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Scam Alert: Don’t pay to change your address ever again!

Posted at 5:13 PM, Aug 11, 2014
and last updated 2014-08-11 17:13:42-04

One customer is pretty angry. He paid $20 for something that could have cost nothing.

“You can do that change of address directly with the postal service for only $1 online or come into your local post office and submit it in person for free,” says Frank Schissler, US Postal Inspector.

Here is the problem: Many people do a random search for ‘change of address’ and wind up on one of a number of sites run by businesses. They might appear to be connected to the United States Postal Service, but they are not.

“Your credit card is being charged anywhere from $29 to $39 for them to change your address,” says Schissler.

Consumers have complained about various sites -including changemyaddress.com, that charge $1 upfront then later tack on additional fees for services.

“It is not illegal for them to charge these additional fees but people need to be aware they don`t need to pay them if people go directly to the postal service website,” says Schissler.

In fact, just this week – it was announced that 16,000 Ohio consumers are entitled to refunds from changemyaddress.com.

The refunds are part of a settlement of lawsuits that attorneys general from Ohio and Washington State filed in 2013 against the site.