Comments on: Shipping Address Validation http://www.lulu.com/blog/2008/12/05/shipping-address-validation/ Adventures in Self-Publishing Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:20:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Marianne Ruane http://www.lulu.com/blog/2008/12/05/shipping-address-validation/#comment-726 Marianne Ruane Thu, 11 Dec 2008 23:18:04 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=541#comment-726 Having just wasted over 45 minutes with Lulu's absolutely incompetent livechat staff regarding this issue, I have to agree with the last 2 posts. My parents live in a very small town and their address is not listed in the USPS database. I had the book I made shipped to my aunt's house instead, and I am EXTREMELY annoyed. I have better ways to spend my time this holiday season. A simple button that allows the customer to override the USPS database notification and send the item to the address as listed would have saved me (now) over an hour. I will not be using Lulu's services again. Having just wasted over 45 minutes with Lulu’s absolutely incompetent livechat staff regarding this issue, I have to agree with the last 2 posts. My parents live in a very small town and their address is not listed in the USPS database. I had the book I made shipped to my aunt’s house instead, and I am EXTREMELY annoyed. I have better ways to spend my time this holiday season. A simple button that allows the customer to override the USPS database notification and send the item to the address as listed would have saved me (now) over an hour. I will not be using Lulu’s services again.

]]> By: Rey http://www.lulu.com/blog/2008/12/05/shipping-address-validation/#comment-725 Rey Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:10:35 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=541#comment-725 I agree with "V". It didn't work for me. As I told a friend who asked me why I was so frustrated wuth Lulu, I answered "I usually get everything shipped to my job since I can't really get packages at my new apartment. Lulu's ordering system wouldn't accept my work address, telling me that an apartment number was required. I tried to trick their little system a thousand different ways, but it wouldn't accept whatever I tried to enter. I e-mailed their support and they essentially told me tough luck. So I ordered the book shipped to my apartment, where I might not get it." Of course, that was just the beginning of my frustration. I agree with “V”. It didn’t work for me. As I told a friend who asked me why I was so frustrated wuth Lulu, I answered “I usually get everything shipped to my job since I can’t really get packages at my new apartment. Lulu’s ordering system wouldn’t accept my work address, telling me that an apartment number was required. I tried to trick their little system a thousand different ways, but it wouldn’t accept whatever I tried to enter. I e-mailed their support and they essentially told me tough luck. So I ordered the book shipped to my apartment, where I might not get it.” Of course, that was just the beginning of my frustration.

]]> By: V http://www.lulu.com/blog/2008/12/05/shipping-address-validation/#comment-724 V Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:28:10 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=541#comment-724 I've been on a website that wanted me to input my address but I tried a million variations and the computer rejected each one of them. If the computer isn't flexible, you'll find a lot of customers giving up in frustration. As I did. It's really hard to read the "mind" of a computer. I’ve been on a website that wanted me to input my address but I tried a million variations and the computer rejected each one of them. If the computer isn’t flexible, you’ll find a lot of customers giving up in frustration. As I did.

It’s really hard to read the “mind” of a computer.

]]> By: Steven Doerfler http://www.lulu.com/blog/2008/12/05/shipping-address-validation/#comment-723 Steven Doerfler Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:22:38 +0000 http://lulublog.com/?p=541#comment-723 This is the correct way to use USPS address validation: 1. If the USPS database offers a correction, ask the user if they want to use it, or use the address as entered. 2. If the USPS database doesn't recognize the address, ask the user to confirm that they want to use it anyway. Well-designed web sites (including the USPS's own site) don't assume that the USPS data is up to date and always correct. The hubris of assuming they know better than the customer is a continuing source of problems at Lulu. We've seen this with Lulu misformatting foreign postal codes, rejecting APO/FPO shipments, and in diverse other cases. Just take what the user types and print it on the label without screwing it up, and things will work much better than these recurring attempts to be "smart". This is the correct way to use USPS address validation:
1. If the USPS database offers a correction, ask the user if they want to use it, or use the address as entered.
2. If the USPS database doesn’t recognize the address, ask the user to confirm that they want to use it anyway.
Well-designed web sites (including the USPS’s own site) don’t assume that the USPS data is up to date and always correct. The hubris of assuming they know better than the customer is a continuing source of problems at Lulu. We’ve seen this with Lulu misformatting foreign postal codes, rejecting APO/FPO shipments, and in diverse other cases. Just take what the user types and print it on the label without screwing it up, and things will work much better than these recurring attempts to be “smart”.

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