Bugs

Thanks for your responses. We appreciate your concern.

The actual number of addresses that get errors introduced by USPS address verification is extremely tiny. In the majority of cases where USPS address verification causes information to get dropped from the address, the package will still be delivered successfully.

We’ve recently encountered, via user reports, a couple of packages that had delivery issues related to the application of USPS address verification to the buyer-entered address. We’ve also followed up on reported issues in this thread, and have so far found no issues with delivery in these cases.

Given the small impact of this issue, we’re communicating via the Bugs forum and we’re happy to field questions and check on your shipments if necessary. We’re planning on communicating heads-ups regularly even when the impact is small. If the impact is greater, we’ll use other channels of communication as appropriate.

Unfortunately, addresses can sometimes be an imprecise science. In some cases, the buyer’s entered address may contain inadvertent mistakes, and in some cases the USPS verification may not provide the intended results. We’re doing our best to minimize the address error rates, but double-checking addresses will always be good practice.

We’re happy to continue to field questions in this thread, and any sellers who would like to have individualized help can contact us here: www.etsy.com/help/contact, using “Shipping Labels” as the subject line.

Hi Everyone,

We're releasing a new address verification process today. Addresses will no longer be automatically updated, and you will be able to see any suggested changes from USPS before deciding how you would like to proceed.

I've posted in Announcements, and I'm copying the full text below. Thank you for your responses, and you patience as we've worked to improve this process. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Announcement:

New Address Verification Process for Etsy Shipping Labels

Hello Etsy Sellers,

We’ve made a change to the address verification process when you purchase Etsy Shipping Labels, and we’ll be releasing it over the course of the day.

- Why we made this change -

When you go to purchase a shipping label, the buyer-entered address is verified using the USPS address database. This is done to correct minor errors in the address and to ensure that USPS has the correct address for shipping.

Previously, the address that was initially presented when you purchased shipping labels was the USPS-verified version of the address your buyer entered. In some cases, affecting a small percentage of labels, the USPS dropped some information from these addresses, typically apartment or suite numbers. In some instances, this resulted in delivery issues for those orders.

We made this change because it’s important for you to see when there is a difference between what the buyer enters and what the USPS recommends. This way, if there are significant differences between the two, you will be able to decide how you would like to proceed, and whether or not you need to contact your buyer for additional information.

- The Change -

Now, when you purchase your shipping label, and the buyer-entered address doesn’t match the USPS recommendation, there will be a notification beneath the ship-to address.

You have the option to view the two addresses and decide which version you would like to use for your label. It’s also possible to edit the original version, if you choose not to use either one. Most of the time, the differences between the two addresses will be minimal. For example, Street may change to ST. If you’re ever in doubt about the buyer-entered address, you can contact them to confirm their information before shipping out.