Puzzling and upsetting email display name.

[tonysussex]

Hi, I emailed a company from my default/favourite BT email address. When they replied to the email, they addressed me by the name of a close, recently deceased relative of mine (let's say it was 'John Brown').

I thought that the display name can depend on how the email address is saved as a contact by the recipient, but when I queried this with the company their reply stated,  "The 'Hi <Name>' part of our emails is automated, based upon the name that comes with your email.  So the display name for your email is xxxxx.xxxxx [John Brown]. Perhaps this is something you're able to change via BT Internet, I am not sure unfortunately."

I have checked my BT email and BT account settings and my email address, and everything is set up with my correct name. I also looked at the heading of my email and there is no mention of 'John Brown', so is there some other way or some other (global?) database that could have my BT email address associated with the name of my deceased relative?

I'd be grateful for any thoughts on this as it was a bit upsetting and I’d like to correct it, if possible.
Tony

[gg30340]

When you sent the email was it from a web browser by logging into your BTMail account or was it from an email client/app such as Outlook or an app that you would use on a mobile device?

What happens if you send an email to yourself, does it display the "John Brown" name when you receive it ?

[tonysussex]

My email to the company was sent from Outlook (desktop PC running Windows 10). I have sent test emails to myself (BT email account) and to my Gmail account and my correct name is displayed.

[VeteranISPUser]

Hi @tonysussex   Are you examining the full header information in the emails or just the visible information shown in the inbox etc.?

[tonysussex]

I think I'm looking at the full header info - in Outlook using File> Properties.. and looking at the  "Internet headers" info in a scrollable window.
Tony

[gg30340]

Did "John Brown" also use your computer for sending emails?

Did "John Brown" have a BTMail email account that is/was associated to the same BT Broadband account?

Without having the received email that you sent I doubt there will be any way to work out what took place.

You will have the original email in your sent folder which may reveal some information although I can not see how an email sent from your email account could have a different name at the receiving end without all emails sent from the account being the same.

[tonysussex]

First, thanks to all for the helpful responses.

'John Brown' never used my PC. He did have a BT email account and we share surname and birth date (he was my twin brother and passed away early last year).

My email was sent to the company's "info" email address and replied to from their "support" email address, so perhaps something happened in the change of email accounts.

I am begining to think that perhaps the company looked me up for some reason, found my brother's old WordPress website which is in his name.  Come to think of it, I took over his WP website to preserve his digital artwork so perhaps that is where his name and my email address might be linked?

[gg30340 · Accepted solution]

Sorry to hear about your brother.

It does sound that the problem lies with the company that replied to your email rather than your email account somehow giving the wrong return name. 

It may be that the company replied using the WP account holder's name, your brother's, rather than lifting it off your email address.