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Topic: DC not available?

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Subject: DC not available?
Date Posted: 10/21/2008 10:04 AM ET
Member Since: 9/11/2008
Posts: 203
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I mailed a book yesterday and when I tried to print the wrapper with DC, I got a message saying it was unavailable. I have only mailed a couple of books so far but I haven't seen this before. Has this happened to other people and if so how often? Does anyone have an explanation as to why it would be unavailable?
michelleanddavid avatar
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Date Posted: 10/21/2008 10:20 AM ET
Member Since: 1/22/2007
Posts: 1,101
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it does that sometimes. Keep trying  it will return.

bookreadera avatar
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Date Posted: 10/21/2008 10:46 AM ET
Member Since: 1/31/2006
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Also, some addys just can't use DC.  From the Help Center:

If you have chosen to add PBS Delivery Confirmation to your wrapper, but you get a message when you try to print, telling you that "Delivery Confirmation cannot be used for this address," that means that the requestor's address is not on the list of USPS-validated addresses.

  • An address must be on the USPS-validated list (which is very finicky about spelling and abbreviations) in order to direct a package to it with Delivery Confirmation.  The & and # signs are not permitted in USPS validated addresses.

Sometimes the delivery address just won't work with the automated system. 

Patouie avatar
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Date Posted: 10/21/2008 1:07 PM ET
Member Since: 8/26/2006
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It could be an address problem, but likely is a temporary thing that will go away if you try again later.  Here's some more stuff from the Help Center:

I am getting the message "electronic postage cannot be used for this address".  What does this mean?

  • This message "electronic postage is currently not available for this address" is an error message from endicia.com, our online postage provider, and often it just goes away if the sender tries again to print after a few minutes.  
  • If the address is not validated by USPS,  you will also see the above message.  In the case of an invalid address, the requestor can go to this site  to try to find the "validated" form of his or her address.  Printed postage can't be used to send a package to an address that has not been validated by USPS.
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Date Posted: 10/21/2008 1:45 PM ET
Member Since: 10/6/2005
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I have noticed that some apartment complexes seem to have this problem - I suppose the post office validates the complex or maybe each building, but not each specific unit number, and that causes the problem.

Also it tends to be a problem with newer homes because it seems to take about a year for a new address to get into the system - the post office has to wait until the new address gets onto the property tax rolls.

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Date Posted: 10/21/2008 2:37 PM ET
Member Since: 9/11/2008
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Thanks everyone. I think it is an address issue since I retried a couple times and it still wouldn't work. I ended up just sending it without. The book only has to cross a couple small states, so if it takes a couple extra days to get my credit, so be it.
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Date Posted: 10/21/2008 4:52 PM ET
Member Since: 8/1/2007
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I recently  has one going to apt 6W and I wasn't able to use PBS postage.  I looked it up on usps.com using the find zipcode feature.. and it found apartments 1W-4W... so... I did mail to a friend... and changed the address to 4W.. printed the postage... and then modified the address on the label so that the postman would take it to the right apartment.  Hopefully that works as planned.