03-15-2018 07:09 PM
I'm wondering if eBay offers some way in their searches to filter out sellers who won't ship to a PO Box. I don't have Rural Route delivery and I've been on eBay since 2001 with no problems until last year this started showing up. I can get stuff UPS to my physical address, but I only use that for services that offer UPS. I have no delivery from the post office here and my PO Box is actually in the next town over, where I go for groceries. That sellers offer USPS delivery, just not to an actual post office box, seems insane. I can't believe how much time I've wasted by having no way to filter out the sellers who won't ship to me - going through the Buy-It-Now process and then it says they won't ship to a PO Box. Does eBay or anybody have any answers to this? eBay is almost becoming unuseable to me over this policy. I mean, can't eBay figure out how to filter these sellers who don't want my business??? I really wish they would just leave themselves out of my results like they say they can! I can't make my physical address a USPS address just by waving a magic wand. Has anybody else figured a way around this? Thanks to any who have suggestions. All the best.
03-15-2018 09:14 PM
eBay does not and probably never will provide that functionality.
It also isn't easily doable on the client side (in you browser via a filtering script) because the info isn't present in the search results (unlike the situation where GSP results or results from certain sellers can easily be filtered out).
Have you looked into USPS Street Addressing? That is a program offered by USPS that allows PO Box holders (in certain locales) to use the street address of their post office along with the PO Box number to be able to receive FedEx, UPS, and other deliveries. I have been enrolled in the program for about 2 years and it works great. I can use my PO box address format if I know the delivery will be via USPS, or I can use the street addressing format for FedEx, UPS, DHL, or USPS deliveries.
My understanding is that USPS REQUIRES enrollment and submission of a signed form (I assume to give them legal authorization to sign for packages from other carriers in your stead) Also, I don't believe it has universally been rolled out across the US, even though the program began in 2012.
Some info about it and more links to documents and a list of participating PO's, etc:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Bidding-Buying/PO-box-shipping/m-p/27174422#M222664
https://ribbs.usps.gov/mtcsa/documents/tech_guides/PBSACustomerAgreement.pdf
https://postalpro.usps.com/PBSA
https://postalpro.usps.com/competitivepoboxes
Having said that, maybe your local PO unofficially would have no problem with you just using street addressing to solve your problem if they are not an official participating location.
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