RANT: Vendors don't use shipping address as provided on orders

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
rixstix

rixstix

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
788
Location
Canistota, SD USA
EDIT: USPS Informed Delivery just showed the current package 'en-route' in spite of the shipping confirmation leaving the PO Box 2nd line off the label

Why, oh why, do vendors provide the address fields for 2 line shipping addresses and then only use the first line?

Our address as required by the Post Office is 2 lines and depending upon the carrier of the day either:
  • Labels things 'Undeliverable as addressed' and 'Return to Sender'
  • or Takes the time to look up our PO Box
  • or Gives it to the postmaster to figure out
They deliver to our next door neighbor who has a 500 block address but refuse to deliver to our address which is the 600 block but nothing other than a chalk line in the grass separates us. Our across the street neighbor's driveway is 5 feet to the 500 block, so gets mail delivery.

Required address format is:
Name
Street address
PO Box number
City, State, zip
​
Vendors who only offer single line the required format is:
Name
Street address BOX number (or fudge APT number)
City, State, zip
​
It really sux putty-balls when vendors state "We ONLY ship via UPS", require a street address that will not accept APT or BOX, THEN used the UPS SMART POST or Fedex equivalent.

RANT OFF

Merry Christmas
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad
Don't get me started on USPS!

I shipped an LFRB (PRIORITY mail) to my brother last week. It was picked up by our mail carrier on Monday Dec 18. It either sat in his truck or at the post office until Dec 22 when it was FINALLY scanned for the first time and sent on its way. He "might" get it on the 26th.

It won't even do any good to file a claim because the carrier apparently didn't scan it when he picked up. As far as USPS records are concerned, it didn't start its journey until the 22nd.
 
Our usps guy is pretty cool. We were talking about the so-called informed delivery a couple months ago. He said it's a joke. Sometimes it works and sometimes it don't. Not a reliable source to track your mail. Lol
 
Local post office is great. Appears everything coming into and leaving Southern Indiana has been stuck in Evansville for a week or more at this point.
 
We change mail carriers here so many times during a course of the year it is ridiculous. Our mail time is anywhere from 8 in the morning to 8 at night or else it comes a day or 2 late. It is a running joke on my street that we all exchange mail so many times that we thought about putting in for a contract and benefits. i think what the post office should do is drop the mail off to a box at the end of the street and we each go pick up our own mail. heck we practically do that now. USPS runs like a broken clock. Right twice a day only.
 
We recently learned a valuable lesson.

I take the mail to the post office every evening-we were providing a report summarizing the packages in one form, we thought this constituted acceptance by the Post office. Among this group was one package, insured for over a thousand dollars. The Post Office informed me that their acceptance was not binding, it was conditional until each individual package was scanned. The insurance would not apply.

Fortunately, the package was delivered several states away the next day, so the issue was moot.

Now, I require them to scan each package every night to prove they got it. The local employees understand and are very cooperative.

Many other vendors still give them the report--I doubt they realize all insured packages are not really covered.

FWIW<
Ed
 
Years ago, when having mail delivery issues as @jttheclockman described, our postmaster told me that the union contracts required carriers to deliver the mail. The contracts did not require delivery to the correct address; thus there was nothing he could do about the frequent mis-delivery.
 
ed4copies said:
We recently learned a valuable lesson.

I take the mail to the post office every evening-we were providing a report summarizing the packages in one form, we thought this constituted acceptance by the Post office. Among this group was one package, insured for over a thousand dollars. The Post Office informed me that their acceptance was not binding, it was conditional until each individual package was scanned. The insurance would not apply.

Fortunately, the package was delivered several states away the next day, so the issue was moot.

Now, I require them to scan each package every night to prove they got it. The local employees understand and are very cooperative.

Many other vendors still give them the report--I doubt they realize all insured packages are not really covered.

FWIW<
Ed
Click to expand...

WOW. I fall into the group that assumed the "Scan" form electronically marked an acceptance scan for each individual package if the scan form was manually posted/stamped by a postal worker.
 
I'm not superstitious but why take chances. Is it safe to walk under a ladder? I'll walk around. If a black cat crosses the road and doesn't move I run over it. Maybe unlucky for the cat. So back to the point. As of now I haven't had any shipping issues. I did have a problem with Amazon once. Due to icy weather I received an email saying a package would be late so I had an option of canceling. I was in no rush so I replied send it whenever. I never received it so had to go through the refund process. My buddy said he's canceled and reordered it and received two for the price and charge of only one. I guess they're so big they can't keep up with their paperwork.
 
jttheclockman said:
We change mail carriers here so many times during a course of the year it is ridiculous. Our mail time is anywhere from 8 in the morning to 8 at night or else it comes a day or 2 late. It is a running joke on my street that we all exchange mail so many times that we thought about putting in for a contract and benefits. i think what the post office should do is drop the mail off to a box at the end of the street and we each go pick up our own mail. heck we practically do that now. USPS runs like a broken clock. Right twice a day only.
Click to expand...
When we lived in Midland out in the county, we had the big box station at the end of the road. The boxes only had a number on them which had nothing to do with the address. Mail always getting put in the wrong boxes. Luckily all our neighbors were honest.
 
bsshog40 said:
When we lived in Midland out in the county, we had the big box station at the end of the road. The boxes only had a number on them which had nothing to do with the address. Mail always getting put in the wrong boxes. Luckily all our neighbors were honest.
Click to expand...
That is what is good here too. We are basically all retired on this street and all know each other and trust each other but it is so funny when your neighbors comes ringing your doorbell, you know right away what they want. So I just say mail delivery and we all make joke of this but it is actually sad. Right now I am sitting on my neighbor's across the street from me, mail. They went away for a couple weeks. Now I am sure they cancelled their mail and yet I wound up with some. I will wait till they get home and walk it over.
 
jttheclockman said:
We change mail carriers here so many times during a course of the year it is ridiculous. Our mail time is anywhere from 8 in the morning to 8 at night or else it comes a day or 2 late. It is a running joke on my street that we all exchange mail so many times that we thought about putting in for a contract and benefits. i think what the post office should do is drop the mail off to a box at the end of the street and we each go pick up our own mail. heck we practically do that now. USPS runs like a broken clock. Right twice a day only.
Click to expand...
We finally found out why our mail delivery is so messed up. They use our route to train new mail carriers!
 
I get medication delivered to the same number as our house but totally different streets. Fortunately, the other people stop by, ring the doorbell and give us the package. When putting the address on an order, I have never put the P. O. box as it might confuse them. I put the street number, street, etc., so that is where the package is to be delivered. Some places won't ship to a PO box.
 
sbwertz said:
We finally found out why our mail delivery is so messed up. They use our route to train new mail carriers!
Click to expand...
You know you maybe onto something there. I am telling you I never seen so much turnover in the carriers on our neighboring streets. Years ago we had fella named Dan who was the carrier for many years here and he was the best. He knew everyone's name and always delivered the mail same time every day rain or shine. Friendly. Many times I was out working in my garage and he delivered mail and he would stop by to BS. I offered him a ice tea(;)) and then he went on his way. He always told me though that our route was the largest in the area and they keep trying to break it up. Have no idea what is going on these days.
 
Adding: a post office in the Chattanooga, TN, area has pallets covered by portable tents waiting to be delivered. They finally pulled staff from other post offices to help.
 
Rick,

I fully understand your specific problem. Our local post office will NOT put a small package in a box if it does not have an "BOX number" on the package. They will NOT give a notice for a large package if it does NOT have the "BOX number on it..

I add my street address and a comma, then Box number, all on the same line. If it does not have the box number, I will not be notified and it will be sent back. Last week, the postmaster informed me that UPS (and FedEx to some extent) have been using something like "last mile delivery" contract with the USPS. UPS and FedEx deliver to the post office and the PO delivers the last mile. The problem is as you said: If the Box number is not listed, it gets sent back.

Last summer, I ordered something through eBay. Ebay has my address listed that includes both street and box number on the same line. The sender left the box number off. Sent it by USPS and the USPS sent it back because of no Box number. I requested a refund and seller refused to refund. I sent a note to eBay explaining the problem. They refused to make the guy refund me and said it was my address problem and my fault even though My address is correct and the guy left part of it off. I showed them my address is listed as "street - Box" and the guy left the box number off. eBay said that was not his problem or theirs. I did not get my refund and did not get the item. It was less than $10 but still made me quite angry.

Some small products, Apple will send by USPS but will not allow for a P.O.Box number to be listed on the address. Apple and some other companies and dummies do not understand that some towns' USPS do not deliver to the street address, only to box numbers.
 
@leehljp

That UPS SmartPost or the Fedex equivalent for the "last mile" is hated by every receiver that I know for that reason. Vendor requires street address knowing they will ship via UPS to be handed to the PostOffice is a shoddy excuse for software doesn't allow it.

Our house is the ONLY house on our street that cannot receive USPS service only because it is a 600 number even though it is in the same physical block as the other houses and USPS only delivers to 500-599 house numbers.

Our UPS driver has been delivering the smart post packages directly since he has to drive by our house every day and he hates going to the post office because the hours are not regular business hours. 7-9am and noon to 3pm or something like that.

That being said, I think that the Exotics shipping confirmation leaves the 2nd line off the email but actually must print on the label since I did receive a USPS Informed delivery notice. @ed4copies you can ignore my email since I seem to have transmitted it prematurely.
 
My local post office at the house I am moving to seems like it will be good. It is about the size of most folks living rooms. Two part time postal workers and two route mail persons.

Went in three times in past 40 days. First time told young lady which house I bought and that I planned to move my mail box. Second time was other lady. Third time (40 days later) went to drop off a package I had no label for. First Lady was there, asked if I had moved my mailbox yet and told me "I'll fill out your shipping label for you, Mr. Drake."

Like I said, not complaining about the local service.
 
Arghhh! USPS and other delivery organizations do a good job considering the number of packages they deliver. That said, things could be much better. We have a situation in my subdivision of 200 homes. 3 different residences, all having the same street number, but obviously a different street name. Talk about mis deliveries! This alone is a good illustration as to why the same number should not be repeated within a subdivision. We generally take it upon ourselves to complete these mis-deliveries.
 
Woodchipper said:
I get medication delivered to the same number as our house but totally different streets. Fortunately, the other people stop by, ring the doorbell and give us the package. When putting the address on an order, I have never put the P. O. box as it might confuse them. I put the street number, street, etc., so that is where the package is to be delivered. Some places won't ship to a PO box
Click to expand...
 
Woodchipper said:
I get medication delivered to the same number as our house but totally different streets. Fortunately, the other people stop by, ring the doorbell and give us the package. When putting the address on an order, I have never put the P. O. box as it might confuse them. I put the street number, street, etc., so that is where the package is to be delivered. Some places won't ship to a PO box.
Click to expand...
And some small USPS towns do NOT deliver to street addresses, and without the P.O. Box, it gets sent back to the sender. Per local Post Master General. My local PMG said "technically, it is illegal to put a notice in a box if the package does not have a box number on it."
 
Lee, I lived in a small town that mail was delivered to the tiny post office. Even if the address was marked, we had to pick up our mail at the post office.
 
CHARLES STOPCZYNSKI said:
That said, things could be much better. We have a situation in my subdivision of 200 homes. 3 different residences, all having the same street number, but obviously a different street name. Talk about mis deliveries! This alone is a good illustration as to why the same number should not be repeated within a subdivision.
Click to expand...

Another example for not repeating house numbers is when law enforcement agencies cannot read street names & go to the wrong house, banging on doors @ 2am in ninja suits with no outward identification and not admitting the wrong address even after the realization. DAMHIKT
 
Woodchipper said:
We were out in the sticks. No one in the town (pop. 350) had a house number. Was a road name only.
Click to expand...
I understand that - when local folks cared and did what is right; but some PostMasters who become that due to seniority have a choice to make: become a postmaster now in a town 50 miles away, or wait 15 years at home for someone else to retire before they can become the PM at home.

It is some of these that sometimes make it hard on small hometown folks.
 
Deliveries, at least to my house, have been worse recently. I've had incoming packages delivered to another address several times. UPS delivered a perishable package to the wrong house and I couldn't figure out from the delivery picture what house it was. I called UPS and they found it and delivered it two days later, I ended up getting a refund for it, didn't want to try it again. USPS has both delivered to the wrong address and left a package in an unlocked parcel box. We have cluster mailboxes so the whole street is in one place. There are parcel boxes next to the mailboxes and normally they put the package in one and leave the key in your mailbox. Tracking showed that it was delivered but when I went to look there wasn't a key in my mailbox. There was an unlocked parcel box so I checked it and it was there, they forgot to put the key in my mailbox. If the parcel boxes are full they will leave packages at the door, they left one at the wrong house. Amazon has left two of my packages at the wrong house, not the same house, but I was able to figure out where from the delivery picture. The neighbor had opened one of them. They also left a package at my house that wasn't mine. This has all been in the last three months. Currently I have a package on the way, or not, that hasn't moved for several days. USPS tracking says shipment received, package acceptance pending. This is the status 12/26/2023.

1703645956491.png
 
Story: We get into detailed discussions about delivery. However, it could be worse.
The postal workers in an African country (name not given) went on strike. Mail piled up behind the post offices, creating literally mountains of mail. When the strike was settled, rather than deliver all the mail, they burned it!
 
I did receive the package even though the 2nd line was omitted either by the vendor or by ShipStation.

If you're not going to use the 2nd line, then don't include it as an option for customer use.

I did get a grumping from the post office because they could care less about Informed Delivery notice emails. They go by the label on the package & this package did not include the box number in the format they require.
 
jttheclockman said:
We change mail carriers here so many times during a course of the year it is ridiculous. Our mail time is anywhere from 8 in the morning to 8 at night or else it comes a day or 2 late. It is a running joke on my street that we all exchange mail so many times that we thought about putting in for a contract and benefits. i think what the post office should do is drop the mail off to a box at the end of the street and we each go pick up our own mail. heck we practically do that now. USPS runs like a broken clock. Right twice a day only.
Click to expand...
Do you by chance know if you actually have an official mailman for your neighborhood?

I have had similar experiences as you. Turned out, and I learned this a couple years ago from our HOA board, that our neighborhood actually doesn't have an assigned mailman. We started having serious problems during COVID, and there were weeks where we did not get any mail delivery at all. We then had major mailbox breakins and stolen mail, and those issues took weeks to get resolved and the mailboxes repaired.

It was late 2021 or maybe early 2022, that I learned since the pandemic started, we didn't have an assigned mailman. I don't know why specifically, if it was say a death or deaths in the postal staff, or just loss of workers. In any case, we still don't have an assigned mail man today. Its gotten better, but yeah, its very inconsistent in terms of timing, days we get deliveries and pickup, etc.

This did make me start wondering how much the pandemic era affected other services. I started discovering that certain local business closures and the like, were due to owners dying and things like that. Its really kind of sad, the long term impacts that the pandemic has had at so many levels... I honestly have no idea when we'll get an assigned mailman again. The USPS around here had a lot of losses over the last four years. I used to have at least four different close locations I could drop packages off at...in addition to the main USPS center a ways away. Today, we only have the main USPS center. All the other satellite locations are gone. I used to have one within walking distance even, which was really nice.

Anyway...your comment just made me wonder.
 
jrista said:
Do you by chance know if you actually have an official mailman for your neighborhood?

I have had similar experiences as you. Turned out, and I learned this a couple years ago from our HOA board, that our neighborhood actually doesn't have an assigned mailman. We started having serious problems during COVID, and there were weeks where we did not get any mail delivery at all. We then had major mailbox breakins and stolen mail, and those issues took weeks to get resolved and the mailboxes repaired.

It was late 2021 or maybe early 2022, that I learned since the pandemic started, we didn't have an assigned mailman. I don't know why specifically, if it was say a death or deaths in the postal staff, or just loss of workers. In any case, we still don't have an assigned mail man today. Its gotten better, but yeah, its very inconsistent in terms of timing, days we get deliveries and pickup, etc.

This did make me start wondering how much the pandemic era affected other services. I started discovering that certain local business closures and the like, were due to owners dying and things like that. Its really kind of sad, the long term impacts that the pandemic has had at so many levels... I honestly have no idea when we'll get an assigned mailman again. The USPS around here had a lot of losses over the last four years. I used to have at least four different close locations I could drop packages off at...in addition to the main USPS center a ways away. Today, we only have the main USPS center. All the other satellite locations are gone. I used to have one within walking distance even, which was really nice.

Anyway...your comment just made me wonder.
Click to expand...
I do not. Probably not because we now just got a new one and my mail is back to coming before noon. Just before Christmas that mailperson would get here anytime and many time 6:00 at night.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom