Posted 29 November 2023
Issue with addresses?
This is baffling.
I have lived at my address for almost 9 years. It is a building of multiple occupancy in a street full of buildings of multiple occupancy. During my period of residence I have done lots of internet shopping and have never had any real issues with deliveries. However, over the last few days this has changed.
My address is as follows:
Flat 7
8 Name Road
City
Postcode
(separate lines - not my actual address!)
It has been entered this way since I moved in.
I had something ordered off OnBuy. It had taken a while to arrive so I contacted the seller. They provided me the RD number and I checked the Royal Mail app which showed a photograph of the item sticking out of some other front door at the other end of the street, having been delivered the week previous. After a back and forth with the seller, and a little Google Maps investigation, everything indicated that the item was delivered to 78 Name Road.
The seller said my address showed on OnBuy as Flat 7 8 Name Road (same line), although when I checked my address it was showing on separate lines, as per the address at the top of this post. I was able to get a refund via PayPal.
I have since checked other upcoming deliveries for purchases made from different sellers/platforms. On many of these my address layout has changed as per what the OnBuy seller claimed - Flat 7 8 Name Road (same line). This has even happened with my delivery address on Asda.
I checked with my neighbour and this has happened to her address as well on different shopping sites.
I am wondering if anyone else has had, or is having, the same or similar issues. Obviously, it would appear it is more likely to be an issue if you live in a flat. I have gone through some sites putting a comma after the first line to act as a separator, but I've never needed to do this before and I have no idea why I am having to now.
Anyone have an experience or knowledge of this?
I have lived at my address for almost 9 years. It is a building of multiple occupancy in a street full of buildings of multiple occupancy. During my period of residence I have done lots of internet shopping and have never had any real issues with deliveries. However, over the last few days this has changed.
My address is as follows:
Flat 7
8 Name Road
City
Postcode
(separate lines - not my actual address!)
It has been entered this way since I moved in.
I had something ordered off OnBuy. It had taken a while to arrive so I contacted the seller. They provided me the RD number and I checked the Royal Mail app which showed a photograph of the item sticking out of some other front door at the other end of the street, having been delivered the week previous. After a back and forth with the seller, and a little Google Maps investigation, everything indicated that the item was delivered to 78 Name Road.
The seller said my address showed on OnBuy as Flat 7 8 Name Road (same line), although when I checked my address it was showing on separate lines, as per the address at the top of this post. I was able to get a refund via PayPal.
I have since checked other upcoming deliveries for purchases made from different sellers/platforms. On many of these my address layout has changed as per what the OnBuy seller claimed - Flat 7 8 Name Road (same line). This has even happened with my delivery address on Asda.
I checked with my neighbour and this has happened to her address as well on different shopping sites.
I am wondering if anyone else has had, or is having, the same or similar issues. Obviously, it would appear it is more likely to be an issue if you live in a flat. I have gone through some sites putting a comma after the first line to act as a separator, but I've never needed to do this before and I have no idea why I am having to now.
Anyone have an experience or knowledge of this?
Community Updates
44 Comments
sorted byMaybe use
8 Name of Road ( Flat 7) (edited)
That would explain it...but mad if it's impacting people out there (can't surely just be me and my neighbour!). (edited)
Use the link above to see how your address appears within it and contact them, if necessary, to request a change.
We have 3 properties all number 7, same street, same postcode. 2 of the 3 are blocks of flats (mines a house). The blocks of flats have names but they are often ignored and the couriers see the number, street and postcode and deliver to the first 7 they see on that street.
I have had hundreds (no exaggeration) of letters go missing and dozens of parcels. I can't get worked up about it - it's just the way it is. It's not such an issue if your neighbours are friendly etc, but mine are not. One is away for 3 months at a time and only returns home for a few days before leaving again. The other is a thief.
The 1st line of my address now reads 'NOT FLATS' - house beside flats. This has helped somewhat, but again sometimes they ignore it. Change your address to distinguish it or identify it more clearly - easier than you think to do so. Council will not recognise it, but all couriers delivering goods including RM etc will. After all the sender only prints whatever address you have entered on the system or Paypal etc etc
Or give a name to the flat, like Seven...
I know flat 1. The boars. Smith Street
1 Smith Street
1a Smith Street
Post is a nightmare for those 3 properties. They sort themselves once a week is the agreement (edited)
Flat 7, No. 8 Name Road
or something along those lines
There is over a mile between these addresses, but at least our "neighbour" is good enough to deliver to us (we do the same of course!)
Also since the pandemic packages are just left at our front door. I either find out as I trip over them leaving the house or when I track them and the photo of the package by our front door appears. What disturbs me is they appear to be so quick to deliver that is doesn't trigger any of the 4 security cameras!
It doesn't affect us at all because with the postcode and house number on it's own the parcels get to us, but it was interesting to see your post and see we're not the only ones dealing with a rearranged address.
For example FLAT 10 BUILDING 7 would be 7/10 as the building number is usually first. sometimes the flat number is changed to a month 7/OCT but they always write on it as October being 10th month meaning flat 10.
Other than that Flat 10, 7 Nameless road also works for us and not been an issue.
I remember very rarely we had someone's post. The person ordering got numbers wrong way round but we just either gave it to postman or post box with note saying they don't live here might be building 10 flat 7 (10/7).
We also have a problem with takeaway drivers because the next village along has several of the same name streets/roads (named after classic poets and authors.).
I live in a very remote rural area and theres three properties with the same first name, that is I am HUKD Farm, then there's HUKD House and HUKD Cottage but every parcel that any one of us has ordered gets delivered to me regardless of who it's from or which courier delivers it. Thankfully we all get on with each other and my neighbours are elderly and don't do much online shopping but it's a bit of a pain as both of the other properties are 3/4 of a mile away in different directions!
but CH still does not permit punctuation separation in reg office addresses:
find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/com…ory