All the delivery services worldwide depend on one basic element for their success—a valid address. So, when a customer puts a wrong or insufficient address, the chances of delivery of that package get reduced.
And that is where the USPS term “Undeliverable as Addressed” comes into being. It means that the delivery address provided was not valid, and therefore the parcel remained undelivered.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is a globally acclaimed mail delivery service provider whose competence earned them the trust of their customers.
However, the efficiency of the USPS services alone cannot guarantee professional delivery. The customer also bears the responsibility to ensure that they have a successful delivery by providing a valid address of the recipient. Sending a mail off with an invalid address is bound to result in the USPS error “Undeliverable as Addressed”.
However, there isn’t much to worry about if this problem happens. This is probably an issue that every shipper has faced at some point in their delivery experience.
It’s a nuisance when mail remains undelivered due to an invalid address, but every error at USPS is fixable—that’s the proficiency of their services.
So, even if it might cause you some harassment, there are a few ways to fix the USPS issue of “Undeliverable as Addressed”.
Continue reading to know the cause of the issue and how to fix undeliverable as addressed. Let’s dive in!
Contents
Meaning and Cause of Undeliverable as Addressed
The meaning of the term “Undeliverable as Addressed” is as simple as it sounds—the package had to remain undelivered because there was something wrong with the address.
There can be several reasons for this issue to occur. The most obvious one might be the mail or package was addressed without any or more than one of the below things:
◼ Proper zip code,
◼ Apartment name,
◼ Street number,
◼ Box number,
◼ House number,
◼ Route number,
◼ with the geographical section of the city or the city or state omitted by mistake.
In a nutshell, the correct address is not known. Or perhaps, the name used in the address was fake or misspelled. It may also happen that the address was too smudged or illegible to be read properly. Perhaps, the mail was refused by the recipient of the addressee has died or is temporarily away, or perhaps the place is completely vacant.
In short, there was something wrong with the address that made it difficult for the delivery person to identify the exact location where the package was to be delivered. And hence, the parcel remained undelivered instead of its address.
What Happens to the Undelivered Packages
If your package is undelivered, there is no reason to think that it’s lost. It would probably be returned to the sender stating the reason why it couldn’t be delivered. The sender can then understand the issue, attempt to fix it, and send it off again.
However, if the sender’s address is not available or is illegible, nothing remains to be done other than to send the package to the Mail Recovery Centre.
Still, it doesn’t mean that the parcel is lost. It just means that it has been sent to the “Lost and Found” department for the customers to find and claim it as their own.
Packages that go into the mail recovery center can be recovered only by starting a Mail Recovery Centre Search initiated by a customer to look for the missing parcel.
What Happens to the Undelivered Packages
If your package is undelivered, there is no reason to think it’s lost. It would probably be returned to the sender stating the reason why it couldn’t be delivered. The sender can then understand the issue, attempt to fix it, and send it off again.
However, if the sender’s address is not available or is illegible, nothing remains to be done other than to send the package to the Mail Recovery Centre.
Still, it doesn’t mean that the parcel is lost. It just means that it has been sent to the “Lost and Found” department for the customers to find and claim it as their own.
Packages that go into the mail recovery center can be recovered only by starting a Mail Recovery Centre Search initiated by a customer to look for the missing parcel.
How to Fix Undeliverable as Addressed
Whatever the reason for the package being undelivered and whatever the issue with the address, it is always fixable if you are ready to put in some effort.
First and foremost, always keep your tracking number handy, for it’s something that would help you know whether your mail is undelivered. Once you find out that your package has been marked “Undeliverable as Addressed”, be proactive and take the following initiatives as soon as possible.
- Call the post office, give them your name and the tracking number, tell them the issue you are facing, and provide them with the correct shipping address.
- If they don’t receive your call, visit the post office in person with valid ID proof, tracking number, and the shipment receipt. Tell them your issue and show them the proof. If they have your package with them, they will hand it over to you then and there. However, you can avail of this process only if 24 hours didn’t traverse since your package was marked “Undeliverable as Addressed”.
- If none of the above options is available for you or if it’s more than a day and the post office doesn’t have your parcel with them, you can always call their toll-free customer service number 1-800-ASK-USPS or 1-800-275-8777. Stay on hold for a few minutes and give them your name, address, tracking number, and the details of your issue. Once that’s done, please sit back and wait as they find your package and return it to you.
- If you still don’t receive your package within 7 days, then you would have to initiate the mail recovery center search by submitting the missing mail application to file your search request. For that, you can contact customer service at their toll-free number 1-800-ASK-USPS or 1-800-275-8777 and request the Customer Affairs representative to initiate the search on your behalf. Else, you can personally visit your local post office and submit your search request yourself.
N.B.: USPS has some norms, rules, and regulations regarding returns or recovery of undelivered items. Your package will be returned to you only if it covers the USPS recovery guidelines. So, make sure that your item is under those guidelines before submitting your search request.
How to Fix Incorrect Address after Receiving Your Package
Now, suppose the post office has returned your package, and you want to fix the incorrect address so that you can again ship it to the recipient. So, then your next step will be to get a valid address from the recipient and update that address.
Here are the steps to fix the address:
Step 1: Visit the USPS official page.
Step 2: Click on the Tracking tab at the top of the page.
Step 3: Enter your Tracking Number.
Step 4: Navigate to the Tracking Details page.
Step 5: Click on the Correct My Address Button.
Step 6: Go to the Address Modification Window.
Step 7: Choose the option that requires correction from the drop-down menu in the New Delivery Address section.
Step 8: Enter the correct address.
Step 9: Click on the Next button.
Step 10: Review the updated address. Click on Back if you need to make any changes; else, click on Update to complete the address correction process.
N.B.: This process is valid only for address modification and not for changing the address altogether. For any other major changes, you will have to contact the customer service provider.
How to Fix Incorrect Address after Receiving Your Package?
Now, suppose the post office has returned your package, and you want to fix the incorrect address so that you can again ship it to the recipient. So, then your next step will be to get a valid address from the recipient and update that address.
Here are the steps to fix the address:
Step 1: Visit the USPS official page.
Step 2: Click on the Tracking tab at the top of the page.
Step 3: Enter your Tracking Number.
Step 4: Navigate to the Tracking Details page.
Step 5: Click on the Correct My Address Button.
Step 6: Go to the Address Modification Window.
Step 7: Choose the option that requires correction from the drop-down menu in the New Delivery Address section.
Step 8: Enter the correct address.
Step 9: Click on the Next button.
Step 10: Review the updated address. Click on Back if you need to make any changes; else, click on Update to complete the address correction process.
N.B.: This process is valid only for address modification and not for changing the address altogether. For any other major changes, you will have to contact the customer service provider.
Conclusion
USPS is a very reliable and trustworthy postal service, and there can be no reason to doubt the proficiency with which they carry out their services. However, their efficiency sometimes faces the challenge of wrong, insufficient, or illegible addresses, which forces them to leave the package undelivered.
But still, the postal service doesn’t allow it to be a flaw in their efficiency by providing their customers with several efficient solutions to fix the issue of “Undeliverable as Addressed”, as is discussed in this article.
