If you cannot answer the door and nobody can do it for you, buying online (eBay or elsewhere) is not for you.
Hello 'dnjdhd_0',
Do you live in a house or an apartment? It might make a difference, but perhaps not much.
Increasingly Canadians are having to walk down the block to a little cubicle from which to retrieve their mail.
So even though a seller sees a "house" address, like Lakewood Drive, the homeowner's mail is still delivered
to a postal box of a sort.
I just don't understand people's upset over a box number, -- not the way the postal clerks officiously guard
those boxes.
One thing you can try, on ebay anyway, is when you are doing a Search, on the left side of the page find where
it says Item Location. Choose Canada Only, to see if you can find what you want here in Canada.
Canadian sellers generally have a good understanding of the postal system and just how safe & secure its
postal boxes are.
And of course, you can always ask a seller if she will ship to your postal box for the reasons you have explained.
If the seller agrees, she may need to add you to her list of exemptions.
Now then, if you live in an apartment or condo you may not want the postee to leave your item in the lobby.
At that point, using your street address means you will be left a paper card to hand over to the clerk at the
nearest postal outlet to you. You will likely need to show ID, unless the clerk knows you on sight.
If you live in a house, the carrier may be willing to leave the parcel on your doorstep, particularly if you have a
note on the mailbox or door asking for this, saying you have just stepped into the bath or some such thing.
If the item is small it may fit in the mailbox, or in the cubicle down the street if you no longer have home delivery.
If you and your neighbours are having to use those cubicles, there should be a parcel compartment there.
You will be given a key to that and a notice to tell you the parcel is there. That is easier than going all the way
to a post office.
If you have been using a post office box, that means you are mobile, -- or someone you know grabs your mail
for you from time to time.
If you get a card telling you there is a parcel you need to pick up, -- assuming the item was not left on your doorstep
or placed between the screen door and the wooden one , -- and if your friend is going to get your mail for you,
you will have to fill in the back of the card and sign it over to the friend.
You yourself do not usually have to sign for a parcel unless the seller has sent it "signature required". If it comes
that way, you must sign, whether on the doorstep or in the postal outlet when you pick it up. Most times, however,
you just hand over the card with a piece of photo ID (unless they know you) and they hand you the package.
The card that is left for you will have the location and phone number of the postal outlet, so if you have any
concerns about, say, having your friend get it for you, you can always phone and ask the clerk about it.
And you realize, of course, that if an item is left on your doorstep or handed over to someone at your request, the
item will be recorded as "Delivered".
That is why most times postal workers are reluctant to leave parcels on doorsteps. The tracking will then say
"Delivered" even though it is not in your hands until you open the door and get it. If someone sneaked up and
stole it, -- there would be nothing you can do.
The only other thing I can think of, if nothing you have read thus far seems suitable, is to call Canada Post and
explain your situation and ask if they can make a suggestion. It is free to call, and, well, you never know.
Best wishes. 
Featured Posts
