Junk mail letter

[Purple_Popple]

Hi All, Please can you advise, my elderly aunt arrived home earlier to a plain white window envelope - prior to opening it all she read was 'Private & Confidential, for the legal owner' - thus causing her much panic and alarm thinking it was a demand for payment, a solicitors letter etc, upon opening it, it was a stupid junk mail from a local letting agents ! ! ! I was livid as it had made her feel quite unwell for the rest of her day...is this right that they can use such 'alarming' wording just for the sake of advertising their business ? I have spent most of the afternoon making sure she is ok and calming her down !

[brenda]

If you are near enough to them purple -- get round there and give them best
b***ocking they have ever had , and rip their heads off as well.Hope the lady is ok now.

[vulcan]

Unfortunately this sort of thing seems to be on the increase. I received a letter recently and my first impression was, and no doubt the Postman's and any body else who saw it, a final demand for an unpaid bill. On it was" unpaid pill" and was edged in red. Inside was an offer for vitamin pills.

[DTCwordfan]

I agree with you PP - my mother has dementia and these sort of things freak her out - she fell to one for the AA car insurance, whilst being with another and what a mess/hassle to get them to close it out and pay the money back,

I am surprised that Help the Aged/Age Concern have not taken the subject up. I am seeing one of the former's lawyers for a "family" lunch (includes us goadfathers) in three weeks and will mention it to her.

[Purple_Popple]

Thanks Brenda, she is fine now, but it made her all tearful as she naturally thought the worst....should not be allowed...its disgusting...

[Purple_Popple]

Good point DT, let me know the outcome....interesting...

[pink-kittens]

If you have time, mix and match all the junk mail and using the prepaid envelope pop them all into the post box - they will pay postage and you will have a small feeling of victory

[WatTyler]

I have had a few letters like that i think this kind of thing is on the increase.

[Messalina]

Pink-kittens, what a fab idea. I'm going to do that when I get home.

[flip_flop]

Perhaps I'm being a little unsympathetic, but I'm struggling to see how a 'P&C - For The Legal Owner' which turns out to be junk mail could make anybody upset!

It may have been alarming to your aunt, but I'd be surprised if the majority of people would find it alarming.

[bednobs]

sorry i have to agree but kept my mouth shut till now. I would highly doubt there is a law against writing "private and confidential" on a letter. Even if she was panicked and alarmed, surely just opening it would have allayed this panic?
I fail to see how this wording is alarming either, or how it could cause prolonged alarm for a whole afternoon.

[joko]

i have to agree...most people do not get frightened and panic and need a whole day being calmed down just because they get an official looking letter with those words on it...most people would at least wait until they opened it until they panicked...
and even if it was a demand for payment - why panic? just pay the bill!

they are not bullying, vicious, scary or accusatory words...and certainly not alarming to most people...they just imply the letter is to opened by the addressee only

i agree its a bit misleading by the letting agent, but that your aunt got upset is her problem im afraid.

[Zeuhl]

I am truly sorry your aunt is frail and easily upset but that is hardly the fault of the letting agents. Their envelope and behaviour is hardly 'disgusting'.

How on earth does the poor dear cope with callers at the door or telesales?

I once sent out a massive mailing for a major charity which targeted our main audience - older females living alone in big houses. So it was dropping heavily on areas like The Fylde, South Coast, North Wales etc

It was about leaving money in one's will and the envelope had a great line on it:

>There is life after death<

We had quite a lot of calls (mostly from daughters) upset because their mothers thought The Almighty had written to them.

The charity's Royal patron was concerned until she found out how much we had raised LOL
.

[grasscarp]

I had an envelope which had large coloured letters on the outside that it contained an exciting and exclusive offer for me. I ripped it open hardly able to contain my excitement and shuffled through a sheaf of paperwork from a vitamin company. I finally found it - the exciting offer was one pack of some vitamins at only £14 instead of £15.

[factor-fiction]

Sorry, P_P: whilst I admire your care and concern for your aunt I agree with the responses from bednobs, joko, etc.

[joko]

having said that, whilst you have no legal right to complain, i see no harm in telling the letting agents of this issue - in a polite manner, just to let them know of your concerns about their choice of words...they probably dont realise that it could cause alarm to a few people, and just do it to make sure the letter is opened and not instantly binned.
it is just an advertising ploy - not a malicious attempt to cause worry

if your aunt was alarmed, rightly or wrongly, i am sure others will be too...

[fragrant_vagrant]

here is what the asa directed me to when I looked this issue up: http://www.copyadvice...ims-on-Envelopes.aspx

and here is the relevant part of the pdf to save you having to read it all:

3. Envelopes that Masquerade as Official Correspondence
3.1 Direct marketers should not state or imply on envelopes that mailings are from an official source when this is not the case;
3.2 Claims on envelopes such as “Final Reminder”, “Security Tabbed Documents Enclosed” and “Penalty Notice Enclosed”, are likely to mislead as to the importance and status of the content of mailings and be unacceptable.

[fragrant_vagrant]

here's where the ASA sent me :

http://www.copyadvice...ims-on-Envelopes.aspx

here's where the relevant pdf is...

http://www.copyadvice...ims-on-Envelopes.aspx

and here's the relevant part of the pdf...

3. Envelopes that Masquerade as Official Correspondence
3.1 Direct marketers should not state or imply on envelopes that mailings are from an official source when this is not the case;
3.2 Claims on envelopes such as “Final Reminder”, “Security Tabbed Documents Enclosed” and “Penalty Notice Enclosed”, are likely to mislead as to the importance and status of the content of mailings and be unacceptable.

I don't think your aunt has much of a complaint, sorry :(

[Zeuhl]

That's useful fragrant cheers.

It seems therefore, by those definitions, <<'Private & Confidential, for the legal owner' > doesn't contravene the guidelines.

[scotman]

You might like to consider suggesting that your aunt signs up for The Mailing Preference service. This should reduce the amount of junk mail.

[janethsmith22]

its not right....you can ask guidance or help near a law department on your area and take a ask proper advise on what to do for them not to pressure you guys. Media URL: http://www.sampleletters.net/business-letters/
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