should i ship to a p.o. box

stancad
Community Member

Hello,

I got a winning bid from a buyer from Canada.

I mentioned that I don't ship to a p.o. box.

Is it ok to still ship to p.o. box?

Thank you.

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should i ship to a p.o. box

Why wouldn't it be okay to ship to a po box?

Some people only have a po box.

You just have to make sure the widget is shipped through the postal service and not a courier.

 

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should i ship to a p.o. box

Sure it is, and in my opinion it is even safer than a street address.  Most postal boxes are in postal outlets and the managing clerk there hovers over those boxes like a lioness watches her cubs.  If your parcel is too big to fit into the box, the employees leave a card and your buyer steps to the left or right a few paces and hands it over to get the item.

Of course, you are not more or less protected from false not received claims, - those are due to the type of people, not the location.  And if you use one of those insured services, you can always file for reimbursement should it come to that.

I'm assuming that the postal box address is what comes up on your paypal notice for shipping.  As long as that is the registered address to which you are required to ship, all will be well.  Couriers often do not ship to p.o. boxes, but that's their problem not yours.

 

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should i ship to a p.o. box

wachalism
Community Member

In Canada, when shipping Canada Post, rural areas are mostly served by Post Office Boxes.  The address will usually have a Group Number and a Rural Route:  Example: Box 4, Group 552, RR #5.  If the item will be held at the post office for signature (if required) and pick-up if it is too big to fit in the Group Box (these boxes have openings about 6" x 6" and are about 18" deep.  I would think that it is okay to ship to them.  If they only have a the Post Office box I would be more concerned in regard to fraud as people in the city can rent these boxes. 

Linda

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8 REPLIES 8

should i ship to a p.o. box

Why wouldn't it be okay to ship to a po box?

Some people only have a po box.

You just have to make sure the widget is shipped through the postal service and not a courier.

 

Message 2 of 9
latest reply

should i ship to a p.o. box

Sure it is, and in my opinion it is even safer than a street address.  Most postal boxes are in postal outlets and the managing clerk there hovers over those boxes like a lioness watches her cubs.  If your parcel is too big to fit into the box, the employees leave a card and your buyer steps to the left or right a few paces and hands it over to get the item.

Of course, you are not more or less protected from false not received claims, - those are due to the type of people, not the location.  And if you use one of those insured services, you can always file for reimbursement should it come to that.

I'm assuming that the postal box address is what comes up on your paypal notice for shipping.  As long as that is the registered address to which you are required to ship, all will be well.  Couriers often do not ship to p.o. boxes, but that's their problem not yours.

 

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should i ship to a p.o. box

stancad
Community Member

Hello all,

Thanks again for your great advice.

I just wanted to be sure before shipping.

I can always depend on your excellent advice.

Your ebay friend

Stancad:-D

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should i ship to a p.o. box

wachalism
Community Member

In Canada, when shipping Canada Post, rural areas are mostly served by Post Office Boxes.  The address will usually have a Group Number and a Rural Route:  Example: Box 4, Group 552, RR #5.  If the item will be held at the post office for signature (if required) and pick-up if it is too big to fit in the Group Box (these boxes have openings about 6" x 6" and are about 18" deep.  I would think that it is okay to ship to them.  If they only have a the Post Office box I would be more concerned in regard to fraud as people in the city can rent these boxes. 

Linda

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should i ship to a p.o. box

5burkes
Community Member

I live in rural Canada and have a PO Box.  It's perfectly safe because our parcels are held for us to pick up at the post office.  I don't understand why some sellers have an issue with that.  I'm guessing that they have the wrong impression of what a PO Box is -- it's not the same as "Rural Route (RR) Site (S) Comp (C)" addresses, where your mail sits in one of those metal mailboxs in the middle of nowhere.

 

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should i ship to a p.o. box

humes04
Community Member

Yes. I'm not sure why big companies like Apple won't ship to us Canadians with PO box addreses. As the previous replies said, this is often your address in rural and small town Canads. I suppose somehow some crooks have a PO Box for their schemes.

 

*But how I get around it is by always giving my physical street address and then in the same line add box number such & such. It never fails. I do this when buying on ebay too, so the seller does not have to worry. Perhaps you can pass this method on to your buyer.

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should i ship to a p.o. box

leesim1
Community Member

If the address is verified by paypal it is safe. I have a PO box and i hate it when people won't ship to me because its silly. To get our parcel we have to prove our identity at the wicket before they will give us our parcel. It's probably safer than city addresses. I hope that helps.

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should i ship to a p.o. box

What will they do when all of Canada is switched to PO boxes which started last year.

 

If your a canadian and want to get around this simply sign up for Fleximail with Canada Post. This will allow you to pick the closet Canada Post Depot as your new ship to address and you will no longer have the limitations placed by eBay.

 

One other thing most sellers dont know is you have to change your options on your eBay account. However I still refuse to ship to PO boxes in the US.

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