How to reply when a customer wants to change their delivery address
"I've just realised I put my old address, can you change it?" arrives in shop inboxes every week. It sounds simple, and often it is. But an address change touches money, parcels and personal details all at once. Done too slowly, the parcel goes to the wrong house. Done carelessly, you can send someone's order to a stranger, or fall for a common scam. This guide covers what to check before you change anything, replies for orders that have and have not been sent, how to tell a genuine change from a suspicious one, a worked example, and the note to give an AI agent so it collects the right details without ever promising a change it cannot make.
The short answer
Reply quickly, ask for the order number and the new address in full, and check the message comes from the person who placed the order. If the order has not been sent, update it and confirm the new address back in writing. If it has already gone, say so honestly and explain what you can still do with the courier.
Replies you can adapt
Change the details to match your business. Names, prices and times are examples.
| When | Reply |
|---|---|
| First reply | No problem, Leah, I can help with that. Could you send your order number and the full new address, including the postcode? I will check whether it has left us yet. |
| Not sent yet, changed | Done. Order 3318 will now go to 14 Elm Road, Bristol BS6 5AA. Please check that is exactly right, as it is the address the courier will use. |
| Already sent | I am sorry, order 3318 left us this morning, so I cannot change the address from here. I have asked the courier whether they can redirect it and will update you by 4pm. If they cannot, the parcel will come back to us and we will resend it to the new address. |
| You need to check it is them | To keep your order safe, could you reply from the email address you ordered with, or tell me the email and the first line of the original address? Then I will make the change. |
| They want a different country | Thanks for letting me know. Sending to France costs £6 more than the UK delivery you paid for and takes three to five working days. Would you like me to send a payment link for the difference? |
| It looks wrong | Thank you. Before I change anything, I will need to confirm this with the person who placed the order, so I will email them at the address on the order. I hope you understand this is to protect their parcel. |
| Small fix only | Thank you, I have added the flat number, so it now reads Flat 3, 22 Station Road. Everything else stays the same. |
| Change for a gift | Of course. I have changed the address to your sister's home in Leeds. Would you like me to remove the price from the parcel, as it is a gift? |
| Out of hours | Thanks for your message. Our dispatch starts at 9am, so I will change the address first thing before anything is packed, and confirm by 9.30am. |
What to avoid
- Changing an address because a stranger asked, without checking they placed the order.
- Repeating the customer's full original address in a public comment or a group chat.
- Saying "that is fine" before you have checked whether the parcel has already left.
- Promising the courier will redirect a parcel. Only the courier can say whether that is possible.
- Letting an AI agent tell the customer the address is changed when it cannot change orders itself.
What to tell your AI agent
- Tell it to ask for the order number and the full new address, including the postcode, in its first reply.
- Tell it to check the message comes from the buyer: the same chat, the same email or matching order details.
- Tell it to say "I have passed this to the team" rather than "it is changed", unless it can really update your orders through its own tools.
- Give it your dispatch times, so it can say honestly whether there is still time.
- Tell it to hand any change to a new name, a new country or a very different city straight to a person.
When a person should take over
- Every change you cannot confirm comes from the buyer.
- Orders already with the courier, where a redirect or resend is needed.
- Changes that alter the delivery price or the country.
Why this message needs a little care
Most address changes are honest. People move, type the wrong postcode or forget the flat number. Treat these customers warmly and quickly, because the clock is ticking until you pack the order.
A small number are not honest. A common trick is to place an order with stolen card details, then message to change the address to somewhere else, so the real cardholder never sees the parcel. Another is someone who is not the buyer at all trying to have a parcel sent to them.
You do not need to treat every customer like a suspect. You only need one quiet check before you change anything: is this the person who placed the order? Most of the time the answer is obvious, and the customer barely notices the check.
Signs an address change needs a person
| Usually fine | Pass to a person |
|---|---|
| Adding a flat number or fixing a typo in the postcode | Changing to a different city or country soon after ordering |
| A message from the same email or chat used to order | A message from a new account or number with no order details |
| Changing to a work address nearby | Changing the name on the parcel as well as the address |
| Sending a gift to a family member, with the order number given | Pressure to change it urgently, "before you send it", with no reason |
| A first-time mistake on a small order | An expensive order that was placed minutes ago and moved straight away |
None of the signs on the right proves anything. They simply mean a person should look at the order before it changes. A short delay is much cheaper than a lost parcel and a card dispute.
A worked example
A homeware shop gets this message on WhatsApp in the evening. The AI agent works from the owner's note and a daily list of orders. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Customer, 8.40pm | Hi, I just ordered the lamp and put my old address by mistake! |
| Business, 8.41pm | No problem, I can help. Could you send your order number and the full new address, including the postcode? |
| Customer, 8.43pm | Order 5120. New address is 9 Park Lane, York YO10 3PL |
| Business, 8.44pm | Thank you. Order 5120 has not been packed yet. I have passed the new address to Tom, who packs orders from 9am, and he will confirm the change by 9.30am tomorrow. Please check the address above is exactly right. |
| Owner, 9.12am | Morning, Tom here. Order 5120 now goes to 9 Park Lane, York YO10 3PL, and it will be sent today. Thanks for letting us know so quickly. |
The agent collected everything Tom needed and was honest that a person would make the change. It never claimed to have changed the order, because it could not.
A note for your AI agent
Address changes
First reply: ask for the order number and the full new address with postcode.
Check it is the buyer:
- Same chat or email as the order, or
- They give the order email and the first line of the original address.
If neither: say we will confirm with the person who ordered, and hand to Tom.
Dispatch: we pack from 9am Monday to Friday. Orders placed after 2pm go the next working day.
What to say:
- Not packed yet: "I have passed the new address to Tom, who will confirm by [time]."
- Already sent: "It has already left us. Tom will ask the courier and update you by [time]."
Never:
- Say the address is changed. Only Tom can change it.
- Repeat the full old address in the chat.
Hand to Tom straight away: new country, new name, different city, or an order over £150.If your agent can update orders in your shop system through its own tools, you can let it make simple fixes, such as a flat number, and keep the rest for a person. Start with everything going to a person and widen it once you trust the setup.
Make it less likely to happen
- Show the delivery address clearly on the final checkout page and in the order confirmation.
- Put one line in the confirmation: "Wrong address? Reply within an hour and we will fix it before we pack."
- Pack orders at set times, so you and your AI agent can always say whether there is still time.
- Keep one place where your team records address changes, so nothing is changed twice or forgotten.
How Spaces fits in
Spaces connects your own WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and email accounts to your AI agent, so it can answer address questions in the chat the customer used. Spaces does not connect to your shop or your courier. Your agent works from your notes, or from your shop through its own tools if you have set that up, and the actual change is made there.
You can tag these chats and give them an owner, so the person who packs orders sees every address change in one place. On WhatsApp, Spaces waits at least 10 seconds between messages, so replies still go out at a human pace on a busy evening.
Sum up and next step
Reply fast, collect the order number and the full new address, check it is the buyer and be honest about whether the parcel has already gone. Confirm the change in writing, and let a person look at anything that feels unusual.
Write your address-change note and your packing times down today, and give them to your AI agent so every customer gets the same careful answer.
Pricing
FAQ
Can I change the address after the parcel has been sent?
Sometimes. Some couriers let the sender or the recipient redirect a parcel, often for a fee, and some do not. Check with your courier and tell the customer honestly what is possible. If it cannot be redirected, it usually comes back to you to resend.
Who pays if the parcel goes to the wrong address?
If the customer gave the wrong address, many shops ask them to pay for the second delivery, at least for larger items. If the mistake was yours, you should cover it. Decide your rule once and write it in your delivery policy.
How do I know the person asking is the buyer?
The simplest check is whether they wrote from the same email or chat used to order. If not, ask for the order email and part of the original address. If something still feels wrong, contact the buyer using the details on the order itself.
Is a sudden address change always a scam?
No, most are honest mistakes. A change to a far-away city or a new name straight after an expensive order is worth a closer look, though. A short check by a person protects both you and the real cardholder.
Can my AI agent change the address itself?
Only if it has its own access to your shop system. Spaces connects your messaging accounts, not your shop. Without that access, the agent should collect the details and pass them to the person who packs orders.
Should the agent repeat the new address back?
Yes. Asking the customer to check the full address in writing catches typos before the parcel leaves. It should never repeat the old address, though, especially in a public place such as a comment.
What if they want to send it abroad instead?
Tell them the extra cost and the delivery time, and take payment for the difference before you change anything. Pass it to a person, because customs and different couriers can be involved.
How quickly should I reply?
As quickly as you can, ideally before your next packing time. If you reply after the parcel has gone, a simple change turns into a redirect or a resend. A fast first reply from your AI agent buys you that time.