Sending to a PO Box?

[QuirkyCabbage]

The other day I had an order from someone whose address was a PO Box in America (I'm in England)

I thought nothing of it but the more I think about it, the more worried I am. I see "I do not send to PO Box's" In a number of shop policies on here. I was wondering why.

Do you send to PO box addresses? If not, what do you do if you get an order that has one set as the address?

[HoneyThistle]

I have sent a few packages to PO boxes, or to people's business addresses. I just take it to mean that they don't want to publish their personal home addresses, which I 100% understand (and would do myself).

I have never had issues with this, but I'd love to hear other people's opinions on why they wouldn't ship to PO boxes...

[Plektra]

Someone using a PO Box address is possibly doing so for the reason Wei said above.

If I'm not mistaken....you can select not to receive payments from PO Box addresses in your PayPal account. That is if you are feeling uncomfortable.

I can't remember how I set this up years ago when I opened my PP account. I don't know if that has changed either...I haven't received a payment from PO Box so I haven't looked it up again.

Maybe call PP and ask them? Will you have PP Buyer Protection if you do ship something to a PO Box?

[QuirkyCabbage]

I'm not too sure if we'd get protection, luckily very very few of my buyers use paypal, and use direct checkout instead. Not had the best experiences in the past with paypal (Been frauded) but someone convinced me to add the checkout option to my shop

[Graciosa]

I think the reason why some sellers don't send to PO boxes is simply that some shipping options require the recipient's signature as proof of delivery.

At least, in my case, when I use shipping upgrades my post office tells me that I can not send to a PO Box because they need a recipient to sign the receipt. So in those cases I explain that to the customers and ask them for another adress.

But I think it's just that. Not that it is dangerous in any way, or anything.

[michellemach]

I've sent to lots of post office boxes and never had a problem. There are many reasons people use them, including living in a remote or rural area that does not get regular mail service. I would guess that those who don't deliver to PO boxes use some kind of special shipping service like UPS or FedEx that do not deliver there.

[WindDancerStudios]

I have a PO Box - it's just a locked box at the post office that your mail gets delivered to, keeps it dry and from getting stolen. No different than if you live in an apartment building.
I live rural just like Michelle pointed out, The mail runs only to the main road, I live a mile down a dirt road in the woods so technically off the mail route and I can't see the road or the boxes from my house. I've had the same PO Box address through three moves in over twenty years, when we first moved to this town and lived in one of the hubs Grandparents rentals, when we moved to our own place, and when we built our home. No lost mail in transitions because the address never changed.

UPS and FedEx both now have mail options as well, mail innovations or something like that.

In answer, I can't think of a single reason why I wouldn't mail to a PO Box :)