SELLERS WILL NOT POST SMALL ITEMS TO PO BOX

[surfocollecto]

eBay is beyond belief. I tried to buy a watch strap choosing Australia only option, a simple purchase one would think. After trying 3 BIN deals without success due to "seller does not post to PO Box" I found same item from 4th seller in Chyna & after paying I noticed delivery will be at least a month to 2 months --- so I asked to cancel the order.

What is wrong with these people? This is obviously con tricks from Chyna drop shipping same item posted on eBay by numerous useless "sellers" hoping to catch a sale out of desperation with no intention of actually providing any sort of service. I check sellers feedback before I buy an item & some of these Chyna people's feedback is atrocious. How doe eBay expect to continue in business with this sort of useless playground?

[sandypebbles]

Afraid I don’t know where Chyna  is

Or why the one from there did not show you the estimated delivery date

Or why they one from here did not show PO Boxes excluded under postage details

or why there was a need to try three times when it says does not post to PO Boxes

You can thank those who choose to support dodgy sellers in business for that one

What is wrong with people indeed

[lezned-toycollector]

If they don't post to PO Boxes, just use your Parcel Collect address, and voila... it's  posted to your PO Box. It's really not that difficult to set it as your default delivery address

Problem solved.

[jellybirddesigns]

@lezned - don't they have to sign up for Post Box Plus, or something like that first? I believe there is an upgrade cost and is limited to 50 deliveries a year, but it could be a good solution for the OP.

[everard6920]

No comment on the Chyna (sic) issue but many sellers don't post small items to a PO Box (or Parcel Locker) because AP will redirect the article to the buyer's registered street address if they deem the article "too small" for a PO Box or Parcel Locker.

This is a problem for many sellers (and buyers) because, quite often, the address the buyer registered with AP to sign up for their PO Box is an old one, so they never receive the article.

So it's not just something sellers do to try to make your life difficult, I promise.

There also isn't any specific dimensions that AP give for this "rule" - I have asked them about it both in store and online. Both times I just got, "if it's a small parcel, it'll be redirected to your recipient's street address."

Personally, I accept PO Boxes and Parcel Lockers but I do wish eBay had a tick box for individual listings to specify that a particular item can't be posted to a PO Box/Parcel Locker. As it is, I have a note in the description of my small items stating that AP will likely redirect to their street address if they use a PO Box or Parcel Locker, but I've had at least one buyer get caught by this and their article was returned to me about 5 months later by AP.

[davewil1964]

because AP will redirect the article to the buyer's registered street address if they deem the article "too small" for a PO Box 

Rubbish!

ALL mail can be sent to a PO Box, the subject of the OP's complaint.

Parcel Lockers are for parcels, but the OP wasn't asking about that.

[*sons_and_daughters*]

I have never had a PO box, because I can't justify the ridiculous cost of one. I use Parcel Collect, and have done for several years. Anything I buy gets sent to the PO and I am notified when it has arrived there. I got sick of parcels being "safe dropped" and being stolen. I have 4 weeks to collect my parcels. Doesn't matter who I buy from on whatever platform, everything is Parcel Collect. The kids send Christmas presents, they are Parcel Collect. It's really not that hard. Saves a truck load of money on a PO box. A PO box where over a certain size you're going to get carded anyway, and still have to go inside and get your parcel.

[everard6920]

---

@davewil1964 wrote:

because AP will redirect the article to the buyer's registered street address if they deem the article "too small" for a PO Box 

Rubbish!

ALL mail can be sent to a PO Box, the subject of the OP's complaint.

Parcel Lockers are for parcels, but the OP wasn't asking about that.

---

I have had at least two buyers report this over the past year - both were small parcels that would've easily fit in the smallest PO Box size - but go off.

[davewil1964]

I send many items to PO Boxes. I also receive all my mail to my PO Box. From standard letters to large parcels. What won't fit in the box gets carded.

Your buyers are telling porkies.

[surfocollecto]

Thanks for all your replies. I have been with eBay since the first week & it has become almost impossible to distinguish between genuine sellers & con artists. The feedback system is no longer reliable because when there is a problem & it results in a refund feedback is deleted. No mention is allowed of bad performance or shoddy products. I vet the seller before purchasing by checking if they are from Chyna, in which case I don't proceed with transaction. However eBay has a system whereby if the seller has an address in Australia they are deemed to be Australian - this seems to be solved by having a friend or relative in Australia & using their address when in fact the seller is in Chyna. Point is there are cultural differences between how we do things & the business ethics of these people, not to mention the language barrier. In case this is taken as a politically incorrect post - it is simply fact.