail. I have received something from Three addressed to him and he also sent me a message asking me to let him know if any mail comes for him. He didn't ask beforehand if I would mind. I'd like some advise, please let me know what your thoughts are as I'm not too comfortable with this, or is this normal? Thanks, Julie, Brighton, UK
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Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
I would be very tempted to mark the mail as "return to sender – not at this address" and put it back in the mail.
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Sandrine
Sandrinea year ago
In my rules is a "do not use my address for opening accounts or receiving mail". Also I think the longer the guest stay, the more this may happen.
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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I dont' allow guests to receive mail at my house. Even if they ask in advance. The reason for this, is that I used to allow it, if guests asked in advance, but even then I found that it was a barrel of problems. Examples of the kinds of problems that can occur:
(1) Guest asks if they can receive "just one package" and you say okay, then find that they are recieving packages every other day.
(2) Guest asks if they can recieve "just one package" and you say okay, and then they start ordering all kinds of mail order products and you are getting numerous packages, and guest is getting on mailing lists (eg Tommy Hilfiger, Armani Exchange, Macy's, Target, Pottery Barn, the list goes on...), and neither you nor the guest can ever get the guest off those mailing lists. You will now be receiving mail for that guest for years to come, thanks to the habit of many companies of putting people on mailing lists for ads whether or not they agree to it.
(3) Guest asks if they can recieve "just one package from Amazon" and you say okay, but only from Amazon, because you know other companies will put the guest on mailing list and send mail that you will get for years to come. Guest doesn't understand this, and so doesn't understand limiting him to mail from Amazon, and orders from other companies that end up putting him on mailing lists.
(4) Guest gets mail at your home, only one or two things, but then once guest leaves, more mail comes for that guest, who is now contacting you asking you to send those things to him. You are faced with the prospect of doing extra work for a guest who shouldn't have been having mail sent to your house in the first place.
(5) You tell guest he cannot have mail sent to your home, but he uses your home address to open a bank account in your city, without asking you, and after guest leaves, bank statements for that guest continue to come to your home for years to come.
(6) Guest never asks to have mail sent to your home, but gets a job in your area and gives your address to employer, who now sends mail to that address, which you get for years to come. The employer is a large one and guest insists that he has told them of his change in address, but the mail for him continues to come to your home regardless.
You can see that the common theme in this is that anytime a guest receives mail at your home, there is the potential that mail will continue to arrive at your home for the guest long after they are gone. This is very difficult to put a stop to, particularly if you are dealing with a large company sending out advertisments. Or with large banks. It took me 5 years to get a certain bank to stop sending bank statements to my home for a renter who had only been at my house for 4 months, 5 years prior.
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Deborah
Deboraha year ago
And by the way, I do what Julie said -- in fact I had a recent guest have a package sent to my home, in spite of the fact that my house rules clearly state that guests may not receive any mail at my home and that any mail for them received here will be returned to the postman as undeliverable. So, I gave the package back to UPS and told them they had the wrong address. Now that guest has to go chasing it down. Teaches folks a lesson about not paying attention to the rules.
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Julie
Juliea year ago
Yes, good points, thanks!! I'll put it in the rules, really helpful.
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Mig
Miga year ago
Return to sender
Reply Like 3 likes Delete
Fiona (& Family)
Fiona (& Family)10 months ago
I'm wondering if one could have a policy in place that is similar to the one I have for forgotten items, and charge a minimum fee for handling mail? I have a standard policy that anytime someone leaves something, or does something else that requires my time and effort, I charge a fee (on top of postage/costs) that starts at $20 (I am free, of course, to modify this for our guests who are gracious and grateful). I have SO much on my plate that adding even one 'small' thing to that will just about break the camel's back. Sometimes it takes WEEKS for me to finally return an item after I've had to find the time to get around to locate packaging, find the item (where DID I put that bloody thing?!), put the two in the same place, wrap, label, weigh, look up relevant info on the post office website, choose option, find stamps and apply (OR find the time to go the the post office), seal, etc., etc. ... it's NOT so small after all ... In the meantime, I've got pressing deadlines for my 'real' job that I'm behind on, food that's not being used and going to waste because I've go so much going on I don't have the time or energy to cook it, the many demands of Airbnb turnover requirements chattering away and waiting on me to respond ... I promise, I do NOT need one more thing added to my to-do list, regardless of how 'small' or 'simple' it seems. If I must (buggerit), I am more likely to respond if I am compensated for my time and effort.
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-113471
Julie shared a year ago on New Hosts Forum
Guest Mail
Hi everyone. I am a new host and my previous guest stayed for 2 weeks whilst he was looking for permanent accommodation and has used my address for his mail. I have received something from Three addressed to him and he also sent me a message asking me to let him know if any mail comes for him. He didn't ask beforehand if I would mind. I'd like some advise, please let me know what your thoughts are as I'm not too comfortable with this, or is this normal? Thanks, Julie, Brighton, UK
7 comments
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Delete
Hide
Julie and Eric
Julie and Erica year ago
I would be very tempted to mark the mail as "return to sender – not at this address" and put it back in the mail.
Reply Like 6 likes Delete
Sandrine
Sandrinea year ago
In my rules is a "do not use my address for opening accounts or receiving mail". Also I think the longer the guest stay, the more this may happen.
Reply Like 3 likes Delete
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
I dont' allow guests to receive mail at my house. Even if they ask in advance. The reason for this, is that I used to allow it, if guests asked in advance, but even then I found that it was a barrel of problems. Examples of the kinds of problems that can occur:
(1) Guest asks if they can receive "just one package" and you say okay, then find that they are recieving packages every other day.
(2) Guest asks if they can recieve "just one package" and you say okay, and then they start ordering all kinds of mail order products and you are getting numerous packages, and guest is getting on mailing lists (eg Tommy Hilfiger, Armani Exchange, Macy's, Target, Pottery Barn, the list goes on...), and neither you nor the guest can ever get the guest off those mailing lists. You will now be receiving mail for that guest for years to come, thanks to the habit of many companies of putting people on mailing lists for ads whether or not they agree to it.
(3) Guest asks if they can recieve "just one package from Amazon" and you say okay, but only from Amazon, because you know other companies will put the guest on mailing list and send mail that you will get for years to come. Guest doesn't understand this, and so doesn't understand limiting him to mail from Amazon, and orders from other companies that end up putting him on mailing lists.
(4) Guest gets mail at your home, only one or two things, but then once guest leaves, more mail comes for that guest, who is now contacting you asking you to send those things to him. You are faced with the prospect of doing extra work for a guest who shouldn't have been having mail sent to your house in the first place.
(5) You tell guest he cannot have mail sent to your home, but he uses your home address to open a bank account in your city, without asking you, and after guest leaves, bank statements for that guest continue to come to your home for years to come.
(6) Guest never asks to have mail sent to your home, but gets a job in your area and gives your address to employer, who now sends mail to that address, which you get for years to come. The employer is a large one and guest insists that he has told them of his change in address, but the mail for him continues to come to your home regardless.
You can see that the common theme in this is that anytime a guest receives mail at your home, there is the potential that mail will continue to arrive at your home for the guest long after they are gone. This is very difficult to put a stop to, particularly if you are dealing with a large company sending out advertisments. Or with large banks. It took me 5 years to get a certain bank to stop sending bank statements to my home for a renter who had only been at my house for 4 months, 5 years prior.
Reply Like 4 likes Delete
Deborah
Deboraha year ago
And by the way, I do what Julie said -- in fact I had a recent guest have a package sent to my home, in spite of the fact that my house rules clearly state that guests may not receive any mail at my home and that any mail for them received here will be returned to the postman as undeliverable. So, I gave the package back to UPS and told them they had the wrong address. Now that guest has to go chasing it down. Teaches folks a lesson about not paying attention to the rules.
Reply Like 3 likes Delete
Julie
Juliea year ago
Yes, good points, thanks!! I'll put it in the rules, really helpful.
Reply Like Delete
Mig
Miga year ago
Return to sender
Reply Like 3 likes Delete
Fiona (& Family)
Fiona (& Family)10 months ago
I'm wondering if one could have a policy in place that is similar to the one I have for forgotten items, and charge a minimum fee for handling mail? I have a standard policy that anytime someone leaves something, or does something else that requires my time and effort, I charge a fee (on top of postage/costs) that starts at $20 (I am free, of course, to modify this for our guests who are gracious and grateful). I have SO much on my plate that adding even one 'small' thing to that will just about break the camel's back. Sometimes it takes WEEKS for me to finally return an item after I've had to find the time to get around to locate packaging, find the item (where DID I put that bloody thing?!), put the two in the same place, wrap, label, weigh, look up relevant info on the post office website, choose option, find stamps and apply (OR find the time to go the the post office), seal, etc., etc. ... it's NOT so small after all ... In the meantime, I've got pressing deadlines for my 'real' job that I'm behind on, food that's not being used and going to waste because I've go so much going on I don't have the time or energy to cook it, the many demands of Airbnb turnover requirements chattering away and waiting on me to respond ... I promise, I do NOT need one more thing added to my to-do list, regardless of how 'small' or 'simple' it seems. If I must (buggerit), I am more likely to respond if I am compensated for my time and effort.
