I recently moved from one apartment to another in the same city (different zip code though), and when I tried changing the address, it says USPS couldn't validate it.  So I researched a bit on the forums here and tried to look it up on http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/zcl_0_results.jsp# and it found my address.  It's not a new apartment building, it's been here over 20 years I believe.  So I'm a little confused as to how to fix it. 

If you found it at usps.com, then it should work here also. Try entering exactly what you got back from USPS, with the street address all on one line. Do not try to put the apartment number in the c/o line. That belongs on the same line as your street name.

I have had this happen to me one time when shipping live pet shrimp to a person. They warned me that their address would not validate via the USPS web site (where I print postage on my printer). The receiver said to just use the address and the mail carrier knows to get it to them anyway. IMO, it is simply a database error on the part of the USPS.

I couldn't get my address to validate here at PBS ( I recently moved to a year old community with a new zip) and I can't get it changed on ebay either.  I wrote R&R here and they changed it for me on my address page....but ebay won't.  They said to keep checking and eventually they will accept the new zip code.

It seems that the program PBS is now using is really causing trouble (adresses that I could use formerly to send books to friends, now I cant use to send to those very same adresses....)

- the post office is arbitrarily rejecting adresses that are too new, or even in a different font- it's rediculous and PBS should stop using it, but in the meantime, is there a way around it? 

It's nothing to do with the font. The font refers to the shape of the letters on your screen.

PBS is using the official USPS validation process, and no, there's no way around it. Only addresses that exist in the USPS database can be used by PBS' printable postage provider, therefore, those are the only addresses you can use here -- even if you're not using printable postage.

This thread is a few years old, so USPS has a new link to use for address checking. It's here: https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action?mode=0&refresh=true

When you put your address in there, USPS will return a correctly formatted address with a 9-digit ZIP code if it can find one. The addresses that are valid at PBS will have only one single result returned from the USPS search and that result will include a full 9-digit zip. If you get more than one result, or only a 5-digit ZIP, then that address is just not valid here.

When we moved here last year, we were unable to change our address on PBS for this reason.  They put my husband's account on hold because of it.  I had written to PBS about it for him.  Thank God I hadn't written in my name because I would not have been able to access the swap I was in and would have been in default.  It took about 6 weeks for the PO to validate this address, which is for a house that was built in the early 1800's.  I had to call and visit the local office a few times, then someone here advised me to call the "address validating" office ( can't really remember what it was called) and once they looked into it, I had my address validated in a few days.  Mind you, we were getting mail since the day we moved in here and my postmaster couldn't understand why I was so upset or how PBS had such an issue with it.  I think that might be why he didn't push to have it fixed.

I was told that since the previous owners had a PO box, the local PO had had the address removed from the deliverable list.  That just baffled me as I've had PO boxes, gone back to regular delivery, gone back to PO boxes etc and never had an issue.

Good luck.

I was told that since the previous owners had a PO box, the local PO had had the address removed from the deliverable list.  

Yes, this is correct, espesially if you live on a "rural route" (you don't have to be in the country to be on a "rural route") Rural carriers are paid "evaluated time" not time worked. Evaluated time takes all sorts of things into consideration, including number of deliveries and miles driven. If a route is "evaluated" at 8 hours, the carrier gets paid for 8 hours work, wether it takes him 6 hours or 10 hours. If a route gets "inspected" and is found to have delivery points on the route that aren't actually delivery points, the delivery supervisor can get into trouble.

We had that problem (and still do with some things).  We just moved into a newly built housing here and we still can't order some things because they don't recognize our addy.  Old navy we never had a problem with until now.  Same with netflix/blockbuster.  I had to call and talk to one of their people to get them to override the addy issue.

Ifyou are having difficulty with your USPS address validating Rachel, you need to discuss it with your local PO.  If it is not properly in their system, insist that they update the information (may require some information/documention from you).  Once they get it in the USPS system, then other data bases (such as PBS, Old Navy, Netflex, etc.) can access the information and update their data bases also.

Sorry I didn't answers earlier..we talked to the on base po and they were clueless.  But another person told us it can take a few months to sort it out since it's a new house.  Most places now recognize the address (all except pizza hut...lol).