Moving is part of life, and changing addresses also comes with its own hassles. One of them happens to be where you receive mail. It is important that you change your postal address to avoid receiving mail at your old address. In this article I will be dealing with all your possible questions about changing your address and how much it will cost.
To do a USPS change of address without a credit card means that you have to go to the post office in person. Here you will be given a form to fill in, where you can input your details. This is free to do. However, if you want to make the change online, you will have to pay a service fee of .10 and you will be charged on your credit card.
Why did USPS charge me $80 to change my address?
The USPS will never charge you up to to change your address. Changing or moving your address is free, but if you intend to change it on their website, you are only required to pay $1.10.
If you have been charged up to $80, it means that you have likely been scammed by a third-party website that has no affiliation with the United States Postal Service.
Scams like this are quite common, and you must be cautious when trying to change your address online. In July 2020, the Better Business Bureau released a circular that shows how these scams work:
Individuals who want to change their address will type “change of postal address” in their search bar, and then a number of sites will pop up. Many of these sites will appear official and authentic, just like the one belonging to USPS.
This circular went on to reveal that most of them even have the trademark of USPS on their sites. They also go to lengths to ensure that their sites are optimized for search engines. This ensures that their sites appear at the top of search results.
When you click on these sites, you are introduced to something that looks like the original. However, they are just scammers. When you put in your details, especially credit card information, you are charged a fee higher than normal. The owners of this site then go on to file the change of address with the real USPS database at $1.10, but keep the rest of it at change. Otherwise, they could do it offline and keep all of the money.
Can I print USPS change of address form?
Not anymore.
Although the form for a change of address can no longer be printed from your computer, you can still use one of the available alternatives. You can go to any USPS facility and process your request for free, or you can make your change of address request online at USPS.com for a minimal cost. Either way, you can update your address.
At one juncture, having the ability to print directly from the website of the USPS. It spared you the inconvenience of going to the post office to apply in person, saving you time and effort.
However, as technology has progressed, the process of printing out the form, bringing it to the site that is closest to you, or sending it in the mail has become more difficult. Make sure the United States Postal Facility is aware of your new address by using the online service for changing your address.
It will cost you money to update your address via the internet system. The United States Postal Service will verify your identity for a fee of .05, but it will spare you from going to the post office, which means you should take into consideration the amount of money you will save on petrol.
Pick up a PS form 3575 at any U.S. Post Office and present it immediately to the counter clerk to avoid the cost, or if you’d rather not provide your credit card details for the purpose of identity verification. These are typically kept in the same spot as the other client forms, so you should look there to find them.
This is the procedure that must be followed in order to change one’s address.
You can begin the process of changing your address online by going to moversguide.usps.com/mgo-m/ and selecting the “Get Started” button when you get there. The website will instruct you through each step of the process. As a standard practice, the Mover’s Guide that may be found online will include promotional coupons and deals.
Following the submission of your change of address form to the United States Postal Service, the post office will issue a letter to the address from which you are relocating to confirm that you are actually moving.
You will get a welcome kit at your new address within five days from the date that you indicated would be your move-in day there. The Welcome Kit will contain a confirmation code. If you need to modify or cancel the order that was placed to alter your address, you will need this code.
Why is USPS not letting me change address?
The reason for this is quite simple. The USPS requires that the billing address (the address on your card) match the old address that you are trying to change. If you have a new card that has a new billing address, a hack you can try is this: change that address to the previous one temporarily, then apply for a change of address on the USPS portal. Just like magic, it works.
You can simply change it back after you are done.
Can you do change of address over the phone?
Yes, you can. You can get a 3575 form by contacting the post office in your area and asking for it to be posted to you. To contact the United States Postal Service, dial 1-800-275-8777. If you decide to alter your address on the phone, you will be required to pay the verification cost of $1.05, which is currently in effect.
Can anyone change my address with USPS? Can you file a change of address for someone else?
Con artists have the ability to change your postal address without you even being aware of it due to the fact that the USPS does not require any paperwork to change your address.
It is possible for anyone to walk into any post office in the United States and fill out a change of address application in order to redirect mail. After that, all of your critical documents would be sent to a new address, which may have been chosen by a criminal in order to obtain the information necessary to commit identity theft.
To pull this off, all that is required is your nomenclature, your address, and a signature that has been forged on the form. The USPS does not demand any kind of identification from its customers. A note verifying the new address will be mailed to you at the address we have on file for you.
On the other hand, this detail is easy to overlook. The change will occur even if you take no action to stop it.
And for the same reason above , you can actually file a change for someone else.
How do I stop old tenants’ mail?
There are some steps you can take to stop receiving mail meant for the previous residents.
- Writing a “Return to Sender” on envelopes: You can write a “Return to Sender” or “No Longer Residing Here” on the envelopes of mail. This will inform both the sender and the post office that the recipient isn’t residing at that address anymore. You could also write this on sticky notes to avoid damaging the parcel.
- Cross out barcodes: You can also cross out barcodes, assuming that the postal service makes use of an automated delivery system. This is because barcodes will lead the letter back to your place. However, crossing it out makes the system tag it as “undeliverable”.
- Talk to the postman: You can also talk to the mailman or mail carrier. Talking to whoever delivers mail to your address will go a long way in stopping future deliveries.
- Write a letter of complaint: Alternatively, you could simply just write a letter of complaint to your local post office. In this letter, state how you do not want letters meant for previous tenants to keep coming to you. If you don’t want to do that, you could also call them and have a physical meeting with them.
- There is also the option of calling the USPS Consumer Affairs Office.
How long does it take for mail to be forwarded to a new address?
USPS takes about 7 to 12 business days to process forward and request. Generally, it is advised to begin filing your change of address request two weeks prior to moving out.
How do you know if your mail is being forwarded?
Whether you changed your address online, over the phone, or in person, you should give a two-week interval before attempting to find out the status of forwarded mail. This will give the postal processing centers enough time to log your address change in their database and also allow your local post office to receive the documents that will authorize them to begin forwarding to your new location.
However, if after this time interval, you are still not receiving your mail, call the USPS service line at 1-800-275-8777 and ask to be redirected to the post office closest to your previous residence.
How long does it take for USPS to change address?
The change is usually immediate, if you submitted the request online. However, it could take up to five business days to process physical submissions.