P.O Box Address/FedEx as Carrier --No No

[getitright1234]

P.O Box Address---FedEx as the Carrier --is No No and you will lose money and here is why?

I have a buyer who has a P.O Box address; she bought a large item from me that was listed for FedEx delivery.  

I message the buyer and ask for a physical address to ship the package to.  The buyer provides the address.  It is even risky for me to mail to this address,but I need the sale and do not wish to cancel the transaction and still be left with PayPal fees .  

I go into the eBay shipping address and attempt to update the Buyer's address---the system will not allow me to.

I am no forced to: 

refund the buyer,

cancel the transaction,

lose money to PayPal,

message the Buyer to please update her address to a non-P.O. Box,

Relist the item

Hope the Buyer buys the item Again

When a Seller has designated the carrier, why is the system not notifying the Buyer to change their address.  FedEx has never shipped to a P.O Box and eBay has been aware of this for years.

I was not at fault, the Buyer was not at fault, yet PayPal still gets to keep their fees.  

For those whom know how to contact the eBay Blue team, please do so: to see how this process can be improved.

[pburn]

You stated, "I go into the eBay shipping address and attempt to update the Buyer's address---the system will not allow me to." Do you mean you're unable to change the address when you are creating the shipping label?

Just buy your FedEx label elsewhere. You can use any address you want (assuming you believe/trust your buyer). You'll lose seller protection, but you already know that.

[dhbookds · Accepted solution]

If you are going to use Fedex as an alternative, why can't you use "do not ship to PO boxes" on the listing?  I have a PO Box and consistently for some sellers, like the Ebay box people, get that seller doesn't ship to PO box message and then am prompted to change the address to the physical address at checkout.......it won't let me checkout without changing it. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@getitright1234 wrote: ....  FedEx has never shipped to a P.O Box and eBay has been aware of this for years.

I was not at fault, the Buyer was not at fault, yet PayPal still gets to keep their fees.  

For those whom know how to contact the eBay Blue team, please do so: to see how this process can be improved.

---

You were at fault, for not using the option to block buyers who have PO Boxes. The only way to improve this process would be to force all sellers to read through their Site Preferences options.

The buyer was also partly at fault. Most Post Offices are part of the USPS  "Street Addressing" system, which enables a USPS customer to fill out a form and receive FedEx and UPS packages at their PO Box by using the PO's street address as their shipping address.

https://www.usps.com/pobox/customer-agreement-for-premium-po-box-service-enhancements.pdf

[getitright1234]

I ship to P.O Boxes, FedEx does not.  Nobodyperfect: I am not at fault.

[pburn]

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

I ship to P.O Boxes, FedEx does not.  Nobodyperfect: I am not at fault.

---

@getitright1234 

You're not required to buy your labels from eBay, so go to fedex.com, buy a label with your buyer's street address on it, and ship out the item. Problem solved.

[getitright1234]

Do you wish to pay the 30% increase in the shipping fee on my behalf, so unless you are willing to do that, your suggested solution, it not a solution for me.  

[getitright1234]

I do not pretend to be perfect and given your posting I'd, I believe you are not perfect as well, so, when posters come to this board, keep that in mind and back off assigning fault.  I have been selling on eBay for over 8 years and there is no way for me to read and be knowledgable of everything which is why we have this board.

Please be mindful of your tone when you respond to posters.  

[pburn]

If you're not looking for a solution, what are you looking for?

[getitright1234]

Your attachment is inrelevant.  FedEx has made the business decision, not to ship to a P.O. Box and that is that.

[kensgiftshop]

---

@getitright1234 wrote:

I ship to P.O Boxes, FedEx does not.  Nobodyperfect: I am not at fault.

---

How much of a difference is the shipping if you ship with USPS?

[pburn]

But you said you now have your buyer's street address, right?

"I message the buyer and ask for a physical address to ship the package to.  The buyer provides the address.  It is even risky for me to mail to this address,but I need the sale and do not wish to cancel the transaction and still be left with PayPal fees ."

[getitright1234]

Thanks for your response, it helped me figure out how to get the attention of Buyers who have a P.O. Box "before" they make their purchase.

I have listings that I exclusively ship packages to using only FedEx.  Your reply to my post gave me the knowledge to go into those listings and block: P.O. Box addresses.

YOU deserve lots of KUDOS, let me explain why: 

1. I never thought to do this.

2. Having had this happened to me even in the past, not one eBay rep suggested this to me.

Lesson learned:  

To all Sellers:  

If you have packages earmarked exclusively to be shipped by way of FedEx, it is advised that you exclude P.O. Box address which gives the Buyer a heads up, they need to change their address prior purchase.

Thanks!

[getitright1234]

Oh, just about a couple hundred dollars which is more than the cost of the item.  I would not pay the difference and the Buyer would not likely as well.  

[pburn]

A couple of hundred dollars more to ship with USPS instead of FedEx?