Addressing

Addressing for your Incoming Packages

Most of this information is written in the light of Amazon.com shopping, but mostly applies to other vendors.

When you open an Amazon account, they will have you fill in your Name, Addres, City etc. They provide a CUTE little place for you to put in your Apartment number, po box, etc.

DON'T put in your apartment number there!

USPS is now returning packages that do not have the PO Box number on it. If your packages comes via usps, that could be an issue! See below."

Instead put your PO Box number there.

Your apartment number should be On the SAME line as your street address:

Jane Smith
123 W 7th # 105
Or in case of apartment letters:
123B W 7th

AVOID USELESS INFORMATION

Things like Mr, Mrs., Ave, Street, St, APT, UNIT, etc only
add clutter and could confuse the computers.

Try to put your phone number on your address. It may help.
Contrary to popular opinion, UPS accepts PO Boxes, as long as your phone number is on the label. That doesn't mean UPS delivers to the actual po box.
However, many vendors choke on PO Boxes. It's THEIR software, not UPS.
Believe it or not, many vendors choke on street addresses. Here is why:
They use software that "verifies" your address against the US Postal Service database. Since Nome USPS does not do home delivery, their database for Nome only has:
- General Delivery; or
- 113 W Front St. (The address of the Post Office)

So what to do?

You can have our package sent to General Delivery -or- 113 W Front, Provided you let us know ahead of time so we can have you in our cross-reference database.

You may have good luck with a street address. If so, here are some guidelines:

Addresses in Nome are consistent. Most streets need an east of west designator, like 744 E 5TH. Don't fail to do this!
Don't include more than one street.
Things like "1701 E 5TH and K" will mostly cause a misdelivery or no delivery. Are you oh 5th or K? It is a great cause of frustration for drivers.
Don't assume "The Driver knows where I live." Maybe. We quite often assign spare drivers to routes. The spare guy has no clue where Jane Smith lives.
For Packages coming to General Delivery or PO Boxes we maintain an extensive database that cross references your Name to my database street address.
But for this to work, we need to know. Please text it to me. 907-304-1053:
Hi, my Name is Jane Smith. Packages coming to my PO Box 12345, please deliver to 1706 E 8TH.

Here is a proper UPS address that satisfies USPS as well:

Jane Smith
1706 E 8TH # 102
Box 1234
Nome, Alaska 99762
907-555-1457

Notice the apartment number 102 is written # 102.
Absolutely do not put apartment numbers in a place proviced by Amazon. Be sure to put it all on the same line! If you do, while it may show up on the label, but does not show up on the lists they send me. And where do you then put your post office box number?
Notice Box 1234? Gets there when you put in your PO Box number in that little box they provide!
Jane Smith
1706C E 5TH
etc
Note for apartment C, the apartment number is part of the house number, 1706C
By city ordinance, landlords and homeowners are required to have house and apartment numbers displayed. Often, landlords do not do it.
Very frustrating to drive down a street and several houses in a row have no numbers on them, or are obscured. We do get misdeliveries on this!

Here are some examples:

GOOD: Jane Smith
1706C E 5th
Nome, AK 99762

Jane Smith
1744 E 5th # 102 [apartment # 102]
Box 1234 [From little box they provide

BAD: Jane Q. Smith [Middle Initial]
1706 EAST 5TH Avenue [EAST, Avenue redundant]

Jane Q. Hyder-Smith [Dual Last Name, Middle Init]
1706 E 5th and K UNIT C [UNIT, two streets]

Loooooooong names and addresses:

Jane Queenie Hyder-Smith c/o Phillip K. Dunderhead
Green House across street from Old Youth Facility

What can I say? The name gets cut at character 18, rest is lost.
The Address? What address? This is a description. Please find out where you live and put that in.

General Delivery and 113 W Front Street

These are FINE as long as you TELL ME! Just text me your name and REAL address, I'll put you in my database.

If you use 113 W Front, disguise your po box number in there in case they send it USPS/Mail:
113 W Front #12345
or
113 W Front # 12345
Sometimes the same works for General Delivery:
General Delivery #12345
Why? If it happens to come by mail, the Nome Post Office knows where to service you.

You Moved within Nome

If you move, let me know. Why? Amazon may not have your new address. Or packages already on the way to the OLD address.

This also applies, even more so, if you use a PO Box, General Delivery or 113 W Front. Don't forget!

We really want to get the package over to you!

Satisfying USPS as well

It has come to our attention that USPS is RETURNING packages that do not have the po box on the label. Unlike me, they do not keep a usable database of people and addresses .... so

The examples I gave above tell you how to satisfy both ups and usps.

Contact information

If you contact me, always use text. On your first time or two, it helps if you give me your NAME so I can put you in my phone's contact list.

Here is a typical text:

"Hi, my name is Jane Smith, at 1706C E 5TH. I am expecting some UPS packages 1Z1234560212345678 and 1Z6543210398765432."

Or something like that.

We all Like This Work!

My drivers and I really like and enjoy this job. It gives us pleasure to deliver your package the same day we got it! It brings a smile to you, and to us as well.

============================
NOTE: Association with the Polar Cafe
has been terminated as of 9/1/2025
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I have found UPS to be a wonderful company that cares. Their HQ staff in Louisville is wonderful and helpful. Lost packages, change of address (even moved out of state), reroutings etc. are handled professionally. Within Nome, I am the Man. But for beyond Nome, the HQ is best. 1-800-PICK-UPS

I was born 1945, been in Nome since 1965, and doing UPS since 1997, 28 years.
I love it here!