Boat Mail Recommendations

[davester65]

Having sold the bricks & mortar, bought a Narrowboat & moved aboard in early January, my 3 month snail mail redirection comes to an end in about 6 weeks, so am looking for recommendations for a mailing address service. Can't be a PO Box as I need to register Bank Cards, Credit Cards, Driving License etc to the address. From the research I've done most liveaboards seem to use a friend or family address for this, neither of those options are available to me. I'm currently in a winter mooring in Sth Yorks, but will be continuous cruising from mid/late April. Can you guys help?

[Tracy D'arth]

Post Restante?

[davester65]

Post Restante will be a godsend for collecting mail when I'm moving around the network, but, from the research I've done, this doesn't serve as a residential address, or am I misunderstanding it?

[sueb]

Boatmail.co.uk

[Tracy D'arth]

10 minutes ago, davester65 said:

Post Restante will be a godsend for collecting mail when I'm moving around the network, but, from the research I've done, this doesn't serve as a residential address, or am I misunderstanding it?

True.

Do you have an accountant? He may accept your mail.

 

There are mail receiving companies who will provide an address and forward your mail electronically, this is one such  https://www.registeredaddress.co.uk/

 

 

[mrsmelly]

47 minutes ago, davester65 said:

Having sold the bricks & mortar, bought a Narrowboat & moved aboard in early January, my 3 month snail mail redirection comes to an end in about 6 weeks, so am looking for recommendations for a mailing address service. Can't be a PO Box as I need to register Bank Cards, Credit Cards, Driving License etc to the address. From the research I've done most liveaboards seem to use a friend or family address for this, neither of those options are available to me. I'm currently in a winter mooring in Sth Yorks, but will be continuous cruising from mid/late April. Can you guys help?

I spent over 30 years living aboard. When rellies addresses were a bit awkward I, on two occasions used a couple of business addresses owned by friends. I also used a local pub that I frequented for some years at another time. Its much easier these days than it was 30 odd years ago. The doctor just accepted the towpath for many years. My bank who I have been with for 30 years was happy to use them as my address. I used to just pick up my paperwork from them when I went in. You will find that you need not have an address much these days, email will suffice the great majority of the time.

[blackrose]

I'm not sure about that. I've been living aboard for 20 years and still need an address for bank account, car insurance, etc, and post of course. 

[Tony1]

This is the one I'm planning on using if/when my relative address is no longer available: 

 

https://www.expost.uk/

 

They dont specifically mention it being ok for DVLA, so worth checking that, but it looks like its ok for banks, insurance, even the NHS/GPs etc.

Looks an absolute Godsend.

 

If you give it a go, do please update us on how well it goes, there will be a good few people looking for exactly this kind of service.

 

[MtB]

Using an address that isn't your own, I suspect can get complicated/come off the rails quite easily.  I wonder what happens when you give it to someone who uses it to run an ID check on you or credit check, and they they expect you to be on the electoral roll at your stated address and you're actually not. 

 

From the other side of the coin I've from time to time wondered about offering my own home address as a mailing addy for other boaters, then decided it could lead to all sorts of shyte happening so never have.

[David Mack]

If you use the address of someone who lives alone it can cause problems with their single person council tax discount.

[Idle Days]

I have been using Boat Mail. for almost a year. They provided me with an accommodation address which I use for everyone including bank and credit cards and the DVLA, it's now on my driving licence. They scan and email me copies of all my correspondence for my action. I'm very satisfied with their service.

[MtB]

23 minutes ago, Idle Days said:

I have been using Boat Mail. for almost a year. They provided me with an accommodation address which I use for everyone including bank and credit cards and the DVLA, it's now on my driving licence. They scan and email me copies of all my correspondence for my action. I'm very satisfied with their service.

 

I always imagine it depends on the exact question on the form.

 

BoatMail or any of the accommodation address services are fine if you are being asked for a postal address at which you can be reached, but I can imagine difficulties if the question was more specific, i.e. "Where do you live?" Specifically, if you told say your car insurance company you lived at BoatMail then some sort of investigation ensued e.g. as a result of a big insurance claim occurring.

 

 

[stablemabel]

I spoke to my bank about this and they said why dont you use our address for all your bank mail..i said great thats  brilliant i just need to find an address for my internet contract now and they said why dont  you use our address....so i have done for years..its the bank with the horse 

[Tony1]

9 hours ago, MtB said:

 

From the other side of the coin I've from time to time wondered about offering my own home address as a mailing addy for other boaters, then decided it could lead to all sorts of shyte happening so never have.

 

I think this is why even long standing friends and family members are very wary of allowing you to use their address as your 'official' residence for government and financial stuff.

 

I suspect the biggest fear is that some sort of financial crisis might hit you- perhaps you lose your job, or take on a massive medical bill for a treatment the NHS cant help you with ( an old colleague was looking at a bill of £30k for a back operation in the US to help take away the non-stop crippling pain after a back injury), or a personal loss that wasn't fully insured- who knows what misfortune life could throw up.

And if you were to end up with a large debt that you struggle to pay, then suddenly your friend the householder would have the risk of debt collection agencies or bailiffs turning up to collect against the overdue debts. 

 

I can understand why friends and family are reluctant to take a chance on letting someone use their address.  

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Tony1

[Tony1]

1 hour ago, Idle Days said:

I have been using Boat Mail. for almost a year. They provided me with an accommodation address which I use for everyone including bank and credit cards and the DVLA, it's now on my driving licence. They scan and email me copies of all my correspondence for my action. I'm very satisfied with their service.

 

 

Dave, can I ask- do you have to register at a GP near to the boatmail address? 

 

And how do you manage it if you generally cruise in a given region, and want to have medical treatment and hosp visits there, but the boatmail address is in a different part of the country? 

Obviously there must be a way to deal with this, I just don't know the procedure. 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Tony1

[Idle Days]

5 minutes ago, Tony1 said:

 

 

 

Dave, can I ask- do you have to register at a GP near to the boatmail address? 

 

And how do you manage it if you generally cruise in a given region, and want to have medical treatment and hosp visits there, but the boatmail address is in a different part of the country? 

Obviously there must be a way to deal with this, I just don't know the procedure. 

 

I registered with a GP local to my Winter Mooring, and if necessary will taxi back to them or use a local A&E while cruising just as one would while on holiday.

 

My car insurance is with "My Miles" whom I have told where my car is generally kept. Since it uses a tracker to calculate milage and bill me they are happy with that.

 

The DVLA accepted my Boat Mail correspondence address for or car registration but initially refused to issue my new driving licence to that address. I told them that I had no objection to having my boat location as my address; something like Idle Days, Grand Union Canal, UK and they changed their minds and it now gives my correspondence address. 

 

When we left the land and moved aboard I asked the BBC to transfer my tv licence to the Boat Mail address but they refused saying that the will not issue a licence to a correspondence address, which is a shame!

 

Generally I try to avoid Snail Mail and use email as much as possible.

 

I hope that is of help.

 

 

 

 

 

[Tony1]

6 minutes ago, Idle Days said:

I registered with a GP local to my Winter Mooring, and if necessary will taxi back to them or use a local A&E while cruising just as one would while on holiday.

 

My car insurance is with "My Miles" whom I have told where my car is generally kept. Since it uses a tracker to calculate milage and bill me they are happy with that.

 

The DVLA accepted my Boat Mail correspondence address for or car registration but initially refused to issue my new driving licence to that address. I told them that I had no objection to having my boat location as my address; something like Idle Days, Grand Union Canal, UK and they changed their minds and it now gives my correspondence address. 

 

When we left the land and moved aboard I asked the BBC to transfer my tv licence to the Boat Mail address but they refused saying that the will not issue a licence to a correspondence address, which is a shame!

 

Generally I try to avoid Snail Mail and use email as much as possible.

 

I hope that is of help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes it is, thanks Dave. 

Its slightly concerning that DVLA were initially resistant to using the boatmail address on your license, but at least they seem persuadable. Is there any indication on the address itself that it is unusual, or a forwarding address? 

I ask because I'm wondering why DVLA queried it?

 

My impression is that with the Expost service, you are given a 'normal' looking residential address, that has no indication of being some kind of proxy, so you might have an easier time in general using that. 

 

If/when I have to use such a service, my plan is to register with a GP in a town and a location that has good rail links, so that wherever I am, I can get to the town easily, and can reach the surgery by cab, or even by ebike. One of the towns arouind Birmingham might be a good bet, as I dont know which regions I'll end up spending more time in. 

 

Obviously we all hope that we wont need regular trips to the GP or hosp (I haven't seen a GP for at least a decade), but many of us are approaching 60 or indeed well past that, so increasing visits to health facilities might just be an unwelcome necessity. 

 

 

[Idle Days]

60 is an age I have long forgotten about.😄

 

Our correspondence address is a normal looking address with a post code and can be viewed on Goggle Earth, in fact it looks quite posh much more so than our last house. I have no idea why or how the government or BBC pick it out, perhaps they have a list of all such addresses.

 

 

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Idle Days said:

I have no idea why or how the government or BBC pick it out, perhaps they have a list of all such addresses.

 

 

More likely that their database flags up unusually high numbers of registrations at any one address. There are possibly several dozen or hundreds of boaters with driving licences at BoatMail.

[LadyG]

1 hour ago, stablemabel said:

I spoke to my bank about this and they said why dont you use our address for all your bank mail..i said great thats  brilliant i just need to find an address for my internet contract now and they said why dont  you use our address....so i have done for years..its the bank with the horse 

Clydesdale? I guess not. 

What happens when letters for you arrive at their branch? 

Edited February 19, 2022 by LadyG

[Ray T]

With apologies to W H Auden.

 

This is the Boat mail crossing the border,

Bringing the cheque and the postal order,

Letters for the rich , letters for the poor'

The shop at the corner and the girl next door.

Pulling up Hurleston, a steady climb:

The locks are against her, but she's on time.

 

Oops wrong form of transport.

😁

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Ray T

[Puffling]

It's quite tricky; our society is structured to cast suspicion on those living outside the norms of a fixed postal address relating to bricks and mortar (or timber and corrugated sheeting if you live in a cabin!).

 

It may be possible to use family or friends but they then still need to forward mail to you at Poste Restante if you are not able to call on them physically. In some cases, providing a residential address is just the start of it - an institution may require proof of residency at the given address in the form of utility bills. What then?

 

Like some others here I use Boatmail. They have a pay as you go service, which suits my low mailing volume needs. The scan-to-email service is a great feature. However, my application for a Monzo debit card using the Boatmail accomodation address was rejected. In the end I prevailed upon a long-suffering friend to allow me to use her address for opening an account (with another bank), and this went through.

[Puffling]

7 minutes ago, Ray T said:

With apologies to W H Auden.

 

This is the Boat mail crossing the border,

Bringing the cheque and the postal order,

Letters for the rich , letters for the poor'

The shop at the corner and the girl next door.

Pulling up Hatton, a steady climb--

The locks are against her but she's on time.

 

Oops wrong form of transport.

😁

 

Postal orders, weren't they something, with their fancy postage stamps affixed?

 

Much of my mispent youth seemed to be taken ordering components from Home Radio and Electroniques catalogues paid by postal order. I was too young for a bank account, even though I was living at a residential address.

Edited February 19, 2022 by Puffling
speeling

[Ray T]

2 minutes ago, Puffling said:

Postal orders, weren't they something, with their fancy postage stamps affixed?

 

Much of my mispent youth seemed to be taken ordering components from Home Radio and Electroniques catalogues paid by postal order. I was too young for a bank account, even though I was living at a residential address.

Yep:

 

[David Mack]

9 minutes ago, Puffling said:

Postal orders, weren't they something, with their fancy postage stamps affixed?

 

Much of my mispent youth seemed to be taken ordering components from Home Radio and Electroniques catalogues paid by postal order. I was too young for a bank account, even though I was living at a residential address.

I can remember as a kid receiving 'post lorders' in lieu of birthday and Christmas presents from relatives, and my Mum somehow turning them into cash I could spend.