Do you get many e-mails/texts by mistake?

connundrum

Last year I received a load of booking confirmations for flights reserved in my name sake's name - see here.

In January I received confirmation of my attendance at a Health Board meeting up in Belfast.

Last week I received an email from a financial institution's manager in Cork - confirming that I and others were on the guest list for a concert in Cork. (The e-mail was cleary sent to the wrong address, I didn't win a competition or anything).

I've only received a few strange texts from people unknown to me, but more and more I'm getting emails by mistake. What kind of annoys me is that when I write back to these people, pointing out their mistakes - none of them ever come back to say thanks or anything. I'm not looking for monies (yet), just any sort of acknowledgment would be nice.

Ghost Train

connundrum wrote: »

...just any sort of acknowledgment would be nice.

consider yourself acknowledged

seamus

I get a good few of them. My gmail account is firstname.lastname@gmail.com, but gmail has a feature so that firstnamelastname@gmail.com is also mine. Seems to be mainly family and friends just make up what they think the email address is and sign it up. Think I've been signed up to Bebo twice, myspace once and I can remember having tee times booked for me on a golf course. Couldn't go though, I was working.

Very rarely receive wrong texts.

Vain

Nope never get emails by mistake. You must have a email address thats very similar to other peoples. Or else someone is using your email address to get people to send you junk mail.

petes

Rarely. But I have sent a few emails by mistake. Was sending on a rather rude email to a mate whose name was spelled with P. Pressed P on the to box and scrolled to his name but sent it to the address, one above.

It was to an account manager in Dell.

He just replied saying he didn't think it was for him.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Pop's Diner

Thousands. I'm using an inheirited account at work and I get invitations to meetings every day from people I don't even know.

jbehanx

my home phone number is the same as the local taxi company except for the last digit , so anythime i get a call i just say we'll be there in five minutes

inode

the woes of having a name beginning with A. i get the odd text meant for someone else. some very personal type messages too

The worst is when your talking **** about someone in a text message and have their name in your head then accidentally send them the message instead

CreepingDeath

seamus wrote: »

I get a good few of them. My gmail account is firstname.lastname@gmail.com, but gmail has a feature so that firstnamelastname@gmail.com is also mine.

+1, I think it's mainly a GMail problem.

They don't recognise dots in the gmail address.

GMail FAQ on receiving wrong e-mails from similar usernames

KevR

inode wrote: »

The worst is when your talking **** about someone in a text message and have their name in your head then accidentally send them the message instead

That is the worst - total mortification!! Luckily I have only slipped up like that once.

MissFlitworth

I have the gmail problem, get mails for 2 completely different people with the same names as me. One of them may have even missed being in the Rose of Tralee because I was getting all her mails about sending in her sponsors info etc.

Feel bad about it on occasion when I get a mail from someone going 'hey babe, I know I was supposed to meet you at x trainstation in Kuala Lumpar at this time, my phones dead and I can't make the train station, will meet you at the hotel, here's contact details, won't be checkin my email again, hope it's ok!! okayiloveyoubyebye', kept imagining my namesake wandering round by herself feeling abandonned and eventually being eaten by dogs. Used to mail them back to say wrong address but the mails just kept comin in and now they get deleted

MOH

inode wrote: »

the woes of having a name beginning with A. i get the odd text meant for someone else. some very personal type messages too

That's why the first name in my phone book is now "AAAA Dummy" with a made up number - the number of failed texts to him is I've sent is alarming..

Starman07

inode wrote: »

The worst is when your talking **** about someone in a text message and have their name in your head then accidentally send them the message instead

That sick feeling that washes over you like you've just seen a horrible flesh wound.And you realise what you are doing just as you press the send button but it's too late for your brain to tell your finger to stop

homerun_homer

My name is the top of everyone's phone who takes down my number, so yes I get a lot of mistaken calls and texts. It's annoying but funny when it's a message that was totally meant for someone else. For instance I found out my best friend's secret pet name for his gf one night.

Aodan83

I've often received texts that weren't meant for me. The curse of a name starting with A. Took the piss out of my mate for ages after he accidentally sent me a text that was meant for his gf. Calling her "kitten" and sending me the text 5 times really didn't help him.

My name is URL

I get loads of emails by mistake. Never texts though, I don't have a mobile phone =o

Poor Uncle Tom

No.

phasers

It seems that my landline number is very similar to Pat the Baker. I get tons of calls off people trying to order crates of bread...

positron

Yup, google problem again.

I get a monthly statement of someone else's share dealings, I have mailed back a few times telling them I am not the intended recipient, but they keep sending it anyway!

I also get invited to view many many photo albums online (some with bizare stuff), CVs, business quotes - especially from the airline industry - my policy is to reply twice and then ignore rest of the mails..!

Sofaspud

I used to work with a girl whose email address was very very similar to an internet porn star's (just an underscore in the difference), and she got a lot of emails meant for her.

Many of which were graphic!

Jesus Juice

I keep getting texts saying ''Ahhh lad we goin dat prty 2nite?'' to which i reply ''Who is this?'' and then the person texts back ''Ahh man stop bein a dickhead u goin?''

Das Kitty

seamus wrote: »

I get a good few of them. My gmail account is firstname.lastname@gmail.com, but gmail has a feature so that firstnamelastname@gmail.com is also mine.

I didn't know that. I do now.

Whoze

Was when I was about 15, I was going out with someone but ran outta credit so I sent a text off my Ma's phone (without her knowing) saying night...my Ma got a random text which said 'Night Baby, love you xxxxxxxxx'

The look on her face was priceless...

rmchmufc

i would get the ocassional text or phone call but i have never got an email meant for someone else

Black Swan

Got one from a Nigerian finance minister who wanted to share...

Saibh

Get a few emails at work by mistake. Just forward them and let the person know that sent the email.

SV

always getting wrong emails..

my email is firstnameinitialoflastname @ gmail . com
so I get lots meant for other peoples similar names, it says so on the email too, I don't know why they're being sent to me.

grundie

I had a situation about 3 years ago when for about a week I got shed loads of calls and texts from various people in Glasgow.

I suspect someone got a new number that was similar to mine and was giving out mine by mistake.

Whoever it was I learnt the following:

• His name was 'Jimma'.
• He liked to party. I got a lot of calls from people asking if I was going out tonight.
• He could be relied upon to supply various illicit substances as I got a few texts along the lines of "Got any blow Jimma?"
• I suspect the Social Security was after him "The broo was at the site today asking if we knew ye"
• And most annoyingly he had a habit of calling multiple taxis after an night out as I would get three calls from different taxi firms around the same time wondering where I was.

At first I told the callers they had the wrong number, but some of them didn't believe me. Some even argued that because Jimma gave them this number than I had to get Jimma on the line for them. Then I started laughing inthe hope that they would take the hint, it didn't work.

I was about to call the mobile company to get a new number then the calls and texts just stopped and everything was back to normal.

lucylu

I got the details of a wedding booking for a Restaurant in Las Vegas for 80 people, which happens to be this Saturday.

I know a girl who meant to text her friend something like this, " Paul (her boss) is such a c*nt. He's really p*ssing me off"

She sent it to Paul her boss. She was duely let go a few weeks later with him telling her she wasn't good enough at her job etc which was boll*x.

The funny thing is he never ever mentioned the text :cool:

dr oatker

I had a row with a woman on the phone one day who insisted that i was wrong and she was on to the doctors, not my home.

We get a lot of calls for the doctors as there is only one digit different in the numbers. Most people relaise as soon as we answer that this isn't the doctors and either hang up, or apologise, in which case we give them the correct number.

The funniest time was when someone left a message on the phone going into great detail about the problems she was having with her hips.

100% recycled

I had some guy text me for two months solid convinced I was his best mate. Every few days I'd get stuff like;

Him - "Come on, we said 6. Pints are getting warm!"
Me - "Wrong number i'm afraid"

Him - "By the way, tell your ma I said thanks for dinner"
Me - "You have the wrong number"

Him - "Answer your house phone will ya?"
Me - "My house phone is not ringing because you have the wrong mobile number"

Him - "What happened with your one last night"
Me - "How the f**k should I know?? You have the wrong number"

Eventually he sends,

"Jim, why did you give me a wrong number. I've been texting some randomer for ages thinking it was you? Sophie gave me the proper number though. You're a spa."

Didn't have the energy to reply after that

sleepyescapade

For the past year I've been receiving mails in my gmail meant for a girl with the same name in a US University. I've replied many times making them aware of this but to no avail. Eventually filtered the emails to go to her campus uni address which appeared on another email one time and emailed her about the messages going to my account. Again, no reply. Still get the odd few from time to time though. I was just trying to be helpful.

yogidc26

My home number is nearly the same as the take away down the road so when I get a call looking of a curry I take the order and ask if they want anything else and just say we will be there in 30 mins only when they ring back asking were it is I tell them they have the wrong number

Zzippy

My mobile number is the same as a courier company in the south east somewhere, except for the prefix, they're 086 I'm not. Get loads of calls looking for someone to collect a package. Guy himself rang me one day asking who the f*ck I was and what was I doing with his number...
Tempted to tell his customers we'll be round right away to collect instead of pointing them to the right number...

jasonb

My direct dial number in work was the same number as the first digits of Sky's 'Prem Plus' number ( or whatever it was called ), apart from the all-important 00 at the front of the number ( as Sky's number was a UK number ).

The amount of calls I used to get, especially if there was a big match on. All these people who just chose to ignore the 00 at the start of Sky's number. Once there was a Merseyside Derby on at around midday on Saturday, and when I came in on the Monday I had about 30 voicemail from people looking to buy the game, some of them leaving repeat messages getting quite irate 'cos the kick-off was getting closer.

Even more annoying, my colleague's work number was the same as the first digits of Ryanair's Complaints department ( once again without the 00 ). You can imagine the messages he got.

J.

Carsinian Thau

It only ever happened once. He was texting someone with the same name as me and it came to me by mistake. It was something about organising a meeting, so very boring.