Bank Of Scotland Botched Disguised Mail

What I'd like to know is why we can't simplify/standardise flat numbers. Surely it would be better to dispense with all the superfluous Thingmy Court/2-up-left nonsense, and just have a number and street? Also, the postcode system has an obsolete feel to it. I think we should "go modern" and have a numbers-only setup like the US zip code. We seem to manage ok with entirely numerical phone numbers.

"Ian Smith" wrote

Or, for that matter, dispense with the street as well - and simply have number & city/town? [Sounds a bit like a postcode!]

"Ian Smith" wrote

How is that any more "modern"?

Because it would break down as soon as a block of flats was built to replace a building which had only had one number.

I don't know - I think the current system allows people to easily recognise certain post codes - e.g. I know what KY16 is (St Andrews) but is it were replaced with 4875, then I would soon forget.

Axel

It's meant to be readable by people sorting large amounts of mail. It's a lot easier to look at 'EH5 1LJ' and see that it's an Edinburgh postcode than it would be if they all lokked like '6875783'.

But we'd manage better with alphanumeric ones. Something like an email or SIP address.

Eh? Why would we want to decrease the number of post codes available in the country - simply to increase delivery cost? Or do you really think the ZIP+4 - or 9 digit postcodes of the US would be easier to use than the letters and numbers - something much more reliable to record - there's no chance of transposing a letter and a number in the uk addresses.

but it wouldn't be St Andrews, it'd be St Andrews and Dundee as the area had to expand to cater for the smaller number of codes available.

Jim.

In message , Ian Smith writes

How would that help? The UK Post Code allows you to have a pretty good idea where an address is. How does the US Zip code do that?

I've just been typing up a database which included both people's addresses and phone numbers. The postcodes were easy to type: the phone numbers were a right pain. I had to keep double-checking that I'd got them right. I know the STD codes for the towns round about us, because I use them all the time, so I might recognise a mistake, but if you're using numbers from all over the UK they become meaningless. It's obvious that a postcode starting, for example, EX is for Exeter, but even a day later I can't remember the STD code for that part of the country.

I can, however, still remember our old phone number when I was a kid, mainly because they were alphanumeric in those days. It started with FOU for Fountainbridge...

ally

I had a similar problem where I used to live. The postman was quite put out once when I would not sign for a recorded delivery item for someone I didn't know and who lived 3/4 mile up the road. I used to get mail for him quite regularly - even when his address was written properly ie the post office confused 1 The Street with 1 Country Cottages, The Street. The fact that in both cases the postcode was correct for his house was irrelevent - I guess they are not used much by the PO.

At another address say 1 Oak Tree Cottages, Main Road. I encountered the opposite. When Safeway (as was) started issuing Shop-and Go cards I was told at the checkout that I would have to re-register as I had an ABC card. I was asked for my post code and house number - but she refused to listen to the name of the cottages as "that is not needed" I have no idea what the point of all that was as they never sent me anything - and I just continued to use the ABC card for "Shop & Go" until they decided to update the system so that 1. The terminals were more useful - listing items scanned and 2. the fast processing tills were removed so that there was no longer any point in using the system. i assume this was to make customers using the express service queue up for the same length of time as other customers so that they would not bother in future so that the management could say "what's the point" and scap the system a couple of months after refitting it.

Dundee postcodes start with DD.

Axel

That's an exceptionally foolish idea. I wonder how many people are going to throw unsolicited mail from Cumbrian garden centres straight in the bin? I would.

Isn't that where the "3/2 Main Road" system comes in? (No. 3, flat 2 Main Road)

Hilary

Indeed, some people might, if they dont recognise the sender, but HBOS must think it worth the risk. I used the term "garden centre" figuratively to mean rather that it "contains nothing of any value".

They enhance the nothing-worth-stealing inside appearance by using a very rough and large font for the address. It looks like it has been applied with a rubber stamp, and is also noticably squint. On the back is the return address given as PO Box 151 Penrith. The last place you would think it was from was the bank.

Douglas

: Dundee postcodes start with DD.

Phwoarrrrrr.

Ian

: That's an exceptionally foolish idea. I wonder how many people are : going to throw unsolicited mail from Cumbrian garden centres straight : in the bin? I would.

And how long is it going to take the post office workers who nick these things to work out what's happening?

Ian

At 11:22:18 on 24/09/2005, douglas delighted uk.finance by announcing:

My brother just got a letter addressed to him. Below his address was printed his e-mail address. Below that was his mobile phone number. Below that was his Amex card number (thankfully cancelled 6 months ago).

IIRC we run a paralel US style Zip code system. Which is why you see (or used to) strangely familiar long strings of numbers in the addresses on envelopes which have been posted to you from mass mailings. I don't know if that's still happening, nothing on the Royal Mail website about it.

I presume in the early days a numeric only code could be read more successfully by optical recognition. Bulk mailers can get an 8% discount today from the Royal Mail if they use a special OCR font.

DG

snipped-for-privacy@white-eagle.invalid.uk @ snipped-for-privacy@white-eagle.invalid.uk

??? Why can't you go with what we in the USA use: #### [street name], Apt #

(NOTE: Did not cut any group, because I don't know which one most are reading this thread in)

Because it doesn't just apply to apartments, and people are free to pick any identifier they want, because there's a general prejudice against wanting to live in blocks of flats developers don't pick addresses like that.

Jim.

What I should have said is that the "Court" name is the street address, and each flat numbered consecutively from the ground up. eg. "Flat 3/R Greatview Court, Shuggie Street" becomes "32 Greatview Court".

Numeric postcodes just seem easier to me than alphanumeric, based on my experience in the USA. By the looks of it, I'm in a minority. :-)