Item not shipped to PO Box

[kosmetiq]

Attempted to purchase an item and when making payment a message saying that this seller did not ship to PO boxes and for me to add another address (which I do no have).  At the same time the system kept asking me for payment and I did not make payment because the seller will not ship to my PO Box.  I contacted the seller explaining the problem and to please cancel the sale and received notice to make the payment but when I tried again the same message kept returning. The seller finally canceled the sale and EBay notified me that I have an unpaid item on my record which has been perfect all these years. Is there anything that I can do to get this removed?  Thanking thanking you in advance for any assistance. 

[donsdetour]

Use face book to contact eBay:

https://www.facebook.com/eBay/ 

[mama_583368 · Accepted solution]

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@kosmetiq wrote:

Attempted to purchase an item and when making payment a message saying that this seller did not ship to PO boxes and for me to add another address (which I do no have).

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Your PO Box has a street address, @kosmetiq.

Perhaps set it up to use next time.

[cadbury0007]

^^^^^^^ This is the answer.  I have a PO box and used to run into this problem too.  You do need to go to your post office and fill out a short form to get it started.  I can get UPS or FedEx packages at the same location, easy peasy!

[stevenscott]

I want to know why people do not ship to PO Boxes. I have never heard a valid reason, just some nonsense.... why? After all it is a Govenment US Post office mail box. it is good enough for Visa to use as my billing..... why can't sellers send the stuff there? While it is no one's business why I use a PO Box, I live out in the countryside and it is safer to use the Post Office. Plus the US post office will not drive down my gravel driveway to deliver my packages to my front porch. UPS will, Fed-ex will, etc. But not the US Postal System. So I pay quite a bit of money for the US Post Office Box. Are we criminals? Or is it just some nonsense people dig up. After all what to they care as long as they are paid before they send their goods out...

[pistolh_87]

All I have is po box they did not say that a po box is not ok I found out later after they took my money.

[pistolh_87]

I get packages all the time it's just them.

[pickermall]

I don't quite understand this either... when I have tried to purchase items (small items, even) from some sellers, it states they will not ship to a PO Box. For example, I purchased a record album (which I know won't fit, but the post office folks will hold packages behind the counter for pickup) and the seller ships USPS Media Mail, but won't ship to a PO Box... which is ridiculous.

The workarounds... my post office knows anything for my actual street address goes into my PO Box. If I have something that needs to ship Fed Ex or UPS, I use the address of the post office and use Attention: Unit (PO Box number) as part of the address. Easy peasey. The downside is remembering to make my PO Box address the primary address again on Ebay.

BUT it is irritating why some sellers don't ship to PO Box numbers!!!

[glgenterprise]

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@stevenscott wrote:

I want to know why people do not ship to PO Boxes. I have never heard a valid reason, just some nonsense.... why? After all it is a Govenment US Post office mail box. it is good enough for Visa to use as my billing..... why can't sellers send the stuff there? While it is no one's business why I use a PO Box, I live out in the countryside and it is safer to use the Post Office. Plus the US post office will not drive down my gravel driveway to deliver my packages to my front porch. UPS will, Fed-ex will, etc. But not the US Postal System. So I pay quite a bit of money for the US Post Office Box. Are we criminals? Or is it just some nonsense people dig up. After all what to they care as long as they are paid before they send their goods out...

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Those are likely sellers that only ship via UPS or Fedex. Either they've had a bad experience with USPS or they've got some great negotiated rate with one of other carriers, likely through work. You've got to have a street address for those carriers.

@cadbury0007I've never asked my PO about receiving UPS or Fedex packages addressed to their street address with the PO Box as the second line. I'm a little surprised they are willing to do this - they've got enough of their own work to do without adding storing/handling packages for which they are getting no revenue. your PO box is for USPS items, not Fedex/UPS. Same concept that your mailbox is not supposed to hold any items other than USPS incoming or outgoing - no flyers from lawn care companies or realtors left by a drive by drop off service.

[ntelizyn5000]

I am having the same problem. I always get my packages in my PO Box. I tried very hard to explain to the seller that there is no safe area to place a package at my mailing address. And now I read that this will be on my record as not being able to pay. This is not fair to the people who only have PO Boxes.  Now I don't know what to do, don't want to send the package to my work address. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

Did you read the thread, which has a solution? Most post offices will let you use their street address when purchasing from sellers who insist that they will only ship to a street address and not to a PO Box.  Find out if your PO will accept "Street addressing". Otherwise, you will get a nonpayment strike. Pay more attention to the "will not ship to" section in listings.

Here is more information about the USPS's "Street addressing" service.

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

[kh-phdan]

Hello Everyone,

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

Thanks for understanding!