Sellers who refuse to send items to PO Box.

[lotzrgood]

Due to so much mail theft and identity theft, both Australia Post and the Police advise people to get a Post Office Box for safety and security. Then WHY do so many Ebay sellers now say they refuse to deliver to a post office box? 

A few years ago, I had some very important mail stolen from my home address mail box. Why? I had an Australia Post approved mail box, but mail delivery people would always leave mail half out of the (spring loaded) mail flap. When I complained to Aust Post I was told this rediculous reason - 'delivery people will not use 2 hands to put mail in boxes'. To put mail into my box you need one hand to prise open the strong flap (strong so as to stop people putting their hand in) and other hand to put the mail in. But our dear posties will only deliver mail with ONE hand. So they leave mail hanging through the slit. I was told that if I wanted to get my mail securely, to get a Post Office box. So I did.

So now many Ebay sellers will not deliver mail to my post office box 'due to security reasons'. HOW? WHY? When I go to my post office box I have to sign for many items. And as my work sees me away from home for many days at a time, I know my mail is held safely. Many items I buy from Ebay don't need to be signed for - so why can't they go to a safe post office box? What annoys me is that if I do give my home address, and I do need to sign for the item - if I am not home, they leave a card. And I have to drive down to the SAME post office where by box is, and wait in the queue for nearly 20 minutes, just to sign for the parcel. Something I would have to do if it was sent to my PO Box!! My incoming mail is FAR more secure sitting at my post box.

Also, my brother works doing FIFO in very remote sites. These sites do not have physical addresses - all goods go to a box at the nearest local post office. He is finding it increasingly hard to get things sent to him due to this silly seller requirement. Alot of sellers will lose buyers with this rediculous request. I can understand if a buer has nil or low feedback count, but with well established, good reputable buyers, why the problem?

[lyndal1838]

---

@digital*ghost wrote:

BTW, I live in suburban Adelaide, 5 minutes away from a business centre, and the only courier that has been able to deliver to my PO box is DHL.

---

DHL runs the German Postal System so I would imagine AP could not stop them from delivering mail to a post office.

[2106greencat]

1. Can you imagine the delay caused to couriers having to 'stand in line' at a busy post office waiting to deliver & get an item signed for?

2. Not to mention that many post office outlets have extremely limted storage out the back, and would simply not be able to hold over    

    sized packages for long as they have thier own AP packages out there awaiting collection.

3. If you are a PO holder that checks your mail a couple times a week, how is the PO supposed to let you know it has arrived, so you

    can come clear some space?

Reply to OP - just clicked on nearest poster.

[shopnowonline_au]

Mail Today, AP sms/email alerts.

[polly.the.cat]

Yes, vintagebicyclerebui... That's what l have been getting for over 2 years from my Post Office. txt/sms alert: parcel from 2063 @ PO 4 U.

Works for me !!!!!!!!!

[digital*ghost]

I would get the SMS service.....if it didn't cost an additional $89 on top of the $100+ p/a I already pay for my PO box (could go the email route at $55 a year, I suppose, but since I pretty much have to go to the PO daily, I've opted for the "Surprise me" service at an extra $0 per year  ).

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

you guys are saying you pay over $100 a year for PO Box . . . . I pay a fraction of that on both of my PO Boxes.  The reason . . . . I live in a street that has no streetside delivery of mail.  I don't even have a mailbox outside my place.  Any street addressed mail ends up in my PO Box.

If I ever move to a house that has streetside delivery I would also pay $100+, but I don't, and I did not know it was that high until today!

I guess living in a rural locale has some benefits afterall.

Spoiler

Two PO Boxes because one is in Mildura and the other at my local Golf Club which runs the 100 or so PO Boxes for the little community I live in.

Seeing as Aust Post provides tracking for all parcels I enable the email alerts once I get a tracking number from a seller, and this costs nothing!

[cherry*135]

I haver never taken up the sms notification option for my PO box either, because it costs extra.

If a parcel has tracking number, receive an email showing it has been delivered anyway. Which is good when A.P forget to put a card in my P.O box.. which has happened twice lately.

I guess if you live quite a distance from your PO box, notifications are useful.

[captainpowerchunk]

If a vendor does not deliver to my po box I move on to next vendor who does.

I also always provide professional feedback to the vendor who does not deliver to po box by telling them 'ha ha sucked in you lost my business now and forever'!

[i-love-my-sheep]

---

@captainpowerchunk wrote:
If a vendor does not deliver to my po box I move on to next vendor who does.

I also always provide professional feedback to the vendor who does not deliver to po box by telling them 'ha ha sucked in you lost my business now and forever'!

---

So you buy something anyway so you can leave 'professional feedback', even when they have expressed they do not deliver to a PO box? I would have to assume you have bought something, otherwise you wouldn't be able to leave feedback. I couldn't be bothered with games like that.

One more thing, please don't dredge up old posts. Quite often the information contained in them is no longer applicable.

[toysandthings12]

lol, Everyone these days want cheap cheap cheaper cheaper.

And Aus post aint that cheap to use for bulky parcels.

Couriers r the only option and as generally they dont deliver to PO boxs,

have to say we dont deliver to PO boxs.

Some can, but too hard to tell and we switch between couriers for

the best deals with each n every sale.

On the Ebay listing there is an option to state no PO boxs.

Sadly have to adjust listings manually 1 by 1 to apply.

When customers want things cheap cheap, n then sounds like

they r willing to pay dollars for a PO box and Aus Post r

advertising get a PO box n get ur deliveries diverted to their

monopolised services...well , either prices go up, or we

have to block the PO box delivery.

And I dont think there is an option to offer to pay more for

a PO box delivery. The Ebay calculated postage prices

are just not good enough to do both jobs of cheap postage

and PO box postage.

For instance, courier a box from Wollongong to Nowra, was $13,

Aus post was $32. Then Plus insurance of $10 to both esitmates.

Actually noticed Aus post charging extra even for the first $100 insurance.

They might have made a mistake but will have to check with next 1

I send out via Aus post.

Does Paypal n Ebay protect sellers when shipping to PO Boxs??