How would a non-profit organization know my new address? Would the post office change it for me?

Question

I've always received a free newsletter from a non-profit organization. The top right corner always says "nonprofit organization u.s. postage paid". I recently moved, and had not gotten around to telling the organization my new address.

However, Friday I received their newsletter WITHOUT the forwarding yellow sticker on the envelope. Instead there was a white sticker over my old address with my new address written on it,. It also looked like a black marker was used to place a dot next to the barcode beneath my old address which was covered.

How would this organization have obtained my new address without my telling them? Would the post office have done this, or is it possible someone at my old address received my mail and did this? I recently moved out of a condo, that was put up for sale by the owner, and I never gave the owner my new address because I didn't want her to have it. So I'd like to know if she may have done this. Can't see any other way. Thanks

p.s. I sent this question to the post office by email, but it takes them a few days to respond and I wanted a fast office. Also, the organization will be closed until wednsday for the holiday, so I can't call them until them.

Answer 1

There are different ways that the non-profit might have obtained your new address without your letting them know. There are many "quirks" --some of them "happy ones" --in the postal system that might have meant that the newsletter was sent on to you for some reason.

As a rule, non-profits want to make sure the pieces they are mailing are actually going to the correct addresses--this means that the postage, the expense of creating the piece and time of staff invested in the newsletter are not being wasted because of "bad" addresses. Non-profits can pay fees in different mail classifications to make sure their mailing lists are the best they can be. On some pieces you will see the term "Address Correction Requested." This is only one way. If this or a similar service is being used by the non-profit, the post office would have returned your undeliverable piece of mail to the non-profit. The non-profit would have paid the required fee and then would have corrected your address in their data-base. Someone in the organization would have sent your newsletter again. Your corrected address probably was placed there by someone at the non-profit who wanted you to get the newsletter. The dot next to the barcode probably was placed there by the post office folks--maybe the person who was delivering your mail at your old address-- as a "flag" for their use.

It is also possible that someone at your former post office actually forwarded mail on to the new address without the yellow sticker. If you were on good terms with the person who delivered your mail, perhaps this person "worked the system" to get you the newsletter. If so, I'd say the post office at your former address is doing exceptional customer service! You should thank them!

And, of course, it is quite possible that somehow the landlord or someone else at your former address found out your new address and sent you the newsletter. Unless you are in a special program where your whereabouts and identity are hidden or changed by the government or you are homeless and have no actual place or residence, finding someone's address is reasonably easy to do in our technological age.

If you are super curious about this, you might take the newsletter you received to your post office and talk to someone who works with bulk mail from non-profit groups. You might tell them you are on a quest for information because you are impressed with the speed in which your newsletter got to you. They might provide you some insights--especially if you express that you are happy with their service. (I am sure that they hear more complaints than praise!)

You also could call the non-profit organization that sent you the newsletter, ask to talk to the person that handles the newsletter mailing list, and thank them for sending it to you so quickly and ask them how they did this.

Hope this helps. Best wishes!

Answer 2

I moved once and had the same thing happen after filling out a change of address card for the post office, and not giving my new address to anyone. I asked how this happened and was told at the post office that certain businesses, and organizations are given (or can request) the new address directly from the USPS. They consider it a 'service'.

The next time I moved, I opened a PO Box using the address on my old I.D. Same thing with getting mail with the PO Box instead of the yellow sticker. I then wrote directly to the businesses I wanted to stay in touch with and gave them my new address. All the other stuff will be returned when I close the box because they won't have a forwarding address.

Answer 3

FYI the blacked out barcode has nothing to do with the fact that the item was forwarded. The blacked out barcode had your original zip code on it and before sending the publication on the carrier blacked it out so that it would not keep boomeranging back to the original zip code.
The item was returned to the NPO, with your new address on it because they paid the USPS for the new information. (Actually you authorized them to do it if you read the fine print.) I suspect that the NPO then just wrote up a new label and sent it back out, although the USPS should not have accepted it w/o fresh postage. Or it could have been that your previous Letter Carrier really liked you and hand forwarded it, which is also a no no.

Answer 4

Here is an article some of you might find helpful. Using a temporary 12 month change of address is better than permanent change of address if you want to avoid certain people from getting your new addresss. U.S. Post Office Change of Address Information

http://www.ecofuture.org/jm/usps_coa.html
(How to Get Rid of Junk Mail, Spam, and Telemarketers)

If you fill out a permanent change of address, you will have absolutely no control over who is given your new address.

Whereas the permanent address change stays in affect for 12 months it actually remains in the system for 18 months. Any mail sent to the old address during months 13-18 is automatically returned to the sender with the new address label. Printed above the new address are the words, "Forwarding time expired."

The Temporary Change of Address is more useful than you may realize. It also forwards mail for just about 12 months; actually 364 days. To play it safe, don't time it that close. Instead, select 11 months or 11 1/2 months. Here's where the Temporary Address Change is much better: Your mail will be forwarded to you; no address corrections will be sent to the sender - at all (unless by court order).

With the permanent change, a person may think they are escaping 'junk mail' but that's not necessarily so. It depends on the postage and the endorsement. Here are some examples of 3rd class mail - better known as 'bulk mail', 'non-profit mail', or 'junk mail'.

Endorsement Disposition
Plain 3rd Class Thrown Out
Return Requested Mail is not sent to you. Sender is paying return postage at regular rate to get mail back with forwarding label showing new address.
Address Correction Requested Mail is not sent to you. Sender is paying to find out your new address. Mail is photo copied. Mail is thrown away. Photo copy is sent to sender showing old and new address with postage due. (approximately $ .45)
Please Forward - Address Correction Requested Mail with forwarding label is photo copied. Mail is sent to you at your new address. Photo copy is sent to sender showing old and new address with postage due. (approximately $ .45)


Again, the Temporary Address Change yields better results. In the first case, plain 3rd class, both permanent and temporary will be thrown out with no forwarding and no address correction. However, in each of the other examples, if the mover has filed a temporary change of address card, the sender will still have to pay postage due on the address correction. But the address correction label will say, "Person Is Temporarily Away. No Address On File".

Obviously, there really is an address on file. How else could this person be receiving their mail that is actually being forwarded? There is one caveat with this system; that is with 2nd class mail - circulars (magazines and newsletters). Second class mail is forwarded to both temporary and permanent address changes three times only. If you receive something weekly - TV Guide, for instance, it will be forwarded for three weeks, others three months, three quarters).

After the third forward, the USPS sends a Form 3457 to the Publisher which is a Change of Address Notice. If you have a temporary change of address, a form 3457 will never be generated. After the third forward, your magazines or newsletters will just be thrown out. So, it's important to pay just as much attention to who one does want to notify as to who one doesn't want to notify.

The best personal system is to use the Temporary Address Change whenever you move, knowing that anything you want will be forwarded at least until the Temporary Forward expires (with the exception of 2nd class mail, which will be forwarded three times only). You can then let businesses, publishers and others know of your new address.


Be sure to read this excellent article on junk mail and The Illegal U.S. Postal Service National Change of Address Program by Michael Worsham.

Answer 5

They ask the Post Office for an "Address Correction Requested" find or request. If you changed your address with the P.O., then they will forward your new address to the non-profit.

Answer 6

I work at a non-profit and every year we get an update on our mailing list from a service. I think that once you change your addy with the PO, the service can pick it up.

If you don't want to be on their list, call or write to request that you be taken off. Same thing for fax #s and emails. If they already have it, you're fair game till you request otherwise.

Answer 7

This has happened to me too. TWICE I've changed addresses but this same non-profit (a Presbyterian church) has gotten my new address. I think the post office returns it to them with my new address, then they change their database.

Answer 8

You could notify the organization in writing to cease their mailings to you,and by law they must stop.Good luck.

Answer 9

most of the time they will depends sometimes it gets sent back to the sender