Invalid postcode validated then reassigned wrong postcode

Bug Reporting
1

So we had a couple of these before but didn’t think anything of it, but today customer incorrectly added EN41TA which is a non-existant postcode (check maps), they then put their street address, stuart matched a similar address in TW3 2BH which is an extra 10 miles away. This resulted in a package being created for an address with ######## ROAD EN41TA, TW3 2BH Hounslow.
As a result no driver was assigned for over an hour.

  1. why did stuart apis validate this?
  2. why did it assume another postcode to be correct? (yes TW3 2BH has) the same street name but this isn’t where the customer is.
  3. how to avoid this in the future?

Package ID is 296471118

Please advise.
Thanks

2

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out!

Let me investigate the issue and I’ll get back to you shortly.

Best,
Tasnim

3

Hello,

Thanks for bearing with me while I dug into this.

  1. Please note that our API uses geocoding when an address is not accurate enough. The goal is to enrich the address by adding geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) to ensure precision in locating it.
  2. In the address you provided, as you pointed out, the postal code was invalid as nonexistent. As a result, our geocoder was triggered and identified the location as being in Hounslow, TW3 2BH, UK. A similar address also exists in London, E3 5JF, UK, which added to the ambiguity.
  3. We understand that the geo-coded result does not match the correct drop-off address for your client, and we apologise for the confusion this has caused.

To avoid such issues in the future, we strongly recommend providing coordinates (latitude and longitude) along with the address details whenever possible. This helps eliminate any ambiguity and ensures more accurate results.

Additionally, we suggest referring to our article on address best practices, where we outline tips such as using address lookup or validation tools to ensure customer entries are reliable and complete.

Thanks again, and sorry for the inconvenience caused.

Best regards,
Tasnim