Can’t We Do Better than a Bread-Crumb Trail?
Yesterday, two of my colleagues mentioned that changing their addresses when they moved was a tremendous hassle. Forwarding their mail was the least of it. Changing magazine subscriptions was almost impossible since the magazines posted no contact information in the magazines or on their websites. Ironically, even the phone company did its best to hide its customer service phone numbers (heaven forbid a customer should call them). Companies who did provide contact numbers kept them on hold or tangled in endless decision trees for minutes on end.
As I investigated a bit further, I found that this sad tale is very common and in fact it is estimated by some sources that it takes 30 minutes on average to notify each company. I also discovered that it would be a far better experience if they lived in the United Kingdom. To my surprise and delight, I found that www.iammoving.com is a one-stop, free change of address service in the UK, presented in association with Royal Mail (isn’t that clever)? The site claims to be safe and secure and won’t pass along your personal information without your consent. They seem to have thought of everything: you can notify essential services (water, electricity, phone, etc.) as well as charities, subscriptions, memberships, government agencies and financial services. You can even send electronic moving announcements to friends. So, if you are moving anyway, consider London.