Atter 13 years on Etsy, my shipping address comes up as a bad address

[LilMissSweetPea]

Since 2011 I have had the same shipping address and always use Etsy labels. Today they are telling me that USPS cannot verify my shipping address and I could have issues using this unverified address. It allowed me to print the labels so it must be some kind of technical issue with Etsy labels today. Never a dull moment lately!

[thePaperFramer]

Ahoy Matey, Time to jump ship.........................to PirateShip and leave those Etsy shipping headaches behind.

[PrimFun]

Or not as Etsy labels work just fine.  After all bot use the same resource USPS.

[Vintorious]

I'm a big fan of Pirate Ship. There are so many posts here about problems with Etsy labels that I wonder why anyone uses them at all.

[HazelsSewingSupplies · Accepted solution]

@Vintorious  And, I am wondering why anyone would use Pirate Ship if they don't have to...lol

I don't like the idea of keeping a "reserve amount of money" or being debited everytime I buy a label.

The bookkeeping alone is enough to keep me on Etsy labels.

I have not found the "customer service" on PS to be as great as others have - don't know how good Etsy CS is because I have never had to use it.

When allowed to, I always take the path of least resistance and for me, that's Etsy labels.  I try to avoid anything that causes me more bookkeeping...lol!

[cutebutton]

yeah I may be missing the advantages of going to pirate ship?

I have had zero issues with etsy labels themselves.  The issues I have are with the post office which you would have regardless of where the postage was purchased.

From my research there is no cost savings to me at least using USPS so I'm seeing no benefit to going to another site to get exactly the same thing when I can just do it all easily on etsy.

But someone probably knows more about it and can explain the benefits?

[Vintorious]

@HazelsSewingSupplies I like having a single go-to for shipping across platforms. I've also had very good experiences with their customer service reps. As to bookkeeping, it's all in one place, so no problem there. 

[CuriosityCabinet]

I switched from endicia to pirateship last year and I love it. If I have a problem I am able to get help via their chat immediately and they are always friendly and helpful. I don't trust Etsy's customer service AT ALL in case something goes wrong. 

I too sell on multiple sites and like to keep my shipping all in one place.

[thePaperFramer]

Another unspoken but major advantage of PS is that its not just for Etsy, its for all your shipping needs, I also use it for my own site and no longer have to use the overpriced FedEx and UPS accounts I have.

So use it for eBay, your own site, shipping to your MIL PayPal, whatever. All your shipping in one place.

I would still use it for my other stuff even if I had to use Etsy labels.

If the only thing you ever need shipping for is Etsy, maybe Etsy labels are fine for you. But how may of us ship for multiple sites/uses? I would venture that many do. So again, walk the plank to PirateShip.

[cutebutton]

@thePaperFramer 

I also sell on amazon and I use their labels because it's easy.

When I had my own website and also sold on walmart.com I did have to have an outside source to purchase labels and at that point I used pirateship so I do see the benefit there.

But for just selling on amazon and etsy I doesn't really seem as useful more like another thing to manage. 

[babclassics]

Yep getting same problem though the errors given have changed at least once in last hour.  Am forced to use 2-word seller name instead of my shop name,  not happy

[LilMissSweetPea]

Mine let me use the "unverified" address, I just ignored the warning, it is my return address so it would have nothing to do with the buyer not getting their package.

[PrimFun]

It's possible if there has been any building or street changes in your area that USPS might have some different information now or an error in representation due to new inputs.

I would check with USPS to make sure that the address you have has not been messed with because of construction activity.  Sometimes adding new construction causes input issues.  Computers can make odd changes.  

[LilMissSweetPea]

No changes, I am in a community that was all built at the same time and I have lived here 25 years. 

[DarcyQuilts]

As a buyer, I get "your address is invalid" if I use Street instead of St, so it might be something like that.  As a buyer, I know the item will make its way to me, so I don't worry about it, but I don't know what it would/could mean for seller protection.

[LilMissSweetPea]

Well if my package is returned, for any reason, I know it will come to the correct address. I did get a message from a fellow Etsy seller who saw my post, that USPS had tracking down today, so that could have been the issue. I made more labels after that one and it didn't put up a warning.

[binguspingusart]

I get the same error!  I just ignored it as I know it is accurate.

[PinkBirdCottage]

One of the reasons I left Etsy labels was they often come up with unverified addresses that are in actuality perfectly fine. Too much time spent on and unneeded stress, in my opinion. The fact they are now questioning the sellers same usual address is a new wrinkle. Just ship it. 

[LilMissSweetPea]

I did ship it and the labels after that were fine, not red flags on address issues.

[MomsantiquesNthings]

I had same problem today, chatted with Etsy, they stated it's known issue and will email me back. My problem was the button to "review" was grayed out so I couldn't print it even with the warning. I ended up signing out, clearing cache & cookies and after a few tries the bizarre message at the top of the page "USPS cannot confirm your ship from address" disappeared and I was able to print my label. 

[LilMissSweetPea]

@Vintorious I guess it’s just easier for me. I have specific packaging for different items I sell and have them all saved so I don’t need to measure and weigh each package. I choose the template, which is preset and press print. I use Pirate Ship when it’s not an Etsy order and I need to ship something. 

[Vintorious]

Having preset options for shipping is also an option with PS. I have a lot of variation in the types of packages I use, so presets don't make as much sense for me, but I can see how they are useful. 

[HazelsSewingSupplies]

I have 3 shops on Etsy and two of them are fine with my shipping address.  On the other one, I "occasionally" get a message that my return address (which is the same as on the other two) is "unverified" - I just ignore it and my label prints okay so I take that message as another Etsy glitch and go on with my day!

[cutebutton]

my address at some point would do that every so often.  I would just reenter it exactly the same and then all the sudden it would be valid LOL.

I think it's just some sort of glitch.