Issue with shipping (scam??)
 

Buyer paid me via PayPal Goods & Services. His address registered with PP is a PO Box...

UPS won't ship to it
FedEx won't ship to it

Is there a common scam here?

Thanks

I’ve shipoed to some rural customers that only have P.O. Boxes- did that on reverb last week. He had a postal Id number from his postmaster, though. Basically I shipped to the PO and he would pick it up later. I shipped ups, but customer did have an actual Rural rt address on file.

I don't know if it's a scam, but can you ship to have it held at the FedEx office for the buyer to pick it up there? Then you don't have to worry about a PO Box. Many rural communities around where I live do not have mail delivery, all they have is PO Boxes (but everyone has a street address, just ask the buyer for his or her street address.) There has to be an address in case there is a fire or other emergency, how else would the rescue people know where to go?

I would ship it to the post office and have them pick up there. <-- Is this even possible though?

Thanks, I could ask for a Postal ID number?

My preference is to have signature required at time of delivery.

I had a home in a gated community in Puerto Rico and the mailman left the mail outside the gate most of the time, or he just threw it through on the ground. I had a PO box there for years. I walked down to the post office every day to pick up my mail. I was always put out by retailers who wouldn't ship USPS to PR, I mean, it is the same USPS, and people who were afraid of PO boxes. I don't know exactly how it works because my wife set it up, but we used to have UPS and FedEx deliver packages to the physical address of our post office and they would hold them for us to pick up. But we had to set it up on our side.

I am only allowed to ship to the buyer's registered PayPal address, so I don't think I can ship to the UPS or FedEx office and have them hold it.

There’s probably a feeling you’re getting and that’s why you’re asking? Maybe there’s more to it.
The only thing I could see is the buyer claims he (she) never receives it and gets their money back and the guitar.

I don't believe that a PO Box address in and of itself is indicative of a scam...

Exactly, that's what I'm seeing in research. Buyer can claim item never received and get all money back.

Seems like a nice person....I've shipped 25-30 guitars over the years and have never come across the PO Box issue before so I could be acting overly cautious but my gut is telling me to do a PayPal refund and move on.

Agreed, but it seems to prohibit signature at time of delivery and insurance.

I’d actually feel safer mailing it to a PO Box than the off chance of having it left on a porch. Maybe ask them for the physical address of the Post Office.

UPS does not ship packages to PO boxes. Fedex will ban a PO box if its a gated community or a locked facility ect.

You can not send packages to the general delivery post office using other carriers it has to be USPS to do that.

The issue you are having is not uncommon at all. Tell the customer to provide a door to door address for the delivery.

The way PayPal is set up 1. this transaction would need to be refunded. 2. The buyer would need to update his address with PayPal 3. and purchase again....

ugh

Had no idea. Why would it???