Ebay Doesn't Recognize my Physical Address

[fangbang]

I received the email indicating that Ebay would begin managing my payments starting May 21.   I began to update and verify my account information only to learn that after 20 years on Ebay, they now do not recognize my physical address.   I can't complete the form as a result.  I called Ebay and explained that I live in  a rural area where there is no mail delivery to a physical address, only to a PO box.  The USPS doesn't even recognize our physical address.   Ebay is using the USPS database to verify my address - hence the problem.  The customer service representative suggested I use a friend's adress.   When I questioned further, he said I would also have to change my bank account address to the same false address in order to keep selling on Ebay.   I told him there was no way I was going to give my bank a false address.  I ask him if Ebay could research this issue and get back to me with a solution since they have a month to do so.   He said "NO" and suggested I would need to quit seling on Ebay afer May 21.   My mouth dropped open.   Great customer service.   So much for being a top rated seller.   If no one in the community has a suggestion on a work around, I guess my Ebay days are over soon.   By the way, I had a similar problem on orders placed with Amazon - and they found a work-around.   We can now use the work-around address Amazon established to place and receive all orders through Amazon.   UPS and Fedex have no problem finding our physical address.  

[eburtonlab]

Check with your post office to see if you can use an alternative post office street address instead of a standard PO Box:

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28c2_040.htm

If that works, rather than changing your current bank account address to match, it might be easier to set up a new online checking account just for eBay using the street address.

eBay has certainly not made switching to Managed Payments easy for many users. Nor does eBay do a particularly good job of explaining all the various things that can cause the process to fail, such as minor differences in name formats between eBay and checking account, PO Box issues, or preferred bank ACH routing numbers.

[Anonymous]

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@fangbang wrote:

The customer service representative suggested I use a friend's adress.   

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Huh?

[downunder-61]

Yeah, the CS rep is wrong - your address must match your bank account so no you can't use a friends address, seriously they do more harm than good in that CS centre

[fangbang]

Thanks for your suggestion.   Unfortunately, just attaching my PO Box number as a Unit or # after the street address won't solve the problem.  USPS doesn't even recongnize my street address and since eBay uses the USPS database it doesn't register as a valid address even when it is used stand alone.    Appending the box number as a unit or # does allow the post office to deliver rather than return my mail, but it still won't solve the problem at eBay.  

[eburtonlab]

Check with your post office to see the exact format you need to use in order to be recognized -- you may need to use the actual street address of the post office rather than your own unrecognized street address.

[fangbang]

My postmaster has offered the same solution for vendors who use the USPS database as their validation database.  When  a vendor rejects the use of a post office box and when they also use the USPS database, this solution allows me to receive a package from the vendor at the post office.   The problem with this solution is that, accordingly to eBay, I would also have to inform my bank (who doesn't use the USPS database as validation) that my physical address has changed to the post office.  Ebay customer service says that Ebay will expect my bank to have the same address as what I report as my physical address.   Not sure I want my bank thinking I live at the post office.    Most vendors have a way to work around this issue.   There are many people who reside in zip codes where only PO Boxes are used.  Why Ebay insists they can't accomodate those of us in that situation is beyond me.  

[eburtonlab]

@fangbang 

Not sure I want my bank thinking I live at the post office.

That is another reason why opening a separate bank account for eBay might be a good idea, rather than trying to change your current bank account just to suit eBay's arcane address rules.

You should be able to provide your new bank account the valid postal address (as well as your physical address, if necessary) -- as long as the valid postal address comes up when eBay tries to connect the accounts.

[whiterabbitproject]

Did you ever resolve this? I have the same issue.

I live in a rural area. eBay doesn’t accept my PO Box or my physical address. I have tried every imaginable variation of my address i.e. abbreviations, with dots without, etc. It isn’t recognized. I’ve checked the USPS site but they don’t recognize the address.

I have no plans to use a friend’s address, or to match the post office physical address with what I give my bank.

I know it’s been a while, but thank you in advance if you’re able to share your solution or insight.

[kh-gary]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.