We moved our office recently, and we had a free one sent to us through the mail. IIRC, I ordered it through the USPS's website.

They had this in place when I moved 6 years ago. It's to prevent fraud from people trying to misappropriate others' mail.

But it made me decide to go down to the post office and use a paper form instead. I'm sure they still have them.

I've changed my address online and through the mail, and over three moves in the past few years, the post office has not once successfully managed to forward my mail. They don't even know what happened to half of it, and it was a huge deal to go to the post office, show them the confirmation form they had sent me, stating that they had received my change of address form and would begin forwarding my mail, and then have them not be able to find a single piece of it.

@GitEmSteveDave_PorchMonkey4Life: OK, let me clarify. I printed out the form from the USPS's website [moversguide.usps.com] and then dropped that form in our mailbox for the postman to take. Within a week or so, we were getting our mail from the old address.

Too bad the fraud protection part doesn't work. Some dummy at my company had a PO Box for the company forwarded to her house becauase she started working from home. She thought they would just forward the stuff with her name on it and not, ya know, trays upon trays of mail meant for the office. That was a fun nightmare to fix.

Did the post office confirm the forwarding order with anyone at the company? Noooo, they just processed the request and went along with their day.

I recently moved as well and the post office told me that they don't have the change of address forms anymore, you have to do it all online.

They charge a $1 so they can confirm your address that you have on file with the CC company. They always required a CC to verify, I guess now they are trying to offset the cost of doing the AVS check.

@JustinSane07: Note to self: Must file change of address for Bureau of Engraving and Printings "damaged currency replacement office" to my own.
Step 2:Profit.

I didn't change my address through USPS, I went through all of my accounts and changed my address so the company would send mail to the new address. Is this a bad thing? I already get most of my bills online so no paper mail should be coming anyway.

They have had this charge for $1 for at least the last 3-4 years. I know in the past you could just go into the post office and get the form for free, or do it online for $1. I'm not sure if they still have the form, I always just fill it out online.

Having gone both the paper address change and the online change, it's def worth the whole dollar. Your address change occurs in the system much quicker and forwarded mail arrives quicker too. Instead of waiting a week or so for mail, it was arriving in just 2 or 3 days. Pay the buck, it's worth it.

I had a lot of trouble changing my business address. I used to share an office with other self-employed people, so I changed my address when I moved elsewhere. I started getting all the mail from the old address instead of my own, so I had to cancel the forwarding order to keep from getting everybody else's mail.

I went to the Post Office to do this and the clerk told me "Do it online." I tried to do it online but the website does not permit me to change my business address as an individual or my individual address as a business. I called the USPS's 800 number and the operator told me to download the form from their website. I pointed out that that form isn't available on the website. She told me to go to the Post Office and hung up on me. I got the right form from a different Post Office and it seems to have worked. I suspect that the reason postal workers don't know how to tell a customer how to change a business address is that they never need to do it themselves.

@pecan 3.14159265: Well you could possibly miss one of those, which keeps on sending to the old address.

Another scenario is that maybe some mailing is already in the pipeline and the address might not get updated in time.

I myself went through all of my accounts, and changed the address, but I still did the USPS thing just to be on the safer side. Sure enough, my stupid bank sent me something to the old address.

@GitEmSteveDave_PorchMonkey4Life:
I think this would work better-
Step 2: ????
Step 3: Profit

When will the great consumer backlash against the phenomenon know as "nickel and dimeing" commence?

Heres a tip,,, we were instructed to keep the "Movers Guide" packets behind the counters with the change cards and put the "Online Cards" out on the retail side. My office still has a whole box of them. So ask us!

Just sent over a pic to the tips line proving this!

Its for your security doofus.

I've done a few changes of address recently, mostly from summer internships where I subletted. When I did it, it was free to fill out the form at a post office, but they charged $1 to do it online.

So the in-person thing is no longer an option?

I just moved 2 weeks ago. I went into the post office and used the free card.

Last year, when I changed apartments, I did the one online. The $1 is "to ensure it is you." I don't think $1 is that big of a deal and I also had no issue with the "from" address part.

I did notice that when I did the online change, it was much quicker. This time, when I did it with the card at the post office, the change took 3 or 4 business days before I started receiving mail.

@milrtime83: Must be very recent. Last month I moved and could still use the forms.

@grandzu: You got it right.

This was true two years ago when I moved from CA to NY. They had a $1 surcharge - not sure why an authorisation wouldn't have sufficed.

They still have the standard Change of Address forms available in the post office, and they are free.

No offense, but shouldn't this story have been researched a little more?

@pecan 3.14159265: Yes, you're supposed to do that. But if you miss something, or it's a personal letter, or for any other number of reasons, there's a good chance you'll get at least one piece of mail at your old address. So I always do the USPS change of address just in case.

After filling in the info for the online change, there was a small link that said "click here for printable form to mail/deliver to your postperson", IIRC.

I went ahead and paid the dollar after I changed over my address, I got some nice coupons like 10% off of a Lowe's purchase and a Best Buy purchase (like I'd ever use it...), and some other junk I didn't want.

I remembered to fill it out for my boyfriend when I was at the old post office mailing something. She just gave me the postcard part, and my boyfriend didn't get the fancy coupons/mover's guide.

@GitEmSteveDave_PorchMonkey4Life: My former roommate did the same thing... only problem is now I get a piece of mail that is his every now and again. I wonder if that will ever stop?

@s25843: The OP said he asked for a paper one and they wouldn't give him one.

@Nicole:

I just spoke with our hotline,, we're still keeping the paper cards. Automatic shipments went out last week, so all offices should at least have a box of 300 of the paper movers guide packets on hand by the end of this week at the latest

My apartment manager actually had a stack of change-of-address forms when we moved recently. I doubt that you can't do it the old fashioned way, the post office workers are just lazy.

@thesadtomato: Same here I moved in June and there were stacks of address change forms at the post office. The clerk even checked mine quickly before I left, in case it was filled out wrong.

Wow, it's only $1?

$39 in Canada. Thank your lucky stars you pay so little.

@morganlh85: Or maybe just that specific worker is lazy. I suppose it's more fun to smear the entire organization though.

As others have said, this is for your security. It ensures that you are you. If it was free online, I can't imagine how many teens would prank forward other peoples mail.

Honestly, it always amazes me when people complain about the cost of the USPS. I sent a small package to my mom (I'm in Texas, she's in Virginia) . The package was regular, first class mail. She received the package in 2 days. My postage cost was a skimpy 75 cents. That's a fucking bargain!

Is it possible the Teller meant that they were just out of the cards at that particular location?

You can also print the online application and not use a credit card and take it to any post office to drop it off. This is stated on the first page of the address change form online. You are not required to use a credit card in any circumstance for online verification. It just makes things faster in this case.

According to USPS website:
[quote]
If you do not wish to provide your credit or debit card number and/or pay the $1.00 verification fee, you may file a COA by any of the following methods:

* Go to any Post Office™ and complete a PS Form 3575 (COA Request form)
* Submit a domestic Internet Change of Address (ICOA) electronically from any personal computer with access to the Internet. However, the $1.00 credit or debit card verification fee will still be incurred.
* Complete and print out the ICOA form at Moversguide.com (without paying the $1 verification fee) and submit it to your mailperson or local Post Office™
[/quote]

You can also print the completed online application and drop it off at any post office sans credit card. This is stated on the first page of the online application. No one is forcing you to do jack.

@MissPeacock:

Thats been my experience. All the damn credit card offers and other junk mail crap seem to make it through, but if its something important forget about it. Like when the state sent me a letter requesting proof of vehicle insurance in a random check, I didn't get it. End result, I drive around on a suspended tag for 6 months without knowing it and when renewal time comes around, it takes 3 weeks and 5 trips to the courthouse to straighten it out.

Hey Joe -- call your credit card company and add your new address as an alternate billing/shipping address. You can still keep the "other" address as the primary.

@nytmare: I'm okay with the $1 charge online. No one wants someone else signing them up for a change of address, and the CC can be verified to prevent that.

Brooklyn post offices are notoriously horrendous. (I just had my own experience that I'll be emailing to Consumerist.) They're ALWAYS out of forms. They frequently run out of the Priority Mail and Express Mail mailers. They're always out of change of address cards. If you live in Brooklyn, you pretty much have to order all of this via the website. It's free, but count on a 4-6 week delivery period.

But don't worry -- even when you fill out the forms correctly, they won't forward your mail. So you don't miss anything by not doing the change of address. The former tenant in my apartment gets as much mail as I do, and my former roommate is not so distant second.

Also, USPS forwards change-of-address info to state tax offices! I had a forward for by then-fiancee's address before moved together to a different place, and that forward - to a residence I NEVER actually lived in - got passed to the state revenue department (Maryland, in this case) and a few years later I got calls from a collector about state taxes due Maryland -- a state I NEVER lived or worked in! They said they'd mailed me many notices (but to that temporary address, long after this switch, so of course I never got the notices!) It took sending copies of other states' tax returns to prove I lived elsewhere (What would have happened if I lived those years with in a state with no income tax?) Maryland tax worker said the info came from this change of address. Then, after straightening it out, the same thing happened AGAIN for another tax year! So Be careful where you forward, and always forward again from a temporary mail destination as soon as possible!

Getting mail forwarded the free way isn't a piece of cake either.

[consumerist.com]

I have done it both ways....and paying a dollar the first time didn't make things any easier. Still took my first brooklyn post office FOREVER to change the address in their system.

@pecan 3.14159265: That gets your accounts - but if you forgot one, or if its a place you don't purchase from frequently, or a friend has your former address - that's where this kicks in.

@Oranges w/ Cheese - now with 50% more kitty!: But I don't have a security doofus!

@Coelacanth:

They are SUPPOSED to still have the paper forms, but that doesn't guarantee that every indvidual post office WILL. I think a lot of it comes down to the facilities and (sometimes) general laziness of the employees at the particular office you go to.

I've been to some post offices where the staff was great and helpful, and some where it was like pulling teeth to get the simplest thing done.

The USPS used to have a page with handy instructions on how to pack a hippo, but I can't find it, just this blog with a copy of the information that was there.

If you have to file a change-of-address and you want to avoid junk mail do a temporary address change. This forwards all your mail for a year, but keeps your address off the database the USPS makes available to junk mailers. The USPS makes lots of money on junk mail and really wants to sell your info to anyone who might want to send you something. Putting a permanent COA on file is an invite for a flood of junk mail.

Since a temp change doesn't alert senders to your new address you will need do individual COAs for each sender, but I'd say it's well worth it.

My local post offices keep the change of address forms behind the counter. You must wait in line then request one. I've heard that some post offices "don't have them." The reason for this is that the USPS is monitoring post offices' and postmasters' sales of goods and services. Every buck counts. There's no reason for the USPS not to carry the change cards, since the cards themselves claim the printing costs are covered by the advertisers contained within, and no gov't money is involved.

@shepd:
So basically US$1? :-P

/ Yes, I know the CAN$ is worth about as much as greenbacks, sometimes even more.

@GitEmSteveDave_PorchMonkey4Life: Never ever do anything with the USPS online. It NEVER works. I have tried it twice. The first time I did a change of address online, and after not receiving my mail for about 3 weeks I went to the post office. They checked and didn't have anything on file. They asked if I did it online, I said yes, the clerk said, oh those never work, fill this out. I filled out a change of address form, handed it back and got 3 weeks worth of mail within 2 days. It seems they had been stuffing the box at my old apartment.

The second time I did it, had the same problem except the guy that moved in decided to keep my mail. He handed me a huge stack when I went to my old house to ask if anything had been delivered.