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Topic: Postage Feature Not Working Today?

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Subject: Postage Feature Not Working Today?
Date Posted: 1/11/2009 10:34 AM ET
Member Since: 8/24/2007
Posts: 117
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I had two book orders come in and I just tried to print postage for both of them through here - and it told me that electronic postage was not available for their addresses.  Okay . . . but they are legitimate US addresses and I was able to print my postage through PayPal for them . . . so it makes me think something is up with the postage feature here.

Anyone else having trouble?

PBSmaven avatar
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Date Posted: 1/11/2009 10:48 AM ET
Member Since: 5/22/2007
Posts: 9,682
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I printed out a wrapper with DC earlier, but not postage, about 2 hours ago. It worked fine then.

katydid13 avatar
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Date Posted: 1/11/2009 11:04 AM ET
Member Since: 1/19/2006
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USPS is very picky about the exact formating and wording used in addresses.  Pay Pal is less so. 

 

Here is what the Help Center has to say:

I can't use PBS-DC for this address? Why not?

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.

  • If this happens, you will not be able to use PBS-DC to send this package.

  • If you like, you can notify the requestor by Personal Message that her address is not USPS-validated; she can visit this site to test her address, and try to figure out if it is simply a matter of using a different abbreviation (even something as small as a misplaced hyphen can make a valid address register as invalid for USPS).

  • Even if the requestor changes her address to a valid address, if you have already downloaded the address file to send this book, you will not be able to change the address for the transaction now.
    • If you do not want to send this book without using DC: you can cancel the transaction by clicking "Cancel Order", then repost the book
      • If there are other copies of the book in the system when you cancel, the requestor's request will be passed along to a new sender, and she will get the book from someone else. 
        • In this case, when you repost it, your book will need to wait for a new requestor.
      • If there are NO other copies of this book in the system when you cancel, your book will be offered to the previous requestor again when you repost it.
        • IF the requestor has changed her address to the validated form before you repost, you will now be able to send the book with PBS-DC to that requestor.
Generic Profile avatar
Date Posted: 1/11/2009 11:15 AM ET
Member Since: 8/24/2007
Posts: 117
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Well, thanks - but that doesn't quite explain it either. I just tried the addresses in the USPS' own program, Shipping Assistant, and the addresses on PBS were acceptable ones and didn't have any funky symbols or weird abbreviations.  I'll try again later tonight as I have a couple of books on wish list hold right now - if they come through I'll try printing them.

pinkcypress avatar
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Date Posted: 1/11/2009 12:24 PM ET
Member Since: 7/23/2006
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I had two live help pm's about this so far today - I think there might have been a problem - not sure if it's resolved yet or not!

brat1 avatar
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Date Posted: 1/11/2009 4:41 PM ET
Member Since: 3/4/2008
Posts: 1,673
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I have used the postage today and it worked fine.  I have received the same message you got before and only one time has it meant that I had to send the book from the P.O.   I go back later and try to print the label again and it has always worked (except for the one time).  Good luck, that dang thing makes it so much easier for some of us!  So, it sucks when it doesn't work~!