Silk Road forums
Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: SelfSovereignty on November 24, 2012, 09:58 pm
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I always use the exact format that USPS suggests, but I actually had a vendor change it to not include the +4 after the zip. Was this coincidence, a mistake, or them actually knowing something that I don't?
For example (obviously this is made up, but I may as well point out it's fake, ahem):
JOHNATHAN SWIFT
122 E TOWER RD
MIDDLETOWN CT 10054-8343
All caps, no period for abbreviations, and all abbreviated where common (road should be RD, etc.) I thought it was best that way, since it should blend in perfectly with business mail and whatnot. But I suppose it's possible that if the sender doesn't also use the full zip+4, it might look weird?
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I always use the exact format that USPS suggests, but I actually had a vendor change it to not include the +4 after the zip. Was this coincidence, a mistake, or them actually knowing something that I don't?
For example (obviously this is made up, but I may as well point out it's fake, ahem):
JOHNATHAN SWIFT
122 E TOWER RD
MIDDLETOWN CT 10054-8343
All caps, no period for abbreviations, and all abbreviated where common (road should be RD, etc.) I thought it was best that way, since it should blend in perfectly with business mail and whatnot. But I suppose it's possible that if the sender doesn't also use the full zip+4, it might look weird?
I would definitely keep using the ZIP+4. Any time a customer gives an address to me without the +4 I always look it up to make sure to include it. I imagine most business mail is put through automated systems which will fill in the +4 on the addresses and modify to be USPS formatted.
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If you use the wrong +4 but the right ZIP for the ZIP+4 what do you think would happen? Currently awaiting an order that I accidentally did this, hope nothing too bad will happen :-\
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If you use the wrong +4 but the right ZIP for the ZIP+4 what do you think would happen? Currently awaiting an order that I accidentally did this, hope nothing too bad will happen :-\
It'll just get more attention because it'll initially get routed to the wrong route within the zip code area, I think. So long as there's nothing else suspicious about it, I expect it would show up a little later than otherwise once it's corrected by the guys at the post office.
The problem, of course, is that this means the thing has to be checked by human eyes that do more than glance at it on a conveyor belt or something. I don't remember where I read that's how it works, but I have a vague memory of reading it somewhere reliable.
Thanks for the answers, all. I guess the vendor who didn't use it even though I gave it to him just didn't know what it was or was so used to buyers giving wrong addresses he just cut it off to be safe.