How do I use a foreign address?

[firefly06]

I am currently studying abroad in Japan and I would like to add my Japanese address so I can have things sent here, but  it only gives me the option for an American address. How do I add a foreign address?

[PayPal_Andy]

helenacf- It is true that you would normally need to have a PayPal account in the country that you're trying to ship to.  So if you're shipping to Mexico, you should have a Mexican account.  Now if you've given the seller a different shipping address and they send it, then that's fine.  But it would void the seller's Protections through PayPal, so most won't do that and we would advise them not to ship.  But if they agree to it, then that's on them.

Hope that answers things for you.

Andy

[Joe4therecord]

Andy,

That's... awful. I know it's not your decision on what policies the company abides by but man, how can it be like this?  Instead of working with sellers to create a solution, PayPal simply says "you're on your own"?

The common emotion seen throughout all these replies (besides frustration) is simple shock. How can it be like this when no other online company acts this way? And how can PayPal get away with it?

[feif]

Joe4therecord nailed it.  This is a typical "big corporate" response.  A more appropriate response would have been something along the lines of "we are aware of the issue and are trying to find ways of addressing it".  OTOH, at least we know where we the customers stand when dealing with this particular monopoly.

[20questions]

Hi paypal-Andy, I was just wondering if you had any information as to whether or not paypal was planning to address the foreign address issue or if they were planning to just keep letting it lie? Thanks for your replies btw- we know you don't make the laws- you're just tasked with explaining them!

[PayPal_Andy]

20questions- Thanks for the encouraging words, I appreciate it!  As far as the foreign address issue, there are no plans as far as I know to allow non localized addresses to PayPal accounts.  If I should hear something different I will certainly let everyone know, but as of now I don't believe this is something we're working on.

Andy

[blanka]

That's why their should be an option to buy without protection! But then again, you come back to the basic design flaw of Paypal: that it uses emailadress + password to verify transactions. Maybe it is an idea to combine Paypal with iDeal like systems (Dutch e-payment system) with a calculator tool (the ones that use transaction detail input are the most secure) for more secure authentication. This way adding remote addresses would be no longer a problem, as it is no longer possible for a Nigerian spammer to fill up his house on others accounts.

[Alkatar]

The answer is simple. Don't use Paypal. Contact the seller, pay them with moneybookers.com and use your US financial information to ship anywhere in the world. Looks like PayPal has decided to stay behind and thinks that their size is enough to force a trend, which is not true.

[steinpiaz]

Jeeze, Paypal is so lame and so institutionally corporate-stupid it isn't funny.  I am American and have income in the US as well as bank accounts, US dollar credit cars, rental property and I own a business there.  BUT, I actually live in Canada.  I have been trying now for 8 years, 8 years to get my Canadian address certified so I can buy things off Ebay and have them shipped to my house in British Columbia.   Hey PAYPAL, this is the 21st century.  Shipping to Canada is about like shipping from Iowa to Minnesota.  Man, you guys really don't get out of the house much.  Frankly, I can hardly wait for Paypal to get a serious competitor.  I will jump ship so freaking fast that you won't even have time to say "see yah"  as I blow out the door. 

[feif]

Notice that when buying through ebay.de (german part of ebay), one can not only use one's US paypal account to pay, but have the item shipped to a foreign address.  Hmmm, why does that work?  Could it be that ebay (as paypal's owner) told paypal to MAKE IT WORK so that ebay wouldn't lose business?

Yet paypal can't figure out the general solution?