SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN — The Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service are cautioning customers to be aware of change-of-address websites that appear to be associated with the United States Postal Service, but are not.

Specifically, the BBB has observed a pattern of complaints against fastaddresschange.com, which has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau. Fastaddresschange.com is one of several third-party websites offering to help customers change their address with the Postal Service, and other companies for a fee. The complaints allege the website does not adequately disclose their total fees of $39.95. Instead, customers are led to believe they are paying $1, which is similar to the fee charged by the Postal Service, for an online change of address.

“Following a long list of complaints, this company changed the disclosures on its website in 2017 to make the price clear,” said Phil Catlett, president of the Better Business Bureau Serving Western Michigan. “At that time, the disclosures were also specific that the business was not affiliated with the U.S. Postal Service. Unfortunately, between then and December 2018, those disclosures were changed. Now the only price customers see on the main page is $1, even though the service they are purchasing costs $39.95. While there is still a disclaimer about not being affiliated with the government, the wording and location of this disclaimer have been changed, making the message less clear to customers.”

The disclaimer was added in 2017, but it has since been changed.

Last year, the United States Postal Service processed nearly 37 million change-of-address requests. Unfortunately, postal inspectors are finding that some postal customers paid for a change-of-address through third-party websites that charge fees as much as $40 and, in some cases, the change never got made. The United States Postal Service has no affiliation with the businesses that manage these sites.

The Postal Service charges $1.05 for identity verification for customers who change an address online through its Official Change of Address order at usps.com > Quick Tools > Change My Address. Another option for customers, which is free, allows a person to mail in or submit a change of address order in-person at any Post Office.

“Consumers need to be careful when they sign up for a service online” Catlett said. “A website should tell you how much you are being charged before you click the purchase button.”

Any customer who used a website other than usps.com to change an address and wants to request a refund, should contact the business that operates that website.

The Better Business Bureau offers the following advice for customers before purchasing services associated with a government service:

• Is it a government website? They advised making sure the person is on the right website before entering their personal information.

• Research the website: If a person is using a private service or website, they should do their research before they buy. People can go to bbb.org to see the company rating, complaints and reviews.

• What should the service cost? Is the service something offered by the government for little or no cost? Compare the government’s price with the cost of the service being offered.

• When in doubt, ask: If people have any doubt at all, they can contact the government agency or the BBB and ask of the offer is legitimate.