USPS v4.2 - Error: We are unable to obtain any USPS shipping methods

[bboohh]

I installed the v4.2 upgrade in Feb 2011 of last year. I tested it successfully and everything seemed to be OK until just recently. I have not installed any virtuemart or joomla updates.

Here's the actual message...
Notice: We are unable to obtain any USPS shipping methods at this time, please choose from one of the following shipping methods.

[bboohh]

I am making progress on the error... I had seen an outrageous shipping fee for an order. In the course of placing a test order, I used an account without a billing address and received the error above. How do I make a request to provide a better error message, like - "Please enter a valid billing address!"

Then looking back at the order, I noticed it was international shipping.

On a second note, I tried to disable shipping calculator, and could not figure out how to do that. The "shipping module list" under "Store" in VM does not have any enable/disable buttons, and clicking on the green checkmark causes no action. Going into the configuration, I see no "disable" option.

Third... When I got the notice, the UI presented three DHL choices. Where did these come from, and how can I override these selections?

Fourth... wouldn't it be helpful for the customer to be able to manually enter a shipping fee if the shipping calculator is "unable to obtain any USPS shipping methods"? of course this would be honor system, but it seems better than offering an outrageous amount as a shipping option, like $30+...

Any guidance would be appreciated!