PO Box Problems

[racwa3081]

I have had problems for years now with eBay shipping.  I live in a rural area so we all have to have PO Boxes.  The Post office advised me that when a shipping uses FedEx it come to the post office.  The post office said to use my home address but add my post box number on to the zip code.  This was working for both Amazon and eBay.  
However in the last two years eBay changed their system.  It automatically adjusted my address in their system.  It no longer on my side of my account list my PO Box number at the end of the zip code., instead it changes it to something else.  My packages aren’t coming to me.  The sellers are frustrated and I’m frustrated.  I call and texted eBay five times.  On their side everything is correct however when the seller receives my address it is wrong like it is on my side.  I can’t get help at ALL from eBay!  Does anyone know how to fix this?? Please help!!!

[glenvonnie]

Did you try putting your address on a separate line and the PO Box # on another line ?

[magbenv0]

Hi, I live rural also, therefore am very dependent on any mail I get coming thru to my USPS Post Office Box, at least at the end of it's journey to me. My only other option is have it delivered to a friend's house in the next town with mail delivery service, which is not very convenient. 

FedEx uses SmartPost, UPS uses Mail Innovations, which both carry the package initially and then hand it over to USPS for delivery. As for the address on the package, that's the sender's responsibility to get it right, the receiver can not change it, they won't let you (I've tried). 

On eBay, before I purchase anything that says NO PO Boxes, I always contact the seller first and let them know that I've got no problem giving them my street address, BUT they MUST include my PO Box # or it will be returned as undeliverable. They also MUST use either USPS, Fedex SmartPost, OR UPS Mail Innovations. Otherwise, it will be returned to them as undeliverable. I use PayPal 99.99% of the time, and my PO Box IS my mailing address there, so maybe that helps? It's also on my official State driver's license, insurance cards, etc.

If someone is adamant about not using my PO Box as my address, I just nix my purchase and buy elsewhere. Too much hassle.

You can tell, by the way, with both FedEx and UPS, how they sent it shortly after a tracking number is loaded on their respected sites. If it's wrong, I let the sender (eBay or ?) know they messed up asap ... Sometimes they fix it, sometimes they don't. If they don't, the shipper sends it back as undeliverable, but there's always an earlier eBay message from me forwarning them so I'm covered, it's their error. Hope this helps!🕊️

[nono-8172]

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@racwa3081 wrote:

The post office said to use my home address but add my post box number on to the zip code. This was working for both Amazon and eBay.

However in the last two years eBay changed their system.

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You can overcome @racwa3081 eBay "repairing" your address; please see the USPS document here. And use it for Amazon, and everyone else as well.

Street Addressing Service for your PO Box
For example, if a Post Office is located on 500 Main Street and you have PO Box 59, your mail would be addressed 500 Main Street #59. You will also be able to use the street address to receive most packages and deliveries through private carriers, such as UPS and FedEx.

[reallynicestamps]

When I get really bored, I look at the addresses of my customers on Google Maps.

You would be amazed at how often what appears to be an apartment address is actually a post office in a strip mall.

The real address would be "

Joe Blau

PO Box 123

456 Any Street

Anytown, AK  90219-1234

But what I am given by the buyer is:

Joe Blau

Unit  123 -456 Any Street

Anytown, AK  90219-1234

[magbenv0]

Street Addressing Service for your PO Box
For example, if a Post Office is located on 500 Main Street and you have PO Box 59, your mail would be addressed 500 Main Street #59. You will also be able to use the street address to receive most packages and deliveries through private carriers, such as UPS and FedEx. 

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////

GREAT idea, except IT DOESN'T WORK. I live rural, with NO MAIL DELIVERY. I asked USPS in person. They don't run that service in rural areas where many/most people have free PO Box Service. USPS told me that ANY mail that comes addressed to their building's street number gets automatically returned to sender. They will not accept it. 

That particular service was created by USPS for people who live in more crowded areas, who rent PO Boxes by choice, where there are plenty of PO Boxes to be had. No where rural.  

If you stop in and ask at your local rural USPS, they'll gladly let you know. FedEx SmartPost OR UPS Mail Innovations - they BOTH work. I purchased TWO separate things (not from eBay tho) recently, both items got to my PO Box address!  You just need a company (or seller) who knows what they're doing.

[magbenv0]

Unit  123 -456 Any Street 

Unless it's possibly a box rented at a UPS store (or similar) ??? There's no way USPS would accept that as written. USPS only accepts USPS PO Box mail. I've been living rural for thirty years, if anyone know, it's me.

[cowhe_4796]

Maybe dont buy stuff on Ebay then. Get someone you know that doesnt have a PO box to buy it for you. I dont make a living off of selling on ebay, but you had best believe I dont want money being held up just because someone didnt feel like going to the post office for a few days. Thats seriously messed up

[thomax46]

i have the same problem and eBay is like talking to a brick

[thomax46]

many shippers will not ship if the address contains a po box, EVEN IF the PHYSICAL ADDRESS is listed

so we try to add the box # at the zip code and eBay changes the box to some number - I don't know where from. TRY TO TALK TO EBAY??????? TRY talking to a frog.

[thomax46]

the simple solution would be for EBAY to fix the address correction routine to let the user add their correct BOX NUMBER to their postal ZIP CODE.

There is no eBay contact to fix this.

maybe if some sellers realize the USPS will not DELIVER MAIL TO A PHYSICAL ADDRESS if the customer has a BOX NUMBER, they are loosing business when the customer has to purchase elsewhere.

EBAY WAKE UP AND FIX THE ADDRESS ZIP CODE dilemma.

[thomax46]

EBAY pay attention and fix the address correction function for  the  ZIP CODE- BOX NUMBER  (xxxxx-yyyy) kluge. PERIOD.

WHERE is your customer service.

[ripsmc]

Problem I've had more than a couple of times is this. I live in a small town (175 people) and the USPS will not deliver mail to a street address inside the town limits. UPS will only deliver to a physical street address. At times UPS will transfer the packages to the USPS at some point and the war between PO Box and street address begins. The local PO has been pretty volatile about this over the past 5 years; often returning mail even though in this small town they know full well who it belongs to.

A package I got out of AZ last year (shipped UPS) made 2 stops in TX, in OK City, Stillwater, OK, Ponca City, OK, and then to Fairfax, OK. At Fairfax the UPS handed it over to the USPS who sent it to Tulsa, OK. It showed stuck in Tulsa for 3 days but actually had been sent to some unknown facility and was lost for a bit. Then back to Tulsa for 3 more days. Then to Pawnee, OK, Red Rock, OK, Billings, OK, and finally here. Then the postmaster warned me the physical street address needs to stop. Two weeks from shipping day to delivery day.......

Well, how was I to know the UPS was gonna dump it on the USPS? Wonder why things get lost in transit.....

[clotheyourself]

try to enter po box number on another line next to the physical address

[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.