Singapore Mail Laws

[nutnut]

Is it illegal to open someones mail in Singapore? If so, who (other than SPF) should I report it to?

Thanks

[PNGMK]

Depends when in the mail transit route it was opened.

AFAIK - once delivered it's fair game. I routinely throw in the rubbish Dividend cheques for my former apartment owner . If he can't stuffed putting a change of address note, I can't be stuffed holding onto his mail; particularly as I have warned him I would NOT hang onto his mail nor redirect it. I would have thrown away, no lie, thousands of dollars of cheques. You'd think he'd catch on?

FYI I was a postman once. If the post service has made a reasonable effort to deliver the mail to the address on the letter, you're shit out of luck once it's in the mail box as far as they're concerned.

[nutnut]

But my previous landlady opened some mail addressed to me the day after I moved out and emailed me to tell me they did so.

She's also an unreasonable person in regards to my deposit, so, therefore, I was going to call the police and get her charged with attempted theft.

[x9200]

It is not a theft attempt but rather obtaining information that she was not supposed to get by means of a forceful opening. Could be also some direct law protecting mail. Destroying it is a different thing.
I would go to a police station and ask.

[PNGMK]

But my previous landlady opened some mail addressed to me the day after I moved out and emailed me to tell me they did so.

She's also an unreasonable person in regards to my deposit, so, therefore, I was going to call the police and get her charged with attempted theft.

You should have arranged to have had a redirection in place before you moved out.

Unless you can prove some sort of malicious intent I doubt the SPF will be at all interested in.

As far I know I'm just throwing away the former owners junk mail, the fact that it comes in envelopes from the SGX is just blur to me.

[PNGMK]

I know this topic has been discussed ad nauseum from different angles on this board even before I started posting here. A search throws up no definitive answers. From the casual way people treat mail here, I doubt you'll have any success tho.

[x9200]

I am not sure neither if the police will do anything but no harm to ask.
Has she admitted she opened the mails or just read the content? If the later she always can claim it was opened already.

BTW of the mail redirect. Singpost do the job so-so. Some of our mails got still delivered to the previous location but as a bonus we received some mails also for some other, completely different unit at the old location.

[katbh]

Yep, do not rely on redirection. It is about 90% redirection 10% not. And guess what ... it always seems that the 10% is the important stuff.
But, I have to give it to Singpost for personal service. We got a notification in our new address mail box, about 5 months after our redirection finished, we got a notice in our mailbox to go to some out of the way sorting facility. I was annoyed as I was at home and said why didn't they just deliver it to us. The mail man did not know. When I arrived to collect (hot and bad tempered) the lovely lady behind the counter handed over a package and said that she remembered that we had a re-direction and noticed the parcel.. So regardless of the fact that our redirection had expired a long time before, she personally remembered and sent a note to our new address. Now that would not happen in SOOOO many other countries. But like I alway say...the older Singaporeans are some of the best people in the world. If it had been a 20 something... it would not have happened!

[PNGMK]

Yep, do not rely on redirection. It is about 90% redirection 10% not. And guess what ... it always seems that the 10% is the important stuff.
But, I have to give it to Singpost for personal service. We got a notification in our new address mail box, about 5 months after our redirection finished, we got a notice in our mailbox to go to some out of the way sorting facility. I was annoyed as I was at home and said why didn't they just deliver it to us. The mail man did not know. When I arrived to collect (hot and bad tempered) the lovely lady behind the counter handed over a package and said that she remembered that we had a re-direction and noticed the parcel.. So regardless of the fact that our redirection had expired a long time before, she personally remembered and sent a note to our new address. Now that would not happen in SOOOO many other countries. But like I alway say...the older Singaporeans are some of the best people in the world. If it had been a 20 something... it would not have happened!

The older post master at the Towner Road post office is the same... a complete gentleman with a memory like a trap. That PO will become a pile of manure when he retires.

Ah yes! Mr Smith - 19 St Georges Road right? - here is your parcel!

[katbh]

Yep.... post centre was just by Towner.... probably related!

[taxico]

call up singpost at 1605 and ask for the contact details of the postal inspectors' office...

[JR8]

Yep, do not rely on redirection. It is about 90% redirection 10% not.

This has been my experience too in SG, as well as the UK. So about 3 months before I know I'm moving, I start a list of all the people/orgs that I expect to receive mail from, that will need redirecting to my new address. Then over the 3 months, as post arrives, I add anyone who was not on my 'starter-list'.

Then a couple of weeks before I move I advise everyone of my new address, and the date of my move. I also arrange PO redirection (say 3 months worth) to mop up anything that might have strayed (but to be honest it might only be one or two items).

As the parties posting you stuff tend to remain somewhat constant, your final version of this list can be used as a starting point, when you come to move again.

p.s. As for reporting to the police, surely that requires that a crime has been committed? At least that's how it works in the UK where if it is a civil offence, and not a criminal one, the police have no jurisdiction/interest. They still might be able to give you some insight/lead on the matter though.

[ecureilx]

[quote="katbh"...When I arrived to collect (hot and bad tempered) the lovely lady behind the counter handed over a package and said that she remembered that we had a re-direction and noticed the parcel.. So regardless of the fact that our redirection had expired a long time before, she personally remembered and sent a note to our new address. Now that would not happen in SOOOO many other countries. But like I alway say...the older Singaporeans are some of the best people in the world. If it had been a 20 something... it would not have happened![/quote]

Yah, that kind of service is going south, since Singpost became more profit oriented, employs outsourced call centers (offshore .. ) and also lot of local mail people are being employed on contract base ..

Enjoy it while it lasts ..