USPS Releases UAA Data 1998-2021; Was Move Update Worth It?
WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Postal Service released a breakdown of Undeliverable-as-Addressed (UAA) from 1998-2021 by mail class from 1998-2021.
The comprehensive data shows how well USPS and mailer efforts succeeded in limiting undeliverable mail. Since 1998 mailers have seen direct and indirect costs for complying with numerous move update regulations.
So, how successful have UAA efforts been?
Comments have been turned on for well-considered, reader analysis. Scroll to the bottom for comment form.
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When this was started we were told it was a 2 Billion a year problem. Solutions for industry presented themselves, we sold and trained clients to use address quality solutions at all 3 points: collection, maintenance and once again before using. They can be stand alone, integrated into applications like shipping and shopping charts, heck they can even be lifted from print images, fixed, sorted etc. Looking at the numbers it is clearly successful as the vol of UUA has been cut in half, yet the costs seem to be neutral. upon closer scrutiny, you will notice the per unit costs have increased – reminds me of how UPS and FedEx make more money on their fuel, even when prices decreased by changing the index. The USPS simply increased the cost per unit. Not suggested anything is amiss, I don’t focus on this anymore, but it wouldn’t be the first time PMG Dejoy cooked the books to make them appear better — just look what he did to FCM time in transit performance by changing the targets.
Much simpler, cheaper, more effective program would have been to identify UAA and throw it away as early in the delivery chain as possible. Then send a letter identifying the piece/project and quantity disposed of to the mail owner with an estimated postage cost.
Still provide all of the tools currently available for correcting addresses. Don’t require the use of these tools and continue to collect postage on the garbage. By trashing UAA when first identified there would be minimal handling costs in dealing with these pieces keeping Standard Mail profitable.
Just eliminate the regulations and penalties. If customers want to mail to the dumpster, let them, and continue to collect the revenue. This would be a self-regulating, therefore more effective, policy.