Misdirected email

[PaulSB]

I have a Gmail account let's call it fred.smith@gmail.com. About once a year I get email intended for fredsmith@gmail.com note without the "." This Fred Smith is in Queensland, AUS.

How does this happen? It's obvious to me the senders are using the correct address so somehow Gmail is misdirecting messages.

Currently I'm getting quotes for his house extension. Last time it was a mailing list for a community film club - that was a nightmare if anyone did "reply all."

 

[PeteXXX]

I would contact Gmail support, or block fredsmith@gmail.com.
Or both.

 

[JohnHughes307]

Don't block FredSmith! gmail accounts don't give a damn about full stops or capitals in the name part - before the @. The OP must have misunderstood the mis-addressing. I use the variety of options to give an indication of where someone got my email address. Mine is of the form fredsmith999@gmail.com, but Fred.Smith.999@gmail.com, fredsmith.999@gmail.com or even f.R.e.D.s.M.I.t.H.9.9.9@gmail.com all resolve to the same address (although I must admit I haven't tried that last one...)

You can easily test this for yourself. It is more likely that the Fred Smith in Australia should have a number on the end of his and he's accidentaly given it out without it.

 

[LonesomeWanderer]

They also ignore anything after a plus sign which can be useful for using different emails on different websites, e.g. example@gmail.com, example+arrrgh@gmail.com and example+somethingelse@gmail.com all go to the example@gmail.com mailbox.

 

[PaulSB]

@JohnHughes307 could you explain what I may have misunderstood please?

I've tested what you said about "." and correct you can stick "." Anywhere and apparently any number of times before the @ That's bizarre.

 

[LonesomeWanderer]

Here's the details from Google:
https://gmail.googleblog.com/2008/03/2-hidden-ways-to-get-more-from-your.html

 

[Deleted member 26715]

It's obvious to me the senders are using the correct address so somehow Gmail is misdirecting messages.

I think that is the bit you are misunderstanding, fred.smith@ fredsmith@ is the same address, therefore I suspect the Queensland Fred Smith has given out the incorrect email address at some point.

 

[Heckler]

I get email for a me who has health insurance in Arizona and a South African me who bought something at a store and asked to receive their sales items. As I was an early adopter of Gmail I got my actual.name@gmail.com so the other mes in SA and US probably got a number one and keep forgetting to put the number in (or whoever adds them to a mailing list gets it wrong).

 

[PaulSB]

I think that is the bit you are misunderstanding, fred.smith@ fredsmith@ is the same address, therefore I suspect the Queensland Fred Smith has given out the incorrect email address at some point.

Thanks, I'm with it now. I was an early adopter of Gmail so have only my name as my address and no numbers.

@Heckler - yep seems we have the same issue. Why people would forget to put the number is odd.

 

[byegad]

I had something similar with mobile numbers. A Numpty had given my number out as his and his equally stupid daughter Anne Other Numpty spent 5 years calling my number and starting the conversation with 'Hi Dad. As I only have sons, this was easily spotted by me, and despite asking her several times to change it in her contacts I eventually blocked her number. The phone would show her in the calls list, but not ring.