eBay

musicyouneed · ‎06-08-2017

I have a new buyer in France who provided his address. As a check I usually google their address and on more than one occasion the buyer has left off his/her apartment number off. The person lives in an apartment building and did not provide his apartment number or responded to my 2 emails. Now there is a possibility that the suites in the apartment building have a separate addresses but I don't know how addresses go in France. Could each apartment have a separate address like 2-8 Rue ....... ? What would you do, send a third email? Mail as is?

ricarmic · ‎06-08-2017

I think sometimes we go looking for trouble.

I do not remember the last time, if I ever have, actually google mapped an address to check it.

I print off the PAYPAL receipt email (when it shows up!!!) and tape that onto the envelope.

As you know from my cookie jar insurance annual experience thread, I have very low loss rates....

My suggestion/opinion is to divert "address lookup" time to "list more stuff" time.... you'll be way ahead $$$ wise....

PS that was the very long and probably boring version of....don't worry about it and ship to the paypal address as is... 😉

musicyouneed · ‎06-08-2017

I look at it differently. A new buyer sometimes makes mistakes regarding addresses. I have been thanked many times for asking as it turned out they forgot the suite number. I approach it as good customer service. Now mailing to France cost $10.10 so I don't really want to lose that as every dollar counts for me.

femmefan1946 · ‎06-08-2017

Addresses and the way people write them are wildly different.

Have you ever mailed to a rural Saskatchewan address? Strange.

Could each apartment have a separate address like 2-8 Rue ....... ?

Is that what it looks like?

If so, that looks to me like Apartment 2 , 8 whatever Street.

And it's a small building, less than a dozen units, probably only six.

I might add the person's name in LARGE ALL CAPS to the label or on the back. Because most letter carriers are literate.

cumos55 · ‎06-08-2017

There are times that someone new to eBay will make a mistake... and forget something.... They do appreciate the correction

Then the address can look strange... compared to what we think is "normal"..

I have used the many search options for address and who lives there... Sometimes very interesting, and many times unusual.

The option is there.... and to be used.

I once mailed a parcel to Ottawa..... Canada Post said there was no such address... and the parcel was returned to me.....Yet with Google maps ... Street view....I was able to stand on the street and look at the building at that address.. Who am I to argue with Canada Post?

ricarmic · ‎06-08-2017

Hi Music!

Yep I understand your perspective as well!

Coincidentally the most incomplete address I've ever mailed to was to France! I don't remember how much of the address was missing but a lot was, which wasn't discovered until the item was already en-route.

It was a fairly expensive item but lo and behold it got there in normal time......

(Every dollar counts for us all, especially these days, and so far for any lost items I've had, I do not ever recall one being lost because of a partial address....I usually include the address in my communication with the buyer to make sure that wasn't the problem for INRs)

ypdc_dennis · ‎06-08-2017

@musicyouneed wrote:
... The person lives in an apartment building and did not provide his apartment number or responded to my 2 emails. ... What would you do, send a third email? Mail as is?

With no response I'd mail as is.

www.reddit.com/r/france/comments/4i4fp7/what_is_the_correct_way_to_format_an_apartment/

Has one reply that says:

... but where I've lived you don't use the appartement number but your name to get your mail delivered. ... That said it can't hurt to have the appartement number as well but most importantly make sure you have your name on your letterbox.

-..-

musicyouneed · ‎06-08-2017

Thanks everyone for your responses. I sent off another email but I will mail it today with no response. Really helpful suggestions, I did put his phone number on the back of the envelope just in case that helps.

The reddit link was really good, thanks.

rose-dee · ‎06-08-2017

It's probably too late now, since you've already mailed the parcel, but I'd say that posties in France would be likely to know who lives in the buildings they deliver to, especially if it's a smaller city. People tend to move around less in Europe than in North America, so there's often more knowledge of who lives where. And if the name is recognized, there's a good chance the postie will know the right box to put the parcel in.

So I'd make sure the person's name was written -- all in capitals for clarity -- on the back of the envelope, as well as on the front with the address you have from Paypal. Including the phone number was probably a good idea too.

hlmacdon · ‎06-08-2017

@rose-dee wrote:
It's probably too late now, since you've already mailed the parcel, but I'd say that posties in France would be likely to know who lives in the buildings they deliver to, especially if it's a smaller city.

Seems to be the case in my experience. Have never had a package to France or Europe returned as undeliverable for not having a unit/suite, whereas that is commonplace with USPS for US domestic mailings.