edinburghgarden

Hi All I moved to France a couple of weeks ago and forgot to put my name on the post box (doh). I assume all the mail on it with a return to sender will have been sent back but I am also missing some personal item without a return to sender on them. Any likelihood they will be sitting in a sorting office somewhere, and if so, how could I get them?

Thanks guys

Tweedpipe

Why should the mail not be delivered if the house has a valid number, and assuming the address is clearly marked?
Even in brand new locations which have yet to have a street or road name allocated, the addition of 'lieu dit Abc' on the mail together with a number should normally find the occupant. It was the case with us for many months. Our name didn't mean a thing, we remained unknown for quite some time. (Always wanted to use that smilie)!

Chatter Static

You go into the sorting office with proof of ID and Proof of address "un justificatif de domicile" La Poste here actually labeled out letterbox for us and we get two deliveries a day which is unheard of in the south

grannybunz

Trés impressive Chatterstatic.

We don't have numbers or streets but our postman knew from the start that as we were English any mail that looked vaguely foreign would be for us, so much so that even 20+ years later anything from the sorting office that they don't recognise gets put in our mail box - it can be irritating but we just hand it back to him next day and what happens to it we know not.

The marie and the policelady often contact us asking for help locating people or sending things on. I'm sure it is not JUST because we know everyone's business!

edinburghgarden

Hi thanks Chatter Static and others

I will try going to the sorting office. We live in an apartment and my husband's name is one the box but his surname is different from mine, and I only just realized that this could create a problem!

Chatter Static

You put both surnames on the box and you maiden name if it is different again

MillieF

I think the French postal system is a work and a miracle. When I first moved to France, we didn't have an address, but over the years we were allocated a number and a road name! (what a fuss those local discussions were!). Just before we left last summer, we got a postcard addressed "David, La Flèche" we lived six Kms from there, and my kid is by no means the only David, and his friend was French, so how the hell they ever worked out it was us! The most helpful of people, the postal workers, and a bastion of French society

Sorry, I wandered....I would not imagine there will be a problem with your post box, they will all by now have discussed who you are! Stick it on next time.

Chatter Static

My view of La Poste is tainted as one of their many careless drivers hit me whilst I was walking along a pavement and she was more concerned with hiding the passenger she should not have been carrying.