[macintologist]

Is it illegal to go to the post office and mail an envelope letter without a return address.

What if you want to sell something to someone online and remain anonymous, so the return address is just something like..your first name and city, state.

Is that illegal?

[Cubeoid]

legal shmegal.

[Big Mac]

No, it's not illegal at all, not the United States at least. The absence of a return address may raise a bit more suspicion in this post-9-11 world, but it's not unlawful. If you wish to verify this, mail yourself a letter with your address as the recipient and no return address. Of course, I don't think many people would be too excited to receive a large, nondescript package with no sender identity.

[macintologist]

Originally Posted by Big Mac

No, it's not illegal at all, not the United States at least. The absence of a return address may raise a bit more suspicion in this post-9-11 world, but it's not unlawful. If you wish to verify this, mail yourself a letter with your address as the recipient and no return address. Of course, I don't think many people would be too excited to receive a large, nondescript package with no sender identity.

But let's say you were communicating over email so for the return address you put your first name and email addy or something that you two have identified. That way you can remain anonymous correct?

[Big Mac]

Sounds okay to me.

[MrsLarry]

Originally Posted by macintologist

Is it illegal to go to the post office and mail an envelope letter without a return address.

What if you want to sell something to someone online and remain anonymous, so the return address is just something like..your first name and city, state.

Is that illegal?

What's even better, Try this and save on postage!!!

Ok, let's say i want to mail a letter to my best friend, MrsFred. I'd put MY name and address in the "To" part of the envelope (in the middle) and MrsFred's name and address in the Return address section (top left corner, or back flap). I put no postage, and mail from a random blue box I see on the street. Postal worker picks it up, says "Aww, MrsFred forgot the postage. We'll have to send it back so she can put her .39 cents on" MrsFred gets the letter, and NOBODY pays postage.

[Dakar]

It'd be amusing to repeatedly send my rent in like that. I wonder how my landlord would take it.

[ReggieX]

Originally Posted by macintologist

Is it illegal to go to the post office and mail an envelope letter without a return address.

No, but why are you asking us?

[leehotti]

Originally Posted by MrsLarry

What's even better, Try this and save on postage!!!

Ok, let's say i want to mail a letter to my best friend, MrsFred. I'd put MY name and address in the "To" part of the envelope (in the middle) and MrsFred's name and address in the Return address section (top left corner, or back flap). I put no postage, and mail from a random blue box I see on the street. Postal worker picks it up, says "Aww, MrsFred forgot the postage. We'll have to send it back so she can put her .39 cents on" MrsFred gets the letter, and NOBODY pays postage.

Yep. I've HEARD this works great. Works like a charm actually. Not that I would ever do something like that.

[BlueSky]

This sounds like something David Bowie would do.

[production_coordinator]

NO RETURN ADDRESS = NO PROBLEM
USING RETURN ADDRESS FOR FREE MAIL = FEDERAL OFFENSE = POTENTIAL JAIL

If you can't afford 39¢, perhaps you shouldn't send mail.

[MrsLarry]

Originally Posted by production_coordinator

NO RETURN ADDRESS = NO PROBLEM
USING RETURN ADDRESS FOR FREE MAIL = FEDERAL OFFENSE = POTENTIAL JAIL

If you can't afford 39¢, perhaps you shouldn't send mail.

really? holy cow! i just heard it would work and tried it once, a few years ago - it did!

not something i would do on a regular basis - i'm a pretty straight and narrow kind of gal, p_c. thanks for the heads up!

[JoshuaZ]

Snail mail sucks. Take too much work, costs too much, and takes too much time.

Which is probbaly why I`m so happy to actually get some in the mail.

When I was younger a friend and I kept sending mail to each other by the whole `no postage return address` system. Post Office is weird that way.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by MrsLarry

What's even better, Try this and save on postage!!!

Ok, let's say i want to mail a letter to my best friend, MrsFred. I'd put MY name and address in the "To" part of the envelope (in the middle) and MrsFred's name and address in the Return address section (top left corner, or back flap). I put no postage, and mail from a random blue box I see on the street. Postal worker picks it up, says "Aww, MrsFred forgot the postage. We'll have to send it back so she can put her .39 cents on" MrsFred gets the letter, and NOBODY pays postage.

I think this only works in your general area.... as most mail is sorted in a few central locations. I'm gonna guess that if you tried that cross country (i.e put a california "from" address when you're really in D.C)- they'll figure it out since it probably shouldn't of been there in the first place (especially without a postmark).

[wdlove]

Not illegal.

For your protection if you want a return if wrong address.

[Monique]

Once I sent a letter to someone but did not want her to know my address so I put their address as a return address, never heard from it again and it was about 6 years ago.

[ReggieX]

Originally Posted by wdlove

Not illegal.

For your protection if you want a return if wrong address.

[angelmb]

I have a friend that uses to write in the back his AIM nickname and stuff like 'M$ sucks'