GeoDirectory incorrect address

Paulw · 12-06-2009 1:09pm #1

I think/hope this is the right section for this issue.

I know my address and know where I live (obviously). I've been using the same postal address since I moved in to my place almost 4 years ago now.

However, when I look up my address in places like UPC or Domino's Pizza, the address they have for me is wrong. When I query this, I'm told that they get their addressing from GeoDirectory (part of An Post).

When I contacted GeoDirectory about their error, I was told that I am wrong and they are correct.

How best to explain without giving my address -

Say I live in 25 Development Y, Area X, Dublin 11.

GeoDirectory say I live in 25 Development Y, Street A, Area C, Dublin 11.

Now, Development Y and Street A are very different. Development Y are all apartments, while Street A are all houses. They are visible from each other, but are still separate.

In relation to the Area, their Area C is under the control of Dublin City Council, while Area X is under the control of Fingal County Council. I contacted Fingal Co. Co., and they confirmed that the address I am using is correct.

When I again went back to GeoDirectory with the information, they again said I was wrong, and that they confirmed this with an area visit, asking people where they lived (I know at least one person they spoke to). Now, Area C is a large area, and is a well know-ish area, and many people from around there moved to this new developed area in the boom. Area X is a newly named area, which up until 6 years ago, had 2 houses.

An interesting bit of their site visit, was that they spoke to the Chairperson of the "Area X Resident's Association" who confirmed the area name.

I have tried to ask GeoDirectory to correct my address, or even give me a path to escalate my issue to, and now, they have stopped responding to me.

Any ideas or advice?

Sam Vimes · 12-06-2009 1:23pm

Why does it matter? Are you not getting post or something? Google maps has my address in Clonsilla even though it's about 10 minutes away. It doesn't really bother me

dudara · 12-06-2009 1:24pm

A lot of recent developments were given 'better' adddresses to make them seem more desirable, I wonder if that is what has happened here?

Paulw · 12-06-2009 1:28pm

The "better address" is worse.

My problem comes when I do use a service like Domino's pizza online delivery, and every single time the delivery guy goes to the wrong place and has to phone me to find where I am. If my address was correct, then I'd get my nice hot pizza on-time.

Sam Vimes · 12-06-2009 1:29pm

dudara wrote: »

A lot of recent developments were given 'better' adddresses to make them seem more desirable, I wonder if that is what has happened here?

This is true. Apparently there is over €100,000 in the price difference between the apartments at A and B on this map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Ashbrook&daddr=53.372787,-6.334294&hl=en&geocode=FbRoLgMdemaf_w%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=53.372505,-6.33261&sspn=0.004378,0.013947&ie=UTF8&z=17

because A is Dublin 7 and B is Dublin 15 (castleknock). Craziness of the highest order

Sam Vimes · 12-06-2009 1:32pm

Paulw wrote: »

The "better address" is worse.

My problem comes when I do use a service like Domino's pizza online delivery, and every single time the delivery guy goes to the wrong place and has to phone me to find where I am. If my address was correct, then I'd get my nice hot pizza on-time.

Ah right so, that's a good reason

Did you tell them that no one can find your house? Could you speak to the resident's association yourself?

Paulw · 12-06-2009 1:36pm

Sam Vimes wrote: »

Ah right so, that's a good reason

Did you tell them that no one can find your house? Could you speak to the resident's association yourself?

Oh yeah, I did. I've tried to explain, but GeoDirectory won't listen.

My OH is the Resident's Association secretary, and has been trying to push the issue too. It's like banging your head on a brick wall.

There is no economic reason for the incorrect address. No value difference between the areas.

When I asked why Area C is used, I was told one reason is because it's commonly used by residents. I then asked if everyone started saying we were Donnybrook, could we then use that as our address??

Sam Vimes · 12-06-2009 2:39pm

Paulw wrote: »

Oh yeah, I did. I've tried to explain, but GeoDirectory won't listen.

My OH is the Resident's Association secretary, and has been trying to push the issue too. It's like banging your head on a brick wall.

There is no economic reason for the incorrect address. No value difference between the areas.

When I asked why Area C is used, I was told one reason is because it's commonly used by residents. I then asked if everyone started saying we were Donnybrook, could we then use that as our address??

Could you use the data protection act?
http://www.dataprotection.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/rights/RightsPlainEnglish.htm&CatID=16&m=r

5. Right to change or remove your details

If you discover that a data controller has details about you that are not factually correct, you can ask them to change or, in some cases, remove these details.

Or is your address not considered personal information?

Cabaal · 12-06-2009 3:17pm

Sam Vimes wrote: »

Could you use the data protection act?
http://www.dataprotection.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/rights/RightsPlainEnglish.htm&CatID=16&m=r

Or is your address not considered personal information?

I was just about to post this myself, imho it would be personal info as such you are entitled to it being correct

parsi · 12-06-2009 3:55pm

Cabaal wrote: »

I was just about to post this myself, imho it would be personal info as such you are entitled to it being correct

Yes, but who decides what is correct in terms of placenames ?

Paulw · 12-06-2009 4:18pm

parsi wrote: »

Yes, but who decides what is correct in terms of placenames ?

Surely that would be the local authority? According to my local authority, I am correct and An Post are wrong.

I've never had a problem with post getting to me, and have always used the same address. The only problem seems to be companies/services that use GeoDirectory as their source of data.

Just logged a complaint/query with the Data Protection Commissioner.

tallaghtoutlaws · 12-06-2009 5:15pm

Paulw wrote: »

Surely that would be the local authority? According to my local authority, I am correct and An Post are wrong.

I've never had a problem with post getting to me, and have always used the same address. The only problem seems to be companies/services that use GeoDirectory as their source of data.

Just logged a complaint/query with the Data Protection Commissioner.

I would get a letter from both your local authority and local councellor and register a letter with copis of both these letters to GeoDirectory and this will prove them wrong. Its seems they are being stubborn and lazy if you ask me. State in all the letters that they a disrupting the usage of local services due to their error.

Mad to think some idiot behind a desk is telling you where you live.

Paulw · 15-06-2009 12:35pm

Just heard back from the Data Protection Commissioner - your address is not considered personal data, unless it is combined with your name. So, an address system, as with An Post, GeoDirectory, (and such services) does not form personal data.

Now, I've no idea what next to try.

smelltheglove · 15-06-2009 12:55pm

I can see why people say developers give different names to affect prices. I grew up in Castleknock, on Pecks lane and I remember having pals from Carpenterstown and Coolmine, Roselawn and more, some of these areas were adressed in Blanchardstown and then when I turned around 12 they decided to change the names, so my pals that lived in Coolmine now said they lived in Castleknock and this made a HUGE price difference to their house.

Now since this is not the case I wouldnt have any idea how to combat the geodirectories problem without having all the residents raise the issue together, even then you are not guaranteed geodirectories will give a damn.

For the Dominos pizza problem there is an easy solution, actually two.

First one is when you give your telephone number to dominio's pizza their system remembers your adress, there is a section here for special instructions, if you contact the manager, or at least someone who can understand you, then you can have the real address put into the special instructions, then each time the labels are printed for your pizzas this will appear alongside the adress used, this is where the driver looks to see where they are going and if there are any extras required etc.

Second option is, each Dominos pizza has a large map on the wall where the drivers can see where they are going, you can again ask the management to ensure that this map is up to date with all the information.

Dominos are quite good with this, I worked for them years ago as a manager and we actually sent people out to map the area rather than rely entirely up maps supplied to us. Every once in a while new developments open up and these maps need to be updated so maybe the next time they print a map they may have your street correct on the map.

Paulw · 15-06-2009 1:08pm

Ah, maps ... another favourite of mine.

When our development was built, some nice map person had us where a block of shops are. No living units, just all commercial shops, etc.

So, for almost 2 years, delivery companies and such couldn't find us.

That could be fixed by now, hopefully.

As for getting the residents together ... that's almost impossible even for matters that are really important, never mind little things like the name of where we live. *sigh*

antoinolachtnai · 15-06-2009 1:31pm

The postal address is just that, a postal address.

It does not necessarily bear any relation to where your house is actually located. This sounds bizarre, but this is how it works.

The postal address is not 'legal' in any way. It's just a way to get mail delivered.

The advice you are getting from the council is probably correct. The problem is that the council and postal naming schemes are not coordinated at all.

This isn't just an issue at the micro, local level. 'Co. Dublin' no longer officially exists as a place, but this address must still be used for mail delivered outside the numbered postal zones.

There is no real resolution to this issue. Geodirectory are not going to sort this out. Nor do they have to.

I have seen some other nonsense around Dublin 11. For example, 'St. Pappin's Street' is the name somebody made up for one half of the Santry Cross development. St. Pappin's Street isn't even a street. It's basically a car park with a path down both the sides.

Nobody was consulted about this, and the name isn't on any deed that I know of.

It looks like they made it up to avoid it getting mixed up with the other half of the Santry Cross Development, which is in Dublin 9.

Paulw · 15-06-2009 1:41pm

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

The postal address is just that, a postal address.

It does not necessarily bear any relation to where your house is actually located. This sounds bizarre, but this is how it works.

The postal address is not 'legal' in any way. It's just a way to get mail delivered.

The advice you are getting from the council is probably correct. The problem is that the council and postal naming schemes are not coordinated at all.

My problem more relates to companies/services that use GeoDirectory as the primary address resource.

When I log on to my UPC account, it tells me that my address is as GeoDirectory have. However, they are billing me to the correct address (as I gave them). So, now, I've gone to UPC and told them that they can't say my address is X, while they bill me at Y. They need to address and bill me for the same address, where I do actually live.

It's totally mad how the addressing system isn't controlled, co-ordinated and legal.

antoinolachtnai · 15-06-2009 1:49pm

Well, to be fair, UPC are doing their best to keep both their systems (geodirectory based) and their customers (reality-based) happy. If they could buy a better address database, they probably would.

Gunther_Gloop · 06-11-2012 11:02am

<resurrecting an old thread>
I noticed this with my address some time ago too, but more & more it's becoming an issue. I can't even register with some companies now (eg. Tesco) without putting in the "wrong" address because once you start giving an address it completes it for you.

This problem gets worse when you make an order with one company (who insist on sending to the same address as on your credit card or paypal) and then pass it on to another company for fulfillment/ delivery (eg. FedEx) who use the Geodirectory database.

My address is not one of these "Celtic Tiger vanity addresses" either. It's an old area -Farran, in Cork. According to Geodirectory, Farran does not exist (my postman assures me it does -he lives in the same area in fact). On Geodirectory, it is Ovens (which is next door). I have no problem putting Ovens as my address, but everyone knows this is Farran. On the Geodirectory, Farran National School and Farran Woods are both in Ovens. This is just nonsense -and is making things more difficult the more companies use Geodirectory.

Of course Geodirectory won't contact me or return my calls -and there is never anyone available to talk to when I've rung.

I can change my credit card address and paypal and anything else to this wrong address (awkward though it all is), but if they ever get around to fixing it I'll have to do it all back again the other way. It's just very frustrating that there isn't anywhere to contact or a path to follow in order to prove your case. There must be one or two thousand people living in Farran. Even now I doubt most of them know about this problem -but increasingly they will.

GeoDirectory incorrect address

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