Question on PO BOX shipping
Summary: mayants expressed frustration with difficulties in getting sellers on eBay to ship to their PO Box in rural New Mexico. They noted an increase in rejections and wondered if policy changes were responsible. christworks explained that shipping costs and policy adjustments might deter sellers since options like UPS and FedEx don't deliver to PO Boxes. mkaczorsee shared a workaround involving the use of street addresses in combination with PO Box numbers, though christworks cautioned that this could lead to order cancellations or policy violations. theartofserver mentioned challenges with eBay's default settings blocking PO Box shipping, leading to coordination issues with buyers. Several participants agreed on the challenges faced by rural buyers and sellers due to shipping policies.
Hey guys this question is for the sellers. I have been a member on ebay for many years and of as late it seems that it is getting hard for me to find sellers who will ship to my Po BOX. I am a rural buyer in NM USA and in the past had no problem finding sellers to ship to either my PO BOX in my Post Office or by FED EX ground or UPS ground. I see a lot of shippers using USPS ground advantage as the carrier but not to a PO BOX? I used to ask for an exception before bidding/buying and sellers were happy to grant it and ship to me but not very often now. So can you guys tell me what the change has been? Is it a newer shipping policy? I used to prefer to purchase here and from the great sellers but I have been buying off ebay due to this roadblock at a pretty high rate and seems like it will increase if nothing changes. Thanks in advance guys.
theartofserver
·2 weeks agoI'm a seller and I've had a few customers ask me to ship to PO Box. The difficulty for me as a seller is that my eBay listings ALWAYS default to blocking PO Boxes. I can remove that restriction, but after a few minutes, the restriction is re-enabled again. So, if I am to remove the restriction for someone, they have to order within a few minutes. This requires coordination, which can be difficult sometimes if my customer is in a different timezone where there's delays in communications.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoHello and thank you I appreciate the reply and info. I didn't realize that some sellers listings have that default. I have had a couple of back and fourth chats with eBay customer service and never had that been mentioned. I was just told that it was the seller who chose not to ship to Po Boxes. Have you ever asked why that happens to your listings? Next chat I have with them I will try to find out. I don't want to bother sellers who choose not to sell to PO BOX holders in rural areas so I was trying to see if maybe some type of filter could be applied so PO BOX buyers could filter out the sellers who do not want to ship to a PO BOX. That would make searching and buying/selling easier on both. I have in my 15+ years of being a buyer asked for exceptions and as of late most sellers wont do it. When I do ask I consistently check for messages so as not to keep the seller waiting. Most every time its either no response or just a sorry we can't type of answer. Again I thank you for you time and I'll go check out your site knowing you are PO BOX shipping friendly, its sellers like you who we rural buyers appreciate and want to give our business to. Thanks and have a great evening.
theartofserver
·2 weeks agoLOL.. there are a lot of mysterious things that happen on eBay that I would love to know why as a seller. But, I've never successfully gotten consistent answers. I feel like even people who work at eBay don't know how eBay works because it is always changing and features are added/removed/updated that any knowledge they may have had becomes obsolete.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoLmao 🤣 🤣 🤣, I hear that.
shire123
·2 weeks ago · EditedThe only time I might cancel an order with a PO box as an address is if the item is large and/or heavy in which case the USPS shipping rates are quite high relative to UPS/FedEx.
But since people that use a PO box address are few and far between I maybe run into the issue once a year. Some of my business policies shipping have PO boxes blocked.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoThanks for the reply. Yes shipping has gotten very expensive and I do understand as a seller it would be hard to be expected to lose money due to shipping. If I were buying a large item I would expect the seller would be using UPS/FedEx so I am prepared to pay the cost. I live 10 miles from any post service/office and a po box is all I have other than Ups/Fed Ex who will deliver out here so thats why I am asking you guys. Thanks for your time and have a great day.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoI had forgot to mention a seller I have used who is one of the easiest and highly recommended sellers I have used:
MOTORCYCLE DOCTOR (15526)
When purchasing his items he makes it so easy on showing how he ships and the costs. If I were to need a larger item, a hazmat item, or just the convenience of not making a 20+ mile round trip to my po box I can choose UPS or FED EX ground and gladly pay the extra amount and have it delivered just by clicking on his shipping details. This guy is like I say one of the best and set up to sell. Again have a great day and thank you for everything.
stephenmorgan
·2 weeks agoWhere are you located? I am in Alamogordo.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoHello, I'm in Rowe
stephenmorgan
·2 weeks agoWow, that is a small place!
mayants
OP2 weeks agoLol yes very.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoWow, how did you ever get all of those? That a very nice collection of items you have for sale!
stephenmorgan
·2 weeks agoI collected them since 1978 and quit collecting in 2002. Lots of traveling to get all of them. I just have a few on eBay. I have about 10,000 total.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoVery nice, makes me want to get out my nascar semi trucks and cars and look them over again lol. Collected them in the early 90s , 1;64 scale.
christworks
·2 weeks ago@mayants Obviously given the vast number of sellers nobody can tell you why any particular might not want to ship to a PO Box. I can tell you mine.
Shipping rates have increased more and more over recent years, perhaps no more than they have in 2026. Sellers are now getting their 7th or 8th adjustment to rates in four months!
All carriers charge extra for shipping to a rural zip code. In July, USPS made an even more whacky adjustment. The cheapest rate a seller can ship an item to a rural zip code is 1 pound, even if the item only weighs 4 ounces. Some sellers, like myself, want to keep their options open when it comes to shipping. UPS and FedEx cannot deliver to a PO Box. Sometimes those carriers are cheaper, and if a buyer submits a PO Box address, it forces the seller to use USPS as the carrier.
@mkaczorsee has given you in my opinion bad advice.
First, not every PO Box is enrolled in USPS' Street Addressing Service. Not every post office offers this service. The one I use doesn't, and any packages that come there from another carrier are refused. Of USPS offices that do offer this service, packages can be refused if the PO Box renter has not signed the agreement for the service.
Second, if I block PO boxes and you order inputting the physical address of the post office along with the PO Box on the address two line, I can cancel your order due to an issue with the address. I do not recommend playing that game with sellers who do not want to ship to PO boxes. Not only will your order be cancelled, you'll find yourself blocked from being able to buy from them in the future. You should also know it could be considered an eBay policy violation. Buyers are not supposed to find ways to go around a seller's restrictions, even if the system itself allows for it. If a seller reports your account, you could be banned from buying across the entire platform.
If you really want what they are selling, it is best to message the seller before buying and ask if they would make an exception for you. Since it may cost more for them to use USPS as the carrier, you can offer to pay the difference.
Another reason some sellers may block PO Boxes is because a PO Box by its nature gives a veil of privacy. While it is understandable some people may not want their addresss in the hands of a seller they don't know, some sellers want the ability to look up the physical address of the buyer should there be an issue. For instance, I've had orders that were addressed to empty parking lots. That kind of sends up a red flag and a seller may want to cancel that order. While that is not my reason for blocking PO boxes, I understand why it would be a reason for some.
mkaczorsee
·2 weeks agoWe are rural. No USPS delivery to residents…thus the PO Box. No veil of privacy. Would love if USPS would deliver to the house!
Our post office tells us to use street address and add Box number. Not to put both the street address and PO Box. Eliminate the PO in the address if needed.
If I find a seller who can’t ship the PO Box, I generally do not purchase.
I think the original poster is also rural and does not have a choice on whether to have a PO Box or not. If we could eliminate that expense…we would be thrilled!
mayants
OP2 weeks agoThank you for the reply and the info. You are correct I do not have a choice and it seems we are in the same boat. I also have started to purchase off ebays site due to the shipping roadblock. I have been having conversations with ebay as well as to see how I can block/filter out sellers who refuse to ship to PO BOXs or offer other shipping carriers. If they dont want to ship I dont want the item I'll buy off site. Ebay is an excellent platform with excellent staff but it seems it needs a few new filters for buyers. Thanks again for you reply and info and have a great day.
mayants
OP2 weeks agoGood morning thanks for the reply and all the info. I as a rural buyer do prefer FED EX/ UPS ground over USPS but most sellers show only USPS ground advantage. I usally message the seller and ask for and exception or about which carrier and alot answer what ever is less costly as if its a bother, so loss of sale. We rural buyers can't give our physical address unless the item can be shipped Ups/Fed ex due to no USPS delivery and vice versa. I also appreciate what mkaczorsee has offed but I really wont use the work around. If the seller doesnt want my bussiness I dont want the product or hassle. Anyway thank you for your time and info have a great day.
mkaczorsee
·2 weeks agoUse the actual address of the post office.
For example your PO Box is 123
Anytown, NM
Change it to 456 Main Street
Box 123 in Anytown, NM
Works for me when I find a seller who balks at shipping to our PO Box.
Hope this helps!
christworks
·2 weeks ago · EditedBe aware that sellers can cancel the order due to an issue with the address, and in certain cases may be considered an eBay policy violation even if the system accepts it.