Ping~
I’m rushing around like crazy with a pile of tasks to handle from the morning when suddenly that familiar message tone chimes in. Nowadays, with messengers being my go-to for communication, an SMS usually screams advertisement, credit cards, or shopping sites, so I tend to ignore them. But this time, the content peeking from the notification seemed unusual.
[Web Alert] [CJ Logistics] Reason for undelivered item: Road name mismatch. Please correct it.
https://hoy.kr/……..
Having shopped online quite a bit recently, I couldn’t immediately figure out which item this was about. But ‘road name mismatch’? I’ve occasionally chosen different delivery addresses for items, but I’ve never entered an address incorrectly. I’m pretty meticulous, always double-checking addresses two or three times, even copying them from saved notes.
I took a moment to look at the message carefully again.
‘Road name mismatch’
Usually, when filling in address fields online, you search for the road name and then manually enter the building number or apartment details. The message indicated a road name error. If not, it would have said the address was incorrect or nonexistent. Typically, you don’t manually input the road name; you select it from a list provided by the shopping site’s server. Therefore, a mistake in input is unlikely. If the shopping site had an incorrect road name and I chose it, only then would I receive a ‘road name mismatch’ message. But how could that be?
From the delivery person’s perspective, it implies the road name on the label doesn’t exist. However, the ‘road name mismatch’ explanation is vague. Mismatch implies a comparison showing differences, but delivery isn’t about comparing addresses. It’s about whether the delivery address exists. A clearer error message would be ‘unknown address’ or ‘nonexistent delivery address’ rather than ‘road name mismatch’. Imagining the delivery failed due to a road name error sparked frustration over the national project that changed lot numbers to road names.
Road names are a globally common addressing system, based on actual street names, making them somewhat intuitive. While ideal for grid-like planned cities, older cities like Tokyo, European cities, or Seoul with winding roads and unclear boundaries face challenges.
To implement road names, streets without names had to be named, creating a generalized logic for assigning road names and building numbers. But for the average person, does this matter? The problem is familiar alleys now have unfamiliar names like ‘Seongsu 20-gil’. Not remembering these names could mean no more chicken delivery! Wasn’t that a stressor?
Since January 1, 2014, road names must be used everywhere except land registries, yet shopping sites still offer lot number searches. The world is full of things that have become natural through repetition, like Halloween costumes or Thanksgiving turkeys. In Korea, lot numbers are like that.
Anyway, road names aren’t the main issue now. First, I need to find out which item was returned. But do I really need to worry? With a hyperlink below the message, a tap should tell me where the item is. I tapped the link without hesitation. But the browser only showed the logistics company’s homepage, offering no details. Anxiety started creeping in.
There’s one lead left: messaging the sender’s number. It could be an automatic message, but it might be the delivery person’s number. My curiosity peaked, I quickly typed a message.
‘I tried the link, but there’s no tracking number to search with. Could you provide it?’
Despite my polite message, no response.
‘Can you at least tell me which shopping site sent the item?’
My concise question was met with silence.
Was it an automated message? Yet, I’ve received messages from delivery folks about leaving items at the security office or picking up ice cream before it melts, so I couldn’t easily give up. Sitting frustrated and unable to do anything, suddenly,
Ping~
The message arrived.
‘I’m a victim of phone number phishing. Don’t access the message link, block small payments on your phone, and please stop sending messages here.’
…
..
Oh no! I’ve already accessed the site. What now?
That’s how I sent a message without realizing it.
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