Privacy question/practice - how often sellers use P.O. Box and Google Voice number for "ship from"?
Hi,
I am new to selling in eBay (have been an eBay user for decades). Now being a seller, I was wondering about the common privacy practice in eBay seller community.
How often or common sellers use P.O. Box and Google Voice number - to maintain privacy?
(I never paid attention all this time when I purchased items, whether the sellers used their real address and phone number).
17 comments
ms.rodriguez*
·3 years agoI got my po box BEFORE I registered on ebay. When I started in 1998, I had original Gi JOE, Hot Wheels and most of those items sold for $150.oo or higher. Security is very important. The cost of a po box is also an expense deduction. I also never got a wet package as a buyer. I will say that they have gotten expensive. I pay around $220.oo for a small box for 1 year. The cost depends on your zipcode and the box size.
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoThank you for sharing your experience.
fab_finds4u
·3 years agoI have items shipped to a PO Box because it's safer. That way porch pirates can't steal packages from my porch or mailbox. When I first rented my PO Box I had to show a driver's license with my physical address.
Your phone number on eBay should be a valid number because sometimes a carrier requires the phone number of the recipient.
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoThank you, makes sense.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoDon't understand the problem, exactly. The return address is required so that, if there is a problem, the package will be returned to the correct address.
If the PO box # is where you receive your mail, yes, use it. If you have an actual street address where your mail is delivered, then that, of course, would be your return address, wouldn't it?
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoIt's about privacy. Some people rent a P.O. Box so that it doesn't reveal their real address. And yes, they're able to receive mail and packages on their rented P.O. Box.
kensgiftshop
·3 years agoYa, some sellers and even buyers rent PO boxes.
Myself, that would just be another expense I don't need.
I've been selling online since the late 90s and I've always used my real address.
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoThanks a lot! How about phone number? Did you use your real one?
redmodelt
·3 years agoPretty rare for buyers to contact you by phone, with most messaging done via eBay messages. The only time the phone number would come into play is if eBay is trying to contact you or if you went to Help/Contact at which point you would need to be able to get a call back. Not sure, but I don't think Google voice would work for that.
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoThanks a lot.
soh.maryl
·3 years agoThank you. Yes, I know that. I could not figure out what you were asking. You said, "How often sellers use PO box . . .". What exactly did you want to know?
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoI simply would like to know the common practice among eBay seller community since I am new to selling. I would like to know how often sellers in eBay seller community decided to rent P.O. Box versus using their real addresses. I hope it's clear now.
I received the answers already from multiple people.
janet9988
·3 years agohttps://www.ebay.com/help/policies/identity-policies/false-missing-contact-information-policy?id=4238
ryu_hi
OP3 years agoWith all due respect, my question is not about falsifying information. Renting a P.O. Box and having a valid forwarding number (that's how Google Voice work) are legit.
janet9988
·3 years agoWell then as long as you follow the polices in the link you are good to go. I was just providing you with ebay facts.
As to your question as to "How often" it really does not matter how often other sellers do their thing as it has. no bearing on your account.
wastingtime101
·3 years agoSome do and some don't - doesn't really matter what the numbers are. All that matters is you do what's right for you. It's a decision personal to you / your business.