oldhag

I'm like Gennynut. I have a P.O. Box in the US for my parcels. What really ticks me off is inaccurate information on their shipping policies....like shipping Fed Ex when it is stated in their policies that P.O. boxes are fine and USPS is used. Believe me shipping policies are a deal breaker for me when it comes to shopping.

Airwick156

What is a 911 address? I also do not have mail service where I live and have to have a PO Box. Luckily, where we have our PO Box the woman that runs it accepts FedEx and UPS packages and usps packages.

A couple years ago, I purchased some items from Target online and when I put in my Po Box address, it wouldnt accept my order. I had to find someone that I trusted enough and ask them if I could have a package mailed to them for me. Whats the big deal, I don't understand, especially when you are paying for the merchandise up front.

Its sad really. Alot of companies are going to lose out on alot of money by not delivering to a PO Box. :(

dream56

It is an actual physical address with a house number to be used in case of an emergency. Our county emergency system gave these addresses for areas who did not have mail delivery. Our address is actually posted on the house(ex 123 Route 100 Hometown, PA), but when I've tried to use it for deliveries many times they tell me it is not a valid address since it is not in the postal computers. I get told they can not ship to a PO Box address(my only mail delivery available) and then - no you can not use this address either because it is not valid. So frustrating.

PamS

Used to live in small town that only had boxes at the tiny post office, no home delivery. We'd use the Post Office's street address for those kinds of delivery, never had a problem. Where there's a will, , , , there's a way (-;

dream56

My post office doesn't have an street address either. I know they can just overwrite it in their system and Fedex or UPS will deliver it, but some of them just won't do it. I live a small town rural area and on a main road only about 15 houses away from the post office. I just feel if they can't use either my po address or street address - I just cancel and order elsewhere.

MTS

The big deal is that if it's undeliverable, the package may be returned to the seller, or lost in the process.

Both of which cost the seller/vendor money and time. Because if they have to ship it out again with a correct address, they havemight have to eat the postage of the first shipment. And if the package gets lost, you're going to call and complain to your credit card company, and then the entire amount will credited back to your account - and now the vendor is out the postage AND the cost of the goods.

I think out in the more rural areas of the US the post office accepts both UPS and FedEx packages. They DO NOT do it more densely populated areas. I know many eBay sellers will not ship to POBoxes.

I know FedEx has my physical address on file in case something gets shipped by error to my PO address. They can now correct it while it's getting sorted on the trucks. (They called me once with such a package, and it's happened a few times). These packages were from vendors with no mention on their websites that they ONLY ship FedEx/UPS. Otherwise, I would have used the house address.

Back to the OP in Canada:
Do you use a POBox that's right over the border? Is that how it works out for you because it's so convenient to you?
Otherwise, I couldn't imagine it working. Do you know anyone in the same area as your POBox ? Use their address? Or use a Mailbox instead?

I have quilting friends in Israel, Romania and Europe who are always sending their shipments to me, and then I repackage them to ship overseas. Most times they try to take advantage of free shipping offers so it really doesn't cost them anymore. Otherwise, it's still cost effective, especially when you add in what I get for them at Joann's with coupons.

qwkslver

But yet when I order UPS or Fedex they drop it off at the post office and the mail woman brings it (usually a day later).

mim

UPS and Fed EX really DO ship to PO boxes. At my home post office in Maine the UPS truck comes almost every day -- when I asked the postmistress she said of course they come.

Also here in FL when I was in the PO to mail a package the Fed Ex guy unloaded a huge pile of packages in the lobby for PO boxes. Maybe it has something to do with wanting receipt signing -- that the PO won't do

featherweight

Actually there are alot of business's that will not ship to PO Boxes.

mom-6

Where I used to work we did UPS for the public as an added service. The computer would not accept PO Box 456, Anywhere, TX as an address. An address like 12345 Main St, Box 456, Anywhere, TX however would go through.