Returning mail is a hassle that anyone in the business of operational or transactional mail, marketing mass mailers, or even moderately sized physical mail campaigns will be able to tell you all about. Much of the time, the problem of returned mail is a simple one that can be resolved by fixing an inputting error or a postage mishap. Although, considering the long list of USPS return mail postal codes, figuring out the reason or reasons why you end up with all this returned mail is the first step toward eliminating this unnecessary waste of time and resources. To give you an idea of what may be causing this problem, here are the most common reasons why you’re ending up with all this returned mail from USPS.
Not deliverable as addressed (Code 23 or 27)
The most common reason for your returned mail is likely because the person you’re trying to contact has moved and their forwarding period has ended without finalizing their new address. Luckily, this is one of the more easily solved problems because wherever they moved to is listed somewhere, most likely in the National Change of Address database or somewhere else that you can take advantage of to adjust the address.
Recipient doesn’t match address
You might be getting mail returned to your company because the address you have listed doesn’t match the person living at the address. This can happen for any number of reasons, the sender having very little control over this situation. While some people are just going to throw away any mail they receive that has someone else name on it, others will send it back to the post office where it ends up being your responsibility again.
Outside delivery limits
This is a common problem when you’re sending mail to a suburb of a major city, as it can be unclear to some people whether they live in Denver (for example) or if they live in Edgewater, a suburb right next door. If your customer provides you with the wrong city, the post office you sent to may not have the bandwidth needed to deliver outside their jurisdiction, which means they’re sending that letter right back to you. It’s a small, easy mistake to make, so it’s important that address information is accurate.
Redsson
Jul 13, 2020