No Option for VI as the State in the New Address

Have you asked to speak to a supervisor or team lead? If they aren't willing to help just switch to online payments and pay your bills online.

Try giving them the zip code

I use VA all the time, with the correct zipcode. 🙂

Of course, I only do this when there is no other option. It all depends on what it is for. For USPS stuff, the zipcode seems to be all that really matters.

I second lifetime, although it may or may not work for stuff over the phone, if an online vendor ships USPS but does not have VI, selecting VA with the zip code always works!

Some companies have address verification systems that require the state and zip to match, along with the address.

If it doesnt have VI as the state code sometimes it will have it under the country code. If they even offer that option.

I've never tried the VA thing, feels too risky to me with finances, I always call as well. If the person on the phone can't fix it there manager can, just have to be pushy. But like the other poster said I do everthing online and by email.

I registered at a web site this morning to buy equipment. There weren't any choices for VI under US/ State. When you select country, you do get this choice:

"Minor Outlying Islands of the US (Non-Continental)"

It kind of makes you feel insignificant, huh? Well at least they had a choice for VI.

Most times you can scroll down in countries and find Virgin Islands US. Typically for me if there is no VI on the drop down, I just delete what ever I was ordering and go somewhere else that accepts us!

Good news is that really most accept us now days and there is always vi cargo or simular businesses if you have to have it.

I suggest clicking on country drop down and choose Virgin Islands US

The Virgin Islands are not "Minor Outlying Islands of the US - Non-Continental". They consist of nine insular United States possessions. Palmyra Atoll is the only incorporated territory of the United States. Currently, none of the islands have any permanent residents. Also included are Johnston Atoll, Midway Atoll and Wake Island. BTW - I use "VA" for shipping if a correct choice is not available and it almost always works.

This is so funny!

If I do not find the "country" of Virgin Islands (US) or some such when I cannot input the state, I write to the company and let them know that they missed a sale.

Drugstore.com contacted me and had me use HI (Hawaii)... why their webmaster did not simply alter the script slightly is beyond me, but I get my stuff just fine using the zip code + 4!!!

I have a company which does CC processing over the net and I do a bit of code work on it. We also ship product overseas, so... here's some insight:

The two letter state code is not checked by creditcard authorization process. You could put any state in that spot and it wouldn't affect the card going through.

There are two required verfications to get a CC approved, neither of which include the state info. The first is an agreement between your card number, the expiration date, name on the card and your zipcode. They apply a mathematical code to check these four components. Top secret stuff.

The second is an address verification. The numerical part of your street address (and not the name of the street) and the zipcode you provide must match the cardholder's record on file. This is why many CC forms ask you for your billing address... so they can verify the info. But this industry-wide verification process ignores street names, names of states, and even country names because those are too easily misspelled.

This is why some online companies will tell you to "fake" the state field on their form.

Companies which will not allow their online forms to accept orders from the USVI may be doing so due to fraud, as much as lack of proper code. Speaking from personal experience, over the years the number of "chargebacks" from customers who used legitimate cards but claimed never to have received the product, were about 90% from "overseas." That's the real problem.

Except we are not "overseas" any further than Alaska or Hawaii.

Except we are not "overseas" any further than Alaska or Hawaii.

Hawaii is actually much further overseas than the USVI and Alaska is connected to the same continent so isn't really over anything but land.

I've always wanted to go to Alaska and play midnight golf.

Never appealed to me. I had a step-uncle who worked there in the 70's.

Yeah, I guess you are right. I have heard that the black flies are bad there in the summer. Still I would like to go sometime just to say I've been there.

I'd rather go to Maine but I hear they have those flies too.

I've always wanted to go to Alaska and play midnight golf.

I lived in Anchorage for 4yrs as a kid and used to caddy in the Midnight Sun Golf Tournament every year. It was pretty cool seeing the first set of golfers tee off at midnight. Fourth of July fireworks were also a unique Alaskan celebration as it was like watching a fireworks show at sunset.

It sounds awesome. Maybe next summer we can take a trip there. I have heard that the fishing is great.

The fishing in Alaska is pretty phenomenal. We used to fish for King Salmon in May floating the Kenai River, fly into Lake Iliamna for the two week Red Salmon run and drive down to Seward for the Silver Salmon. One of our trips to Lake Iliamna we brought out about 300lbs of salmon between our group and broke a couple rods in the process. You hook a salmon and it gets out into the current which is exactly where it goes once hooked, you have a pretty tough fight on your hands.
I am trying to set up a trip for next summer to take my dad and brother back up to Alaska for a reunion fishing trip.

JJ would be pretty impressed with the crabs up there!

Do you have any recommendations on a good place to stay?