eBay seller agrees to ship to PO Box, eBay/Paypal say no, Updated 8/23/11

Bayard1908 · August 17, 2011 3:02AM

I use a PO box for receiving all my coin shipments.

I bought a coin on eBay last night and buried in the details of the listing is a statement that the seller will not ship to PO boxes. I emailed the seller and he kindly agreed to ship to my PO box.

I tried to pay the seller through eBay checkout and got a message saying something to the effect of, "This seller does not ship to PO boxes. Please use another address." I saw no way to override this.

I figured I'd bypass the eBay restriction by paying directly through Paypal. I logged into Paypal and clicked the pay-for-eBay-items tab. There's a message there that says "Paypal recommends paying through eBay checkout." Actually, this is not a recommendation, it's a mandate. There was no provision for directly paying for eBay items through Paypal, just a hyperlink to eBay checkout.

I'd like to get my seller paid and have him ship to my PO box. I'd appreciate any suggestions on how to get it accomplished. I've asked the seller to send me an invoice, hoping that will solve the problem.

8/23/11 update: After requesting an invoice from the seller and receiving no reply after several days, I paid via Paypal using my street address. The seller refunded my payment without explanation. Perhaps he is concerned that my street address is unconfirmed, since I always have coins shipped to my PO box and have never used the street address before. I have asked for an explanation in the hopes of working things out and avoiding the need for negative feedback.

devious · August 17, 2011 3:03AM

Check or money order.

Bayard1908 · August 17, 2011 3:06AM

<< Check or money order. >>

I'll be paying with Paypal, even if I'm forced to have the coin shipped to my home.

DUIGUY · August 17, 2011 3:09AM

Pay by Cerdit Card. Problem solved.

garrynot · August 17, 2011 3:32AM

How would paypal know how something is being shipped? Despite what you do on the paypal website, can't you just give the seller your PO Box and ask the seller to ship there?

LindeDad · August 17, 2011 3:38AM

Sounds like the seller normally uses UPS for shipments and has that programmed into the listings as the default and the computers have not been talking to you. Get in contact with the seller and work out a solution.

I will note that when one deviates from the norm one usually encounters the most problems.

Tiny · August 17, 2011 4:01AM

Has the seller sent you an invoice for your purchase

if not try that.

derryb · August 17, 2011 4:08AM

<< 

<< Check or money order. >>

I'll be paying with Paypal, even if I'm forced to have the coin shipped to my home. >>

Case solved. Good work.

MsMorrisine · August 17, 2011 4:21AM

it is possible to send money via paypal (non-gift) and include in the comments the eBay item number and a short description.

IHC08 · August 17, 2011 4:36AM

Ask the seller to generate an invoice for the amount due through paypal. I don't see anywhere in pp where you can restrict shipping to PO Boxes so I'm guessing it's automatic due to the seller restriction on the ebay auction form.

jt88 · August 17, 2011 4:48AM

I don't that's ebay/paypal issue. It is your seller did not want to ship to PO box. I ship to PO box all the time.

airplanenut · August 17, 2011 5:05AM

Just send a generic payment with a comment that says it's for the item you won.

Russ · August 17, 2011 5:30AM

eBay and PayPal didn't say no, the seller did. It's a seller controlled setting.

Russ, NCNE

OPA · August 17, 2011 5:53AM

<< eBay and PayPal didn't say no, the seller did. It's a seller controlled setting.

Russ, NCNE >>

Exactly...seller needs to modify his settings.

vann · August 17, 2011 5:59AM

<< eBay and PayPal didn't say no, the seller did. It's a seller controlled setting.

Russ, NCNE >>

If the seller has set P.O. Boxes as an excluded shipment location for his listings and a buyers primary shipping address is set to a P.O. Box, they should have been blocked from bidding by the sellers excluded shipment locations. This particular circumstance may have been caused by the OP changing the shipment address to his P.O. Box after he won and went to pay for the item.

fiveNdime · August 17, 2011 8:58AM

can use use the address of the PO where the box is?

derryb · August 17, 2011 9:32AM

<< 

<< eBay and PayPal didn't say no, the seller did. It's a seller controlled setting.

Russ, NCNE >>

If the seller has set P.O. Boxes as an excluded shipment location for his listings and a buyers primary shipping address is set to a P.O. Box, they should have been blocked from bidding by the sellers excluded shipment locations. This particular circumstance may have been caused by the OP changing the shipment address to his P.O. Box after he won and went to pay for the item. >>

Or the OP Ebay address (the one ebay woul have used to block the purchase) is a street address while his paypal address is a PO box.

Did listing mention that he does not ship to PO boxes? I can understand his not wanting to, many scammers use drop boxes at mailing shops.

LindeDad · August 17, 2011 9:32AM

<< can use use the address of the PO where the box is? >>

Will UPS accept that? I know they drop ship mint lower value items that way but can a seller get seller protection that way and what about signature service for items over $250.00 as required by PayPal.

Bayard1908 · August 17, 2011 9:56AM

<< eBay and PayPal didn't say no, the seller did. It's a seller controlled setting. >>

You are correct. What I'm asking is can the seller change the setting after the fact?

bestday · August 17, 2011 10:51AM

<< 

<< Check or money order. >>

I'll be paying with Paypal, even if I'm forced to have the coin shipped to my home. >>

contact seller ..if that is your confirmed address the seller should ok the box shipment. happens to me all the time ..after the post office left a $ 1,000 coin at my front door , I only use a po box

howards · August 17, 2011 11:11AM

If the seller has agreed to ship it to your PO box, then just pay him by whatever rules eBay forces you into and then put in the "Comments to Seller Box:"

Please ship to this PO Box as agreed: and give the Box address.

CarlWohlforth · August 17, 2011 11:23AM

No, it is too terrible to change your settings after the fact. Do as Tiny suggested. Well actually it is easy to change settings, but not retroactively. If anyone knows how to change settings to take effect in the past please let me know as that would be very handy for me...

mrpotatoheadd · August 17, 2011 11:27AM

Apparently, eBay and PayPal are doing such a good job of protecting the buyer and seller from each other here that they can't figure out how to complete the transaction.

derryb · August 17, 2011 11:37AM

Seller would be a fool to ship to address other than the one provide on the paypal details page.

coindeuce · August 17, 2011 12:21PM

<< Seller would be a fool to ship to address other than the one provide on the paypal details page. >>

The seller would only be a fool if he hadn't already agreed to ship the item to the OP's P.O.Box. All the seller needs to do is send a money request through Paypal as an invoice with all of the eBay information on the sale. The seller in effect agreed to forfeit his eBay Seller Protection when he agreed to contradict his terms of sale. Looks like an amicable agreement between the OP and the seller. What's with all of the drama?

derryb · August 17, 2011 12:29PM

<< 

<< Seller would be a fool to ship to address other than the one provide on the paypal details page. >>

The seller would only be a fool if he hadn't already agreed to ship the item to the OP's P.O.Box. All the seller needs to do is send a money request through Paypal as an invoice with all of the eBay information on the sale. The seller in effect agreed to forfeit his eBay Seller Protection when he agreed to contradict his terms of sale. Looks like an amicable agreement between the OP and the seller. What's with all of the drama? >>

Seller is paying for seller protection with his fee; he'd be a fool to waive it. Seller protection requires shipment to go to buyer address as it appears on paypal details page. No drama, just common sense.

vann · August 17, 2011 1:42PM

<< Or the OP Ebay address (the one ebay woul have used to block the purchase) is a street address while his paypal address is a PO box. >>

Good point. The OP should check his shipping address on eBay to see if it's set to his P.O. Box. If the seller will add the buyers user id to his Buyer Requirement Exemption List, he should still be able to bid on the item.

The OP should ask the seller to try that and see if it will let him complete checkout for his item through eBay.

coindeuce · August 17, 2011 2:02PM

<< 

<< eBay and PayPal didn't say no, the seller did. It's a seller controlled setting. >>

You are correct. What I'm asking is can the seller change the setting after the fact? >>

In recent times, eBay has had a provision for resetting seller's preference for buyer qualifications, shipping locations and state sales tax, which afforded a seller the opportunity to generate a new invoice in cases like the circumstance described by the OP. If eBay has eliminated those options, it is just another step in their effort to diminish their usefulness to sole proprietors by attempting to control contact between customers & merchants.

mrpotatoheadd · August 17, 2011 2:08PM

eBay doesn't want buyers and sellers talking to each other outside of the site. As soon as they can figure out how to, they will eliminate it entirely.

notwilight · August 17, 2011 2:16PM

This place gets so many stories of problems that people are afraid to complete a transaction (I'm talking some of the advice). 99.9% of transactions are problem free and don't get a thread. It's like Tiger Woods. Nobody else is on TV when they are having a bad day so the simpletons in the world assume nobody ever plays as bad as they saw Tiger on his bad day. Most non-events are invisible to you.

I like the pay outside of ebay (using paypal if you want) and then the seller can ship just fine to your PO box.

I use a private mail box so I get the protection of a PO box, convenience of them accepting all types of mail, and I can pick one much more convenient than a post office. They got to know me by name almost immediately and it is a very friendly environment.

--Jerry

coindeuce · August 17, 2011 2:20PM

<< eBay doesn't want buyers and sellers talking to each other outside of the site. As soon as they can figure out how to, they will eliminate it entirely. >>

The point I made did not and would not require communication outside of eBay. I have had several transactions in the past few years where I requested via eBay messaging that a seller in my state send a new invoice with sales tax removed, since I have a State approved Vendor's Certificate and can provide a Resale Certificate of Exemption.

Bayard1908 · August 23, 2011 3:06PM

After requesting an invoice from the seller and receiving no reply after several days, I paid via Paypal using my street address. The seller refunded my payment without explanation. Perhaps he is concerned that my street address is unconfirmed, since I always have coins shipped to my PO box and have never used the street address before. I have asked for an explanation in the hopes of working things out and avoiding the need for negative feedback.

MsMorrisine · August 23, 2011 3:08PM

he might just want to end the trouble.

give the guy a call. let him know you're a real person.

Bayard1908 · August 23, 2011 3:14PM

<< he might just want to end the trouble.

give the guy a call. let him know you're a real person. >>

What's "the trouble?" I complied with his requirement for shipping to a street address and paid for the merchandise.

NotSure · August 23, 2011 3:16PM

I see no positive outcome for you, the buyer. Though, I don't see how you could leave a neg. I would never ship to an unconfirmed address...you lose your seller protection. If he states he won't ship to a P.O. box, after all this time, I think it's a lost cause. Look for it to show up again.....but don't expect to be able to bid on it. I'd bet you are blocked by now (no, I am NOT the seller....the fact he sent the payment back so soon, tells me he doesn't want to play 'games'....) Who can blame a seller nowadays??? Ebay is ripe for seller-plucking....sellers have very little protection, even when they DO follow the rules to a 'T'. No knocks against the OP...I feel for you....it's the nature of the ebay/Paypal beast.

I'm guessing it's a coin you can't find often at all, and it's killing you to have to go through this....but my gut says you won't get this coin no matter what now......I wouldn't waste the time sending any money orders at this point. I'd say the coin is a free agent again.

Bayard1908 · August 23, 2011 3:19PM

<< I would never ship to an unconfirmed address...you lose your seller protection. >>

I believe this is false, although it was true at one time in the past. Perhaps the seller is also under this false impression and we can work it out.

devious · August 23, 2011 10:57PM

<< 

<< I would never ship to an unconfirmed address...you lose your seller protection. >>

I believe this is false, although it was true at one time in the past. Perhaps the seller is also under this false impression and we can work it out. >>

I too believe it may be false. I send to unconfirmed addresses overseas often when selling and it still says that my seller protection via Paypal is covered. I haven't ran into a US address in a long time that has been unconfirmed via Paypal and thus cannot relate seller protection coverage.

eBay seller agrees to ship to PO Box, eBay/Paypal say no, Updated 8/23/11

Comments

Leave a Comment