Is it legal to post flyers through peoples doors?

dixxy · #1 3rd May 2010, 15:28

Hi there,

I'm located in the Bristol area and i've just ordered some flyers to put through peoples letter boxes telling them of my service. Is it legal to post through everyones doors?

Thank you

Scott-Copywriter · #2 3rd May 2010, 15:36

I highly doubt it, but theoretically speaking there should be some sort of law or enforcement.

A home is someone's personal property, and if you put something through their letterbox, then you're putting something on someone's private property. People should therefore have the right to choose whether someone is allowed to do that or not.

This is just me rambling on by the way. Unsolicited mail marketing is a massive industry and always will be.

SneakSMS · #3 3rd May 2010, 15:44

Yes it's legal to post leaflets through doors. It's unregulated, and as it's not addressed mail, isn't covered by the mail preference service.

J-Wholesale · #4 3rd May 2010, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott-CopyandDesign

A home is someone's personal property, and if you put something through their letterbox, then you're putting something on someone's private property. People should therefore have the right to choose whether someone is allowed to do that or not.

Do we have the right to chose whether a postman can put something through a letterbox? How about a DHL driver? Or Fedex? I don't believe that there is such a right. Surely the fact that you have a door with a letter box is an open invitation for it to be used for this very purpose - the insertion of letters or messages.

If you don't like it, remove the letterbox.

SneakSMS · #5 3rd May 2010, 15:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Wholesale

Do we have the right to chose whether a postman can put something through a letterbox? How about a DHL driver? Or Fedex? I don't believe that there is such a right. Surely the fact that you have a door with a letter box is an open invitation for it to be used for this very purpose - the insertion of letters or messages.

If you don't like it, remove the letterbox.

Correct, there is an implied right for people to access your property for such purposes, unless you specify otherwise with a clear notice.

Scott-Copywriter · #6 3rd May 2010, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Wholesale

Do we have the right to chose whether a postman can put something through a letterbox? How about a DHL driver? Or Fedex? I don't believe that there is such a right. Surely the fact that you have a door with a letter box is an open invitation for it to be used for this very purpose - the insertion of letters or messages.

If you don't like it, remove the letterbox.

People don't have the right as far as I'm aware. All I'm saying is that theoretically there should be. People have the right to say who does and who doesn't go on their private property, and the same should apply for any kind of item - including mail.

Edit: That's a point about the notice. Could legal or civil action be taken if someone has presented a clear written notice stating what their letterbox cannot be used for?

SneakSMS · #7 3rd May 2010, 15:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott-CopyandDesign

Could legal or civil action be taken if someone has presented a clear written notice stating what their letterbox cannot be used for?

If there was a clear notice revoking the implied rights to all but the postman, then it'd stand up in a civil court. But it wouldn't make a huge difference, really. I think you'd have to prove financial loss of some sort, you even still have a duty of care towards trespassers, so don't let them slip over on the way to put the fliers in - they could successfully sue

dixxy · #8 3rd May 2010, 16:01

Thank you for the advice really appreciate it, the reason i ask is because a while ago my parents were getting a lot of junk mail from companies offering their services and they rang someone to get put on a mailing list to stop the junk mail and it more or less worked, but i wasn't sure how.

Thanks again

SneakSMS · #9 3rd May 2010, 16:04

They would have been added to the mail preference service (or taken away... not sure which way round it is), either way they're flagged as not to be sent junk mail through the post.

This only applies to addressed letters though, you'll still get plenty of junk fliers through. Only recourse there is to contact the company sending them out, but it's probably more hassle than it's worth.

Ashley_Price · #10 3rd May 2010, 20:45

You haven't said you are going to do the following, but this is a heads-up anyway. If putting flyers on people's cars make sure you put them face down - i.e. so they cannot be read by passers-by.

If you place flyers on a person's car so they can be read by passers-by (and you do not have the car owner's permission) they can take you to court for using their car for advertising without their permission.