APO and deliver confirmation?

[peteandnae]

I recently purchased an item on ebay from a seller who stated they shipped worldwide. I was especially excited to see they ship most purchases via US Postal Service Priority Mail as we have an APO address (California address for military living over seas) and US Postal Service Priority Mail if the fastest way for us to recieve items. I soon recieved a message saying they could not ship to APO addresses (although this wasn't stated anywhere in the discription) and do I have a stateside mailing address? I asked why they couldn't ship to APO addresses and this was the reply I got:

"We can not ship an item of this cost ($199) to an APO as when we have shipped to APO's in the past they rarely ever show a delivery confirmation. Paypal requires us to be able to have tracking showing proof of delivery. I do apologize if you where able to pay by money order then we would have no problem sending to the APO.
Thanks,"

I have never had this problem before and I've purchase things costing more than $199. In fact, the Post Office here always scans packages I recieve with the confirmation scanner in front of me when I pick them up. I got a good deal on the item and I think the seller is simply trying to figure a way out without me leaving bad feedback. However, wanting to give the seller the bennefit of the doubt I would like to know if this is a common problem for others. More importantly, is there any grounds or reasons for this seller to legitimately not send me my item when I can, and in fact do recieve items of this nature all the time without problems?

Thank you.

[lazybones]

 I have problems getting Items shipped to my FPO address. I have a confirmed address, but paypal changed the way you input the address. If I put AA in as my state, it shows it as an invalid address. I contact the seller,put down an alternate address,then put my FPO address in th special instructions. Last three times it was shipped to the alternate address. Then I have to wait months to ship it  to myself, and pay shipping again.The only way to contact Paypal/Ebay is by phone. Good luck calling from overseas. I've just about had it with them.If some one can figure out a better way, let me know. 

[Amanda411]

Hi lazybones,

You should be able to add an FPO or APO address to your PayPal account. What error message are you seeing when you try to add the address?

Amanda

[lazybones]

I've had items shipped to my address in the past.When Ebay took over paypal I've been having problems. When I

put in FPO as city, AA as state, and 34058 as zip code, I think it says invalid zip code. Or invalid state. I'd have to

order something again to tell you which one.

[lazybones]

Amanda,

  I haven't heard back from you. What have you been able to find out?

                  lazybones

[FyUaaCaaKaaED]

SOL

you lose

PP wins

[Amanda411]

Hi lazybones.

You can ship to most APO/FPO addresses using USPS. However; the Postal Service and the Military continue to add and update valid APO/FPO addresses for online labels, but not all addresses are supported at this time.

Please check with the USPS to see if online label printing is available for the address you're trying to ship to.

Amanda

[USAFTACP]

The military updating addresses is not the problem.  All of my deployed addresses have been APO AE addresses.  PayPal let me add it as a gift address so I just purchased something on eBay.  PayPal even had a drop down for states to select AE.  Now PayPal calls it invalid at checkout and I have a purchase I can't pay for.  I have to assume PayPal does not support shipping items to deployed troops if this problem hasn't been fixed by now.

[lazybones]

Yeah, It's a real pain. I've quit using ebay/Paypal. The problem is with them. They don't want to fix their software.

  If they can't support the troops, **bleep** them. I think all military should should boycott them and call them, or e-

mail them, and tell them why.  

[surplusdealdude]

I wouldn't blame the seller too much.

The problem is that sellers can only get delivery confirmation as far as the APO. 

From there, their parcels are at the mercy of the Armed forces mail service who are, to put it kindly, slow.

There are all sorts of sellers that have had non-delivery complaints filed on them because they ship to APO's and the stuff takes months to get delivered.

Some sellers have decided it isn't worth the hassle anymore and they won't ship to an APO address.  While they should note that in the listing, they forget.

It's  bad situation all around.