Fermanagh townland postcodes and 02 contracts

LMac

My boyfriend is trying to get a contract phone with o2 but they are apparently using an old database of addresses.

He lives in a townland/ rural area in Fermanagh and DP1, DP2 etc come up in the address field when the postcode is put into the likes of carphonewarehouse. There has been houses there for over 25 years so its not a new place.

o2 need to do a credit check and since they dont have the address on the system, they are hitting a wall.

Has anyone else experienced this and 02 have found a workaround?

We tried going through carphonewarehouse but 02 still needed to do the credit checks.

RTNI

can you contact the post office about this? they must the ones who manage the database that companies use to get addresses.

parkmoy

I live in Fermanagh and my post code has been cocked up for years. In fact I've got 2:) I've tried to sort it a couple of times with the Post Office with no success - the last time I just gave up trying to get through on their telephone system to a human being. I found that eventually the post code system listed all possible variations for my address so after 18 years it is no longer a problem.
As well as your townland address, do you have a road number adddress? Like most Fermanagh people I have, but don't use it, preferring the townland version. It might be useful to sort out your problem though.
What address is shown on the electoral roll? That is often used for credit checks.

Mr_Bun

My old business premises had 3 different postcodes!!!
Royal Mail had a different one from LPS who had a different one from NIE,etc.
No-one seemed to know what the correct one was,and we where in the middle of a town,not out in the sticks:)

LMac

Thanks for your replies. He has and uses the street address and the electoral roll has the full address that he is trying to use, as does his bank!

Might try pushing the electoral roll angle a bit but its maybe not really something the staff in shop can sort.

custardy

RTNI wrote: »

can you contact the post office about this? they must the ones who manage the database that companies use to get addresses.

Royal Mail,not Post Office

OP,what does the RM site list as his address?
does it match what he has given O2?

LMac

Sorry for late reply - Royal mail site give dp1 etc.

He contacted royal mail and they said he had to contact fermanagh district council as it was their issue. Will get it sorted eventually!

irishjohn

Back in 1974 the Royal Mail determined that in order to use Post Codes and automate delivery services - every dwelling or business in the country had to be given a postcode and also a street name and number. Street names and numbers were already in use in urban areas but in the rural parts of Northern Ireland some areas refused to be re-categorised as they wanted to retain the townland name, and historically country people liked their address to be name, townland name and county - because this was supported by district councils Royal Mail chose to allow them to bypass street names and house numbers and this is where the DP1 was slotted in to assist Royal Mail to subdivide particular postcodes.

There is still a desire to avoid house numbers and street names and just use townland name so the problem exists nearly 40 years on. And creates all sorts of problems when it comes to contracts with mobile phone providers etc. The only way it could be resolved is by enforcing house numbers and street names on those country roads.

Theonus

Hi,

If it's any consolation to anyone who's had trouble with the address and postcoding of this area of NI, the Local Authority is now working to make addresses compatible with the Postal Address File (PAF) system Royal Mail use. Royal Mail are currently postcoding these addresses and these issues should begin to dissapear from March 2013 as companies cache the latest data from PAF.

(This information has been circulated via news websites so it is fine to state here)

LMac

Thanks - we spotted that on the news No idea why it took them, so long!