Wrong address, package returned: how to check addresses before shipping
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
7 min reading time
Address errors are the cheapest mistakes to prevent and the most expensive to fix. These are the five you encounter most often, plus a thirty-second check that catches them.
There's one thing more annoying than a damaged package arriving: a package that doesn't arrive at all and returns three weeks later with the sticker "address unknown." You then lose the shipping costs, the return costs, the packaging material, and usually a portion of your customer's trust. Meanwhile, the cause is almost always the same: something was incorrect on the label, or something was not complete on the label.
The good news is that address errors are predictable. They fall into a handful of categories that you can almost all catch with a quick check before packing. Below, we'll go through them, plus what you need at your packing table to keep the label legible and intact.
Five most common address errors
In practice, you consistently encounter the same five:
The missing house number suffix. "Kerkstraat 12" when it should be "Kerkstraat 12-B" or "12 hs". In apartment complexes, this is the number one cause of undelivered packages.
The postal code that doesn't match the house number. A typo in one letter of the postal code, or a postal code from an old order that was left unchanged.
Everything on one line. Customers sometimes type their entire address into the "street name" field. Then the house number falls outside the separate number field and either doesn't appear on the label or appears incorrectly.
A different name on the door. The order is under the customer's name, but the building has the name of the company, the landlord, or the previous resident.
The delivery address versus the billing address. This often goes wrong with gifts: the package should go to the recipient, the invoice to the buyer. If you mix them up, the surprise ends up at the wrong door.
Note that none of these five have anything to do with the carrier. They all originate before the package leaves your premises.
Minimum information required
A Dutch delivery address consists of a few standard components: the recipient's name, the street name with house number and any suffix, the postal code, and the city name. PostNL describes on its own page about addressing and packaging parcels how the address should appear on the shipment; check there for current guidelines, as these can change and vary per carrier.
Two practical points related to this:
Postal code and house number are the core together. The combination of these two determines the address in the Netherlands. If that combination is incorrect, a correctly typed street name will no longer help you.
Suffixes belong with the house number. Place them directly after it, not on a separate line where they might be overlooked.
A thirty-second check
Before you start packing, take out your order list and check three things for each shipment: is there a house number with any suffix, is the postal code structure correct (four digits and two letters), and is the delivery address the correct destination? If in doubt, one email or text to the customer is always cheaper than a return. Then, don't ask "is your address correct?" but state the address literally, including any suffix. This usually makes the error jump out immediately.
The label itself: legible, flat, and securely attached
A correct address is useless if the label becomes illegible. Three things determine this:
What goes over it. A layer of clear tape over the label keeps out rain, but never tape over a barcode in a way that creates glare or a crease. With the KINZO Packaging Tape 50 meters x 48 mm (€3.00) and a Kinzo Tape Dispenser with 2 Rolls (€9.95), you can apply a neat, crease-free strip in one go.
Old labels, reused boxes, and duplicate addresses
If you reuse boxes or repurpose returned boxes, you run a specific risk: an old address or barcode may still be on it. Two addresses on one box is one of the few errors you can't correct once the package is en route. So, completely remove old labels, or make them unreadable with a wide black marker and place a piece of cardboard or a blank sticker over them. Half-scratched out is not enough.
Moreover, if you want to be able to tell if someone has tampered with the box en route, the Security Seal Stickers VOID - 60 pieces (€9.95) are a cheap addition. They leave a visible trace if pulled off, which helps in discussions about a damaged or opened shipment.
International and business addresses
As soon as a shipment crosses a border, the rules change. Address formats vary by country: the city is sometimes before the postal code, house numbers are sometimes before the street name, and the country name should be at the bottom on a separate line. Copy the address exactly as the customer provides it and do not rearrange it according to Dutch custom. Also, check with your carrier what customs documents are required, as these vary by destination and change regularly.
For business addresses, there's another pitfall: often no one is present during lunchtime or after five o'clock, and on large industrial estates, the tenant's name is not always on the building. Put both the company name and the contact person's name on the label. That costs you one line and saves a failed delivery attempt.
And if it still goes wrong
If you receive a notification that a shipment could not be delivered, do not immediately resend it. First, find out exactly what address was on the label and compare it with the order. If you find the error there, you will immediately know whether it was due to your input or the customer's data, and that determines who bears the costs of the second shipment. Briefly note recurring errors: if the same suffix is missing three times a month, there's something in your ordering process that needs attention.
Keep a small stock of packaging and label materials aside for re-shipments. Nothing is more annoying than a package that needs to be sent out again when you've just used the last box of that size. A Desk Organizer with Phone Holder (€5.00) on your packing table keeps markers, knife, and pens together, so you don't have to search in the middle of a shipment.
Get started
Address errors don't require a large budget to fix, just a consistent routine and reliable materials. Everything you need for that can be found in Envelopes, Tape, Mailbox Packaging, and the wide collection of Packaging & Shipping. Writing supplies are under Office Supplies.
Unsure which size envelope or box suits your shipments, or want to know what you might need monthly? Email your question to info@verpakkingdeals.nl and we'll help you figure it out.
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