Return To Sender Not Deliverable As Addressed: What To Do?

Sometimes when you send out mail, it gets returned to you. It’s not uncommon. The most common explanation for this is a fault in the information you provided on the envelope. When you get it back, you will see the reason for the return. The most common error is UAA or Undeliverable as addressed.

If the returned mail is classified as UAA or Undeliverable as addressed, it means that the mail wasn’t able to reach the destination. This happens due to an incorrect or incomplete address. You can call the post office and provide the correct address or submit a missing mail application.

What Does It Mean When It Says Undeliverable As Addressed? 

It means that the address you provided was not illegible, complete, or correct. Due to that, the mail carrier couldn’t deliver it to the intended destination, and it came back with a UAA error.

Why Would An Address Be Non-Deliverable? 

An address can be undeliverable due to several reasons.

The addressee may have moved from the provided address and did not update their address, or you may have provided the wrong information that led the mail carrier to return your package.

You may have missed the street number, city, or another part of the address.

Why Would Mail Be Returned If The Address Is Correct? 

It can mean that the person the mail was delivered to has moved and not updated their address. This can also be a different error. If your address is correct, but your mail gets returned, it can be the result of the following errors.

Not Deliverable As Addressed

The person moved and didn’t update their address, or the forwarding period ended.

Attempted-Not Known

Delivery was attempted, but the addressee was not known at the address provided. The addressee may have moved, and there may be new residents at the place of address.

Vacant

The place of address is not occupied. This means that the mail carrier went there but didn’t find anyone to receive the mail.

Insufficient Address

The address has missing information. It can be the street number, route number, or city.

How To Fix Undeliverable As Addressed?  

No matter the reason for your package not being delivered, you can do some things to fix the issue.

Contact The Post Office And Provide The Correct Information

You can start by calling the post office as soon as you find out that your mail wasn’t delivered as addressed and giving them your information such as your name and tracking number.

Then you need to tell them your problem and give them the correct shipping address.

Get Your Package Back

If they don’t pick up your call, you can go to the post office and request your package back. To get it back, you’ll have to carry a valid ID as proof, your shipment receipt, and your tracking number.

If they have your package present with them, they will give it to you on the spot. However, you need to remember that this method can be used only if 24 hours haven’t passed since your package was marked ‘undeliverable as addressed.’

Call The Post Office For Help

If you can’t opt for the options mentioned above, you can try calling the post office and letting them know your situation. Again, you will have to provide all your information, including your name and the tracking number.

Once you’ve done that, you will have to wait until you get a call back telling you that you’ll receive the parcel.

Submit A Missing Mail Application

If you don’t get your mail within seven days, you would have to submit a missing mail application and start a mail recovery center search.

You can do this by calling their customer service at their toll-free number and asking the customer affairs representative to start the search for you. You can also go to your local post office yourself and submit the search request.

Once you get your package back, you can contact the addressee and ask for their updated or correct address. You can update the information by visiting the USPS web page and editing the tracking details when you have the updated address.

Related Post: USPS Lost Your Package: Step-by-Step Action Plan

Q&A Section 

Q: What does USPS no such number mean?  

It means that the number you entered is not valid. You may have provided an incorrect or incomplete street address.

Q: What does return to sender no such number unable to forward mean? 

It means that your mail was returned because there wasn’t a correct street number provided. For example, if you’re sending a package to someone and the place they live has street number 1-150, and you write street number 160 in the address, your mail won’t get delivered.

Your package will return to you because the number you provided does not exist.

Q: Why does my USPS package say vacant?  

It means that the mail carrier went to the destination, and no one seemed to reside in the building mentioned in the address.

Q: What does return to sender vacant unable to forward mean?  

It means that your mail was returned because the address did not have any residents. The mail carrier may have come to this conclusion due to the following reasons:

• The address may have appeared vacant even though someone might be living there or may have been present there to pick up mail from the address.
• The addressee may already have untouched mail in their mailbox.
• The person living there may have moved or might not be present there.

Q: What does it mean when mail is returned unclaimed?  

It means that the post office couldn’t find the person the mail belongs to, and no one came in to claim the package.

This mail will eventually get returned to the sender, but USPS keeps it in the office for a couple of weeks if someone comes to claim it.

Related Post: USPS “Return To Sender” Message: 4 Main Reasons

Final Words

If your mail is not deliverable as address and gets returned to you, it means that the address on the package has faults. It may have been incomplete, illegible, or incorrect.

If this happens to you, you can fix this issue by contacting the post office and correcting the information on the package.