Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

I recently was unable to complete a purchase due to the seller not sending to PO Boxes.

 

During the checkout process, after committing to buy, checkout was not permitted, and the only options allowed were

  1. Register an address other than a PO Box with Ebay.
  2. Contact the seller and request an exemption.

Due to security constraints, I cannot and will not register an address other than a PO Box with Ebay or Paypal.   I am not legally permitted to describe the nature of the security constraints.

 

The seller, when contacted, declined to provide an exemption, and initiated a case against my account to force payment.   Under that case, the only permitted options were as above.

 

Catch-22.

 

I subsequently contacted the seller again and requested an alternative means of making payment.   I also stipulated that, once I had paid, that the seller was NOT REQUIRED to send the item.    They subsequently cancelled the transaction.   I assume they have also registered some complaint about my account, but I an unconcerned about that.

 

My complaint is not with the seller - they were simply following process available to them, as was I.    I recognize that the item description included the PO Box exclusion.   I simply missed it because this was at the end of a VERY long list of other exclusions (all countries).

 

The technical concern

 

The code that enforces seller exclusions on the buyer is ONLY executed during the checkout process and during any subsequent complaint process.

 

I suggest that code should also be executed during the process of committing to buy.      In other words, do not permit a Buyer to "Commit to Buy" if they do not meet mandatory requirements of the seller.

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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

Grumpy, eBay don't read here. This is a member to member forum.

Whilst it is the buyers responsibility to read the description properly before buying, many don't so I understand your suggestion.

 

eBay suggestions - https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/unsolicited-idea-submissions-policy?...

 

And most often it is not the seller but the couriers they are using stipulating the No PO boxes policy.

If the seller is not prepared to use an alternate carrier then they should simply do cancellations rather than unpaid item cases.

And if they cancelled the sales then no complaint nor strikes have been issued on your account.

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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

It's not quite as simple as you think. In this case if ebay blocked everyone from buying who has a PO box for an address they could end up blocking a lot of buyers who are actually prepared to get it sent to a different address, or who would have used a different address at checkout anyway.
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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

Where I live we ONLY have PO deliveries and we all have to go into the PO to collect it.

Given the staff know everyone we all have out residential address as postal details and it is then put in our pigeon hole to collect from the PO

 

But I would love to know the reason behind not posting to a PO box as even couriers can drop off to the PO for collection.

What is the difference between dropping at a PO or dropping at a house other than PO is more secure as it wont get pinched like anything can being "safe dropped"

 

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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

Actually, brerrabbit585, it is that simple.

 

The check, as currently implemented already gives two choices:    either register a non-PO box, or get an exemption from the seller.

 

If someone CAN provide an alternative address, they could do so just as easily before committing to buy as they could during the checkout process. 

 

At present, if a buyer ONLY has a PO Box, they can commit to buy, but then be unable to complete the transaction.   In my case, when I asked about an exemption - with an explanation as to why - the seller only replied "We will not send to PO Boxes", and later submitted the case requiring payment.   In that process, I had NO OPTION during checkout, and NO OPTION during the complaint process other than nagging the seller, and offering to pay for a product without expectation of receiving it.

 

 

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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

@kopenhagen5 - Marvellous - So ebay has a policy of not accepting unsolicited suggestions, they prevent members providing suggestions concerned with fixing problems that harm the user experience.

The particular seller I dealt with did have an Australia Post option (costs quoted for Australia Post delivery for an item in Australia) but also a non-PO Box restriction.

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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

sparklz - the reason is that PO boxes in other countries are not secure, and are used to rip off sellers.   That is quite common in some asian countries, I understand.

 

The seller I dealt with advertised as being in Australia, and provided a Australia Post option/costing, but also excluded PO boxes.

 

Their exclusion list also included about 30 other countries, with the exclusion of PO boxes right at the end.   Before committing, I read the information, but seeing a long list of countries, I didn't twig to the possibility of PO boxes already being included.

 

During the complaint process, I found that I was actually dealing with a seller in Hong Kong, who also had a small office in Australia.   That came as a surprise to me - since I had specifically searched for sellers in Australia in this case.

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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy

when you do a search for Aust.....it doesn't mean they are HERE....just that they sell to Australia....carp, I know
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Constraints on ability of buyer to complete checkout need to be enforced before they commit to buy


@*sparklz*wrote:

Where I live we ONLY have PO deliveries and we all have to go into the PO to collect it.

Given the staff know everyone we all have out residential address as postal details and it is then put in our pigeon hole to collect from the PO

 

But I would love to know the reason behind not posting to a PO box as even couriers can drop off to the PO for collection.

What is the difference between dropping at a PO or dropping at a house other than PO is more secure as it wont get pinched like anything can being "safe dropped"

 


Sparklz, it may be different in country towns but in the cities couriers cannot deliver to PO boxes.....the exception is StarTrack couriers who are owned by Australia Post.

If another courier company wantss to frop off at the PO they have to pay a fee to AP.....last time I heard it was $16.  No courier company is going to pay that amount to drop a parcel as they could not recoup it from their customer.

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