are PO Boxes bad?

sniperboy

sniperboy

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Pardon me if this is a "duh" question.. bu I have been reading some negative things said about PO boxes, and people not wanting to send to them.

I have never owned one and am about to rent one because of security issues, and preventing theft from my mailbox.

What's up with PO boxes as far as knife trading is concerned?

is there a higher risk of postal theft/and-or/ inspection/opening? or are poeple corrolating PO boxes to scam artists like most of us do with hotmail (eventhough i do own and use hotmail to trade)
 
A PO Box is a pretty good investment if you have had any problems with your home delivery of mail. I also like that if things are sent return receipt or insured to your box, it's less likely (although not unknown) for your stuff to get "handled" by parties unknown. If it's waiting for your signature at the PO box location you can pretty much know before you pick it up if it's been opened or tampered with.

Plus, I find a PO box good on holding mail when I travel for few days here and there, and for a "business" address. It's been a good deal for me, and significantly cheaper than an MBE box, which is good for UPS but expensive...

Downsides include not being able to get UPS/FedEx, which is used a lot for trading, and time/availability(my local PO shuts down, and I mean *down*) at 4.30 PM weekdays.

I say this knowing that a book I had bought off eBay was shipped in a USPS box, opened, and replaced with a bag of SweeTarts, then resealed with no apparent outside damage:) The seller made good on it, but it's the only time out of maybe several hundred transactions I've done where the package was altered like that.

Not the PO's problem, strictly speaking, but given the tensions in central Jersey re: anthrax, *I* was just short of freaked when I saw the candy instead of a book :mad:
 
They can also be good for maintaining a tiny shred of privacy: You don't have to give out your street address to someone you don't know. My wife particularly likes this aspect.

It can be a drag dealing with the PO itself, say when your package arrives December 20th, and you have to stand in line to get it, because it wouldn't fit in your box, and there is half the town waiting in said line to send their Christmas gifts...

-- PG
 
Someone who has a post office box ,I look at a little harder as far as
sending knife before payment.
 
Our Company uses a Post Office Box and I have all my packages sent to it since I pick up the mail. Upside for me is that the Post Office Lobby is open 24 hrs a day 7 days a week.

I've never been questioned as to why I'm having something sent to a P.O. Box number.
 
Very stupid crooks sometimes think using a PO box is an advantage because it hides their home address. Those who aren't that stupid never use them because they know it makes it too easy to arrest them when they go to the PO to get their mail.
 
I always have both knives and payment sent to my company's PO Box. It is more secure than leaving it inside the garage door at home and more convenient than having to go to the Post Office to pick up a package. It also gets me my knife a little earlier in the day and gives me something to play with on the ride home :D
 
thanks for the replies sirs.. it is really helpful clearing up some questions I had concernig comments made on some GB&U threads.

it seems the concensus is that tha main reason somsone would not approve of a po box is if they have a beef with USPS.
 
I rented a PO box 6 months ago and love it. Seven months ago some guy asked for my address to send a gun payment. I gave my home address, and like many others this 2-legged debris disappeared on me. There is something very offensive IMHO about giving away your home address to someone that lacks the fundamental courtesy to communicate with you.

Two weeks after getting my PO box, the same thing happened when some BF member wanted to buy my MT Socom. He took my address and refused to acknowledge e-mails thereafter. Guess what, I didn't feel nearly as violated because he only had my PO box address. My PO box is one of the best "peace of mind" investments that I've made.
 
To clarify, our issue is that UPS can't deliver to PO Boxes. Has to go by mail. Nothing negative about PO Boxes, just something negative about the postal service. I am surprised, though, that so many people have been victimized by mail box theft. That's something I hadn't imagined. Take care.
 
Do you people really think someone cannot find you because you have a PO box?You are living in a dream world.IMHO
 
it is alot simpler to get a search warrant for a PO Box. It is alot simpler to get the true identity of a PO Box holder. The only benefit may be having a secret PO Box for your knives so the wife does not find out!
But if you live in a small Town and yopur wife walks in to buy stamps, some Postal employee is bond to say: "do you want the knives sitting in Ira's PO Box?".......................BUSTED:eek: :eek: :eek:

Whether i get my items shipped Ups, fedEx, or the USPS I list my Street Address and my PO Box. As long as the Po box appears on the label, I get it without delay. Their are some risks to sending to PO Boxes, but they are being minimized daily...........wolf
 
I live in a small rural town, if I had a mailbox it would
be a block away from my house. If you get a package bigger then
your mailbox, they open the lid to your mailbox and put the package
on it like a shelf. Everyone driving by can see your package.
I see this all the time. That is why I have a PO Box!!!!

And UPS is just as bad, they let your package sit on your doorstep.
For anybody to see. My wife and me both work, so nobody is home
when UPS delivers.
I usually won't order from a place, if they don't ship though USPS.
I go to the Post Office, they put a card in my PO Box if I get a package. I go to the window with the card, they give me my package!!!!! No problem!!! No worry!!!

Doesn't make people bad to have a PO Box, it is just convenient
for us!!!:)
 
i live in a small rural area in southwest arizona and we have no home delivery.PO boxes are the only way we can get our mail.so don't feel weird doing a deal.i always ship on the day i say and have never had any problems.
 
I have encouraged several friends to get PO boxes and will continue to do so. I don't see any downside.
 
I also do not get home delivery from the Postal Service, some lame excuse about the amount of snow we get and the snowplows knocking down the boxes. Therefore everybody in my county must have a PO box. It is nice for the privacy though.
 
Our local PO does not deliver to my house, so we have PO boxes. They are starting to place those "block" boxes but I will stick with the PO box.
 
I have had a PO box forever it seems and I love it. Like some others have said if a company wont send to a PO box I dont deal with them. I have had tried to use UPS before on ordering things
and they either lose my packages or deliver them to someone else everytime.

Randall Gilley
 
The only reason the Post Office won't accept mail for PO boxes from UPS is ... there's no USPS postage on it. :cool: If you really, really need UPS to deliver to your PO box, arrange for US postage in addition to the cost of the UPS.
 
Tried to send a knife useing UPS to a po box address also, they said they could not deliver to such so had to send to the customers home address, not sure about sending Priority Mail useing a a P.O. Box address but I couldn't imagine a problem with regular mail service. Cavelady
 
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