Incompetent verification is definitely a problem, like they applied the most simplistic concept of 'what's a valid email address'. I had a problem like this with a website that needed an address, trying to sign up for a phone at my new house. My address went like '123123 State Road 533' The name of the road was State Road 533, that is, as in Highway 533. However, the address interpreter read it as a road called State Rd and ignored the 533, and told me the address wasn't found.