PO Boxes and address

[Ryette]

I am sorry if this question has been answered before, but I am looking into getting a PO box or having an alternate shipping address.

I am from Canada, and I know that we can have things shipped to mail boxes in the States to save on shipping cost but I am wondering if there is such a service in Canada so that I don't have to drive across the border.

Partially this is because I have had members want to send me gifts and I want to keep my cam life separate from my home life to some extent, if only for personal safety.

My questions are as follows:
Any idea on cost?
What are some services like this?
What happens if I get a PO box and the package does not fit in the box, will they hold it?
Is there a notification or a forwarding option?

Sorry if this is redundant or not in the right place...
I am new to this forum, as I am to camming.

Thanks, Ryette L.

 

[Shaun__]

I send packages to Canada sometimes, and the post office holds onto them until they are picked up. A lot of companies do not ship directly to PO Boxes though, so the member might have to get the item and then resend it to you. Some models do not like people even knowing nearby cities though.

 

[PlayboyMegan]

I send packages to Canada sometimes, and the post office holds onto them until they are picked up. A lot of companies do not ship directly to PO Boxes though, so the member might have to get the item and then resend it to you. Some models do not like people even knowing nearby cities though.

Yes, most companies won't ship to po boxes but many po boxes have street addresses that they will ship to. So it's important to find a po box with a street address.
I don't know what the prices are like in Canada, but I pay about $30/m for mine which could be worth it for some girls but not for others.
Most boxes will hold a box too big for the box you rented. Ask them before hand. One box I went to said they would hold my larger boxes as long as it didn't exceed 5 large boxes a month. Another box I rented was a small family owned one (best way to go, IMO) and didn't care about me having a ton if over sized boxes each month.
You will need to explain to them that you have a stage name (you can just say you're a model) and how important your safety is to you. That if anyone ever calls them, they are not to give out any of your personal information. Which is why I think a family owned business is the best way to go, only a few of the same workers there who will get to know you personally.
Also, I highly recommend not accepting gifts that members have physical access to and have a friend pick up the packages for you and never tell members when you will be picking up the items.

 

[Ryette]

I send packages to Canada sometimes, and the post office holds onto them until they are picked up. A lot of companies do not ship directly to PO Boxes though, so the member might have to get the item and then resend it to you. Some models do not like people even knowing nearby cities though.

Yes, most companies won't ship to po boxes but many po boxes have street addresses that they will ship to. So it's important to find a po box with a street address.
I don't know what the prices are like in Canada, but I pay about $30/m for mine which could be worth it for some girls but not for others.
Most boxes will hold a box too big for the box you rented. Ask them before hand. One box I went to said they would hold my larger boxes as long as it didn't exceed 5 large boxes a month. Another box I rented was a small family owned one (best way to go, IMO) and didn't care about me having a ton if over sized boxes each month.
You will need to explain to them that you have a stage name (you can just say you're a model) and how important your safety is to you. That if anyone ever calls them, they are not to give out any of your personal information. Which is why I think a family owned business is the best way to go, only a few of the same workers there who will get to know you personally.
Also, I highly recommend not accepting gifts that members have physical access to and have a friend pick up the packages for you and never tell members when you will be picking up the items.

This is really good advice, thank you!

 

[Ambers Troll]

http://www.canadianaddress.ca/rates.html
Your other option is some form of mail forwarding service.

 

[Ryette]

http://www.canadianaddress.ca/rates.html
Your other option is some form of mail forwarding service.

This is what I was looking for, thank you.

 

[Ambers Troll]

http://www.canadianaddress.ca/rates.html
Your other option is some form of mail forwarding service.

This is what I was looking for, thank you.

Make sure you shop around and check it out thoroughly, was only sending you an example of one, I have no experience with such services myself.

 

[Crumb]

as a Canada Post employee, we hold packages for up to 14-15 days before returning it to sender (just check your box regularly)
size doesn't really matter, we'll still hold it and just give you a parcel card telling you to pick it up at the counter.

if you want stuff to go to a PO box, just make sure it gets sent via USPS and shouldn't have any problems. it is typically the privately owned courier companies like UPS or FedEx etc that won't deliver to PO boxes.
oh, also, you may, sometimes, get nailed by customs and have to pay the gst/pst and a handling fee or duty.
so if they ask for money, it's important to realize that it is not the fault of the sender, but it is gov trying to collect

any other questions, just send me a PM

 

[Falke]

Sorry if it would be better to create another post rather than to resurrect this thread. I am never sure which is the right way to handle it.

I recently won a raffle, but for privacy reasons I am leery of giving out my real name and address for the model to send me the prize. Would a business mailbox at something like the UPS store be the best way to handle that in the US? That seems like overkill, but I thought that if it's a good solution, I might end up getting more actual mailed content from models (privacy had been a hang-up for me, and now the unexpected raffle win sort of forced the issue). It looks like PO boxes would require the use of my real name in the address line, but maybe a business box at the UPS store is a way to receive it without giving a name? I don't care if Uncle Sam knows my identity, but I'd prefer to avoid giving out a real name and contact details on a cam site. Thanks!

 

[LilyEvans]

Sorry if it would be better to create another post rather than to resurrect this thread. I am never sure which is the right way to handle it.

I recently won a raffle, but for privacy reasons I am leery of giving out my real name and address for the model to send me the prize. Would a business mailbox at something like the UPS store be the best way to handle that in the US? That seems like overkill, but I thought that if it's a good solution, I might end up getting more actual mailed content from models (privacy had been a hang-up for me, and now the unexpected raffle win sort of forced the issue). It looks like PO boxes would require the use of my real name in the address line, but maybe a business box at the UPS store is a way to receive it without giving a name? I don't care if Uncle Sam knows my identity, but I'd prefer to avoid giving out a real name and contact details on a cam site. Thanks!

In the past I have sent gifts to a member's PO Box that was listed under a "stage name"-- that is, his name was "John Smith" but the gift was sent to "Jolly Goodtimes" at a PO Box. Yes, you do need your real name to sign up for a PO Box; however, if you list an alias as a person who will be receiving mail, you should be good to go. No one ever obtained my real information from my post office, and I never obtained the member's information through his (although like Megan said, be sure to stress to your post office that it is a privacy/safety issue and not to give out your information over the phone! I never tried to inquire about the member's information but who knows if they would have told me.) If you have a box that can accept gifts for an alias there's no reason you should have to give any personal information to camgirls or camsites-- other than to buy tokens, of course.

 

[Falke]

In the past I have sent gifts to a member's PO Box that was listed under a "stage name"-- that is, his name was "John Smith" but the gift was sent to "Jolly Goodtimes" at a PO Box. Yes, you do need your real name to sign up for a PO Box; however, if you list an alias as a person who will be receiving mail, you should be good to go. No one ever obtained my real information from my post office, and I never obtained the member's information through his (although like Megan said, be sure to stress to your post office that it is a privacy/safety issue and not to give out your information over the phone! I never tried to inquire about the member's information but who knows if they would have told me.) If you have a box that can accept gifts for an alias there's no reason you should have to give any personal information to camgirls or camsites-- other than to buy tokens, of course.

Thanks! I hadn't realized that you can use an alias for a PO box. All of the information on PO boxes made it seem like everything has to match up in terms of names and photo IDs because of federal law. I guess that it's a security issue for the mail service :dontknow: But if an alias works, then I'll give that a shot.

 

[LilyEvans]

In the past I have sent gifts to a member's PO Box that was listed under a "stage name"-- that is, his name was "John Smith" but the gift was sent to "Jolly Goodtimes" at a PO Box. Yes, you do need your real name to sign up for a PO Box; however, if you list an alias as a person who will be receiving mail, you should be good to go. No one ever obtained my real information from my post office, and I never obtained the member's information through his (although like Megan said, be sure to stress to your post office that it is a privacy/safety issue and not to give out your information over the phone! I never tried to inquire about the member's information but who knows if they would have told me.) If you have a box that can accept gifts for an alias there's no reason you should have to give any personal information to camgirls or camsites-- other than to buy tokens, of course.

Thanks! I hadn't realized that you can use an alias for a PO box. All of the information on PO boxes made it seem like everything has to match up in terms of names and photo IDs because of federal law. I guess that it's a security issue for the mail service :dontknow: But if an alias works, then I'll give that a shot.

No problem! Bear in mind there are some post offices who will NOT allow you to pick up mail without a photo ID. If this is the case, just ask at another office. Tell them you do business under an alias and don't have an ID for it (you could say you have a popular YouTube channel or something if they continue to pry; my office did not.) I was told that anyone listed on the box account could pick up mail for anyone else listed on the account, and I never needed to show ID; I assume my possession of the key was enough for them, since it's not like you go up to the counter and ask for mail from box so-and-so.

 

[Falke]

No problem! Bear in mind there are some post offices who will NOT allow you to pick up mail without a photo ID. If this is the case, just ask at another office. Tell them you do business under an alias and don't have an ID for it (you could say you have a popular YouTube channel or something if they continue to pry; my office did not.) I was told that anyone listed on the box account could pick up mail for anyone else listed on the account, and I never needed to show ID; I assume my possession of the key was enough for them, since it's not like you go up to the counter and ask for mail from box so-and-so.

Awesome! Thank you again for the help!

 

[bsurs]

As mentioned above, some companies (like FedEx and UPS) may not deliver to P.O. Boxes. You may want to keep that in mind.

I got a personal mailbox at a store like PostalAnnex or UPS Store for the exact same reason -- I won a raffle on MFC and didn't want to give out my real name and address. It's a little expensive but since then, I've used it for most of my deliveries because I've had packages stolen after they were left at my real address and I also didn't want packages delivered to my work place.

 

[Jesse0328]

I'm sure that you would pay a potentially hefty premium, but there are businesses that will receive, hold, and forward packages for you. That way you can have a distant shipping address and they will consolidate and forward the parcels to you.