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?

[maranock]

Although I am not a fan of not having a choice between courier and Auspost I feel that you are being a bit unfair. There are a lot of problems with courier deliveries to rural areas as well as for people out at work or disabled, they actually do a good job delivering to homes in towns and cities.

If someone is home or they can leave unattended then it is rare that they don't deliver to houses and most people don't have a problem.

As far as Ebay not caring about rural people, there is no reason for them to care (unless you mean that it would be nice if it was easier to see if sellers use a courier or not, which I would be in favour of). It is just a platform like a shopping centre, you are not buying from them, you are buying from individual sellers.

We in the country have to accept that we will never get the same service as those in cities because of many factors so we have to work around the problems ourselves.

[kitty-kat-kollection]

I'm confused as to why anyone wouldn't post to a PO Box. It makes no difference to me as a seller!

[eol-products]

Some large sellers only use couriers who collect the parcels from their business and unless its Startrack the couriers wont pay the fee Aust Post charge to leave it there.

[andybal]

Getting a PO Box in Australia requires the same documentation as getting an Australian passport. This is not the case in some other countries. In the USA it is very easy to get a PO Box and it can be misused.

Royal Mail in the UK will deliver regsitered mail to PO Boxes in African Countries but not to PO Boxes in Australia. I tried explaining the system that is used in Australia to Royal Mail i.e. a note to say a registered item has been received is placed in the box not the actual item and, that when you present the card and after signing you get the Registered item.

However Royal Mail uses AI to respond and the same repetetive garbage returns. I probably sent 10 emails to them without any real correspondence. When AI is used there must also be an avenue to reach a human but Royal Mail does not seem to work that way.

It will be a simple check box somewhere in Ebay and it is certainly becoming much more common.

Heaven forbid that Ebay and its programmers would ever consider that other countries may have a different system to the US to provide exceptions.

[sabahcat50]

I am having issues getting this item
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4x-900MM-LED-Batten-Strip-Lights-Garage-Basement-Office-Shed-Tube-Shop-L...

I live on a boat and come ashore every month to collect mail from Aus post parcel collection points so specifically choose sellers that use Aus post , like the above listing does.

I have bought the item twice now from different suppliers and none can deliver because they lie - they use couriers, NOT Aus post as claimed in their advert.

[cezm]

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@sabahcat50 wrote:
I am having issues getting this item
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4x-900MM-LED-Batten-Strip-Lights-Garage-Basement-Office-Shed-Tube-Shop-L...

I live on a boat and come ashore every month to collect mail from Aus post parcel collection points so specifically choose sellers that use Aus post , like the above listing does.

I have bought the item twice now from different suppliers and none can deliver because they lie - they use couriers, NOT Aus post as claimed in their advert.

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The seller is based in HK so probably just warehouses at Regents Park - there are a number of sellers selling the same type of things from Regents Park with equally questionable feedback %. They also state TOLL in the listing (as well as AP). I did see another posting from someone having trouble getting these

I don't have a solution except maybe you will need to purchase through an Australian B&M store

[digital*ghost]

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@sabahcat50 wrote:


I live on a boat and come ashore every month to collect mail from Aus post parcel collection points so specifically choose sellers that use Aus post , like the above listing does.

---

Parcel collect restricts the type of packages you can have sent to them, even if it is sent via Australia Post.

Both parcel locker and parcel collect services are actually more restrictive than PO boxes - any package being sent through Australia Post can be delivered to a PO box, this is not the case with parcel locker / collect addresses. To put it as simply as possible, they have to be Australia Post parcels, within certain size ranges - too small or too big, and they aren't eligible to be delivered.

[letscleanupmycupboards]

The trick is to write out the address as Post Office Box not P.O. Box. I’ve entered like that after being told it can’t be delivered and it’s worked every time.

[mark007bar]

Looks like you have no clue how Po Box works.

[countessalmirena]

Nom de nom de nom…

The person to whom you replied posted on 26 November 2013. That’s 9 years ago.

Let this thread rest in peace. It’s dead and should be decently interred.