# 'Address Service Requested' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2021, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827 "2021-02-13T10:27:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/1 "2021-02-13T10:27:04Z")
As many of you may already know, I have a number of scientific and medical theories that I have been trying to share with people for about 20 years now, if not more. Anyways, I like using the US mail to share it sometimes. Why not? But I have noticed a lot of them have been returned to me. And it sometimes for the stupidest of reasons. A letter is off, a number, maybe I didn’t specify the suite, maybe the person has moved to the next floor. You get the picture. So I bought this stamp from Amazon that says ‘Address Service Requested’. I have no idea what that means. But if it means what I suspect it does, it might help the situation, I think. In any event, I was at the post office yesterday, getting stamps. And I asked the lady at the window what ‘Address Service Requested’ means. She had no idea, which seems rather odd. Do any of you know what it means, specifically? I assumed it meant they will try to forward your mail for you, if necessary. But after that postal employee’s negative or blank response, now I am not sure. Any help? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/2 "2021-02-13T12:06:01Z")
[https://about.usps.com/publications/pub8/pub8\_v05\_revision\_092017\_006.htm](https://about.usps.com/publications/pub8/pub8_v05_revision_092017_006.htm) > ACS is an enhancement to the existing manual address correction process provided with the use of Ancillary Service endorsements on all mail classes except Periodicals. The following ancillary services are available for use with ACS on First-Class Mail, USPS Marketing Mail, Package Services, and Parcel Select: > > - **Address Service Requested** provides forwarding and address correction services when possible. If the mail is undeliverable and not forwardable, it is returned to the sender with the reason identified on the mailpiece. > - **Change Service Requested** provides address correction services without forwarding or return. If undeliverable, either the new address or the reason it is undeliverable is provided to the sender. > - **Return Service Requested** provides address correction services and always returns the piece. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/3 "2021-02-13T16:53:45Z")
running\_coach nailed it, but I’m going to throw in that I believe Return Service Requested will charge the sender another first class postage cost for returning the piece. ---
**Author:** ![Enjoy\_Slurm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enjoy_slurm/32/3937_2.png) [@Enjoy\_Slurm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enjoy_Slurm)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/4 "2021-02-14T09:23:18Z")
What are these scientific and medical theories? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/5 "2021-02-14T16:02:56Z")
@Enjoy_Slurm I’ve already shared them here and other places many times before 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/6 "2021-02-14T16:05:35Z")
@ASGuy So I’ll owe them another 37 cents? Or more? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/7 "2021-02-14T16:27:41Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > @ASGuy So I’ll owe them another 37 cents? Or more? 🙂 More. The cost of first class postage is currently 55¢. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/8 "2021-02-14T16:38:06Z")
Why do you think strangers want to hear your “scientific and medical theories”? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/9 "2021-02-14T18:49:05Z")
@Eyebrows_0f_Doom Enjoy\_Slurm did 😉 . ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/10 "2021-02-14T18:55:55Z")
Right. Maybe his mail is being returned for insufficient postage. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/11 "2021-02-14T19:09:21Z")
Maybe when people see yet another spam letter arriving from this guy with a weird theory, they write on it ‘Recipient Unknown’ and send it back in an attempt to discourage him. 😄 ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/12 "2021-02-14T19:39:53Z")
I’m pretty sure that Enjoy\_Slurm is capable of searching for threads you’ve started. He was trying to have a little fun with you by drawing you out. I’m more interested in why you think letter-writing is a more effective way of communicating your theories than, say, setting up a website or self-publishing a book. Have you ever received a reply to any of these letters you’ve sent? ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/address-service-requested/932827/13 "2021-02-15T09:36:38Z")
@erysichthon I’ve received a couple of replies. And they were usually positive. I _do_ post on the internet, as already noted. I still like the USPS though. It seems to have more permanency to me. Plus if the person I send it to has a bee in their bonnet about something, what are they going to do? Cancel my mail? I rarely or never give people just cause to get upset. But you’d be surprised what gets people up in arms on the internet. And ironically as has been recently noted in the news, with some recent events, the First Amendment doesn’t apply to the private sector (‘_Congress_ shall make no law respecting a religious establishment…’). 🙂