Does the post office ever open returned mail?

Sent out a save the date wedding card, apparently the address was incorrect. Came back and it was clearly opened. The flap was tattered and it was scotch-taped shut.

They're not supposed to... Since it's a felony to open mail that doesn't belong to you, lol...

Unless there's some regulation/policy/rule/statue that I don't know of...

Thanks.

Just feel slightly violated, seeing as the information, date, names and such were inside the card.

Edit2:

it's a felony to open mail that doesnt belong to you but is placed in your mailbox?

So, you're getting married??

And you probably could take that card / envelope to the postmaster at your local post office and ask them to look into it. Someone probably has been up to something naughty...

Yeah, getting married :]

I just think it's a little douchey. I was wondering if the post office did it, or the recipient.

I look at the names on mail to discern who it belongs to, if it isn't mine or my lady's then it goes back to the PO.. I certainly don't open them..

Right... If the address is yours, but the name is unfamiliar... It probably means the sender has an old address, and didn't set up a mail forwarder... The mail carrier will still drop it off at your mailbox. I guess we could say that the post office works on a trust system, sort of, for if the person does not live there, you'll just write "RETURN TO SENDER - NO LONGER LIVING HERE" on the front.

*shrug*

edit: but yea, whoever lived at the place you sent the envelope to in the first place probably did one of two possibilities... 1. Opened the mail to see if there was money... Or 2. Opened without looking at who it was addressed to and went "Oops..." (I did that by accident opening my roommate's mail, and was like, "Oh... lol" but I would have included a note or something.

*shrug*

Do you always look at who the mail is "to" before you open it?

I just open whatever is delivered to me, if it ends up not being mine I throw it out if it's junk, or hit return to sender if it was something like that.

at least they bothered to tape it shut.

 

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the auto sorting machine could have ripped it if it was taller or thicker than normal

yes..you're looking at who sent it, right? May as well look at who the intended recipient is..

I'm not living by myself. even if its for my fiancee i'm not going to open it, I respect her privacy

this. although typically when their machines tear the envelope, they put the entire thing into an envelope of their own (the post office). had that happen a few times.

or maybe the person opened it without reading it and then realized it wasn't their's.


was it opened in such a way it's obvious someone opened it up to read it? or was it just torn a little bit? because if it's totally opened then maybe someone just opened it and realized it wasn't to them.

 

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