Thai delivery companies don't understand post office box numbers

[simon43]

When I lived in Laos, I had a P O Box number at the local post office.  Any orders from Aliexpress etc were delivered to the post office and I'd pick up the letter or parcel. Easy!

 

Now I'm back in Thailand and renting a house in the middle of nowhere 🙂 To make it easy for postal deliveries I rented a P O Box at the local post office.  So as with Laos, all parcels and letters should simply be delivered to that post office.

 

Well, that doesn't seem to work with the likes of Kerry and Flash delivery companies.  They keep calling me when trying to deliver my Lazada orders. "Where is your house? what's the address? etc.  

 

I tell them that I use a P O box number at the local post office, so just drop the parcel off there.  This completely throws them!!  They don't understand that the post office will take receipt of the parcel. So far, both Kerry and Flash have confirmed delivery of my orders, but they certainly haven't been delivered to the post office!  Now I need to try to get a refund from Lazada for these fake 'delivered' orders.

 

What's up with these delivery companies?  Why don't they understand something as simple as a post office box number at the local post office? 🙂

[scubascuba3]

Is your delivery address the post office address? if it is then how can they deliver anywhere else?

[johng]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

What's up with these delivery companies?  Why don't they understand something as simple as a post office box number at the local post office?

It's you  that keeps moving around all the time  how do you expect the "security agencies"  to keep up with your location ?  😋

[simon43]

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Is your delivery address the post office address? if it is then how can they deliver anywhere else?

Good question!  Flash Courier just replied to my email (I asked them where was my parcel which they claimed to have delivered).  They now say that the parcel is 'lost'.  WTF???

[simon43]

1 hour ago, johng said:

It's you  that keeps moving around all the time  how do you expect the "security agencies"  to keep up with your location ?  😋

That's why I use a p o box, so no-one knows where I really am 🙂

[edwinchester]

14 minutes ago, simon43 said:

That's why I use a p o box, so no-one knows where I really am 🙂

Success, your scheme works perfect with Kerry and Flash.

[Puccini]

In Thailand, letters and parcels sent by postal mail get delivered to post office boxes, not items dropped off by by local delivery services like Kerry and Flash.

[simon43]

22 minutes ago, Puccini said:

In Thailand, letters and parcels sent by postal mail get delivered to post office boxes, not items dropped off by by local delivery services like Kerry and Flash.

But my office delivery address is the same as the post office address. Surely Kerry etc will simply deliver the parcel to the stated address.  The fact that that address is the local post office should make no difference.

[degrub]

There may not be an agreement between postal service and Kerry, etc to accept packages for your P O Box.  If there is a private mail box service, perhaps they can handle accepting.  The government postal service probably doesn’t accept liability if not using their service or international postal service. 

[simon43]

6 hours ago, degrub said:

There may not be an agreement between postal service and Kerry, etc to accept packages for your P O Box.  If there is a private mail box service, perhaps they can handle accepting.  The government postal service probably doesn’t accept liability if not using their service or international postal service. 

Lol, this is Thailand 🙂  You're thinking with a 'western' hat on your head!

[jerrymahoney]

Having a PO Box in Thailand these days is useless for packages unless delivered EMS

[brianthainess]

14 hours ago, simon43 said:

they certainly haven't been delivered to the post office! 

I wouldn't bet on that.

[phetphet]

You are really confusing the delivery drivers. They can't get their heads around delivering to a place that also delivers. 

 

They must be scratching their heads and thinking, "But why?" 😀

[digbeth]

21 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Lol, this is Thailand 🙂  You're thinking with a 'western' hat on your head!

 

this is Thailand, haven't you heard of 'no cannot' 

if the delivery driver turns up at the post office asking to leave something for box number whatever what do you think will happen? sure buy a stamp and get in a queue

[brianthainess]

Just use your address, some companies allow you to put a map location, failing that have a chat with your nearest shop, that you use, they will often help you out, I have to use my wife's shop if I need anything delivered by the Useless Thai post, that includes EMS stuff, I am lucky if I get post once every 3 Months. But all the delivery companies manage to find my house, Although I do use my wife's phone number as a contact, in case they ring to find it.

[Bill97]

10 hours ago, simon43 said:

But my office delivery address is the same as the post office address. Surely Kerry etc will simply deliver the parcel to the stated address.  The fact that that address is the local post office should make no difference.

The PO handles mailed stuff only.  Not mailed they refuse it.  Same in most of the world. Nothing new except your failure to understand 

[KhunBENQ]

13 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

The PO handles mailed stuff only.  Not mailed they refuse it.  Same in most of the world. Nothing new except your failure to understand 

Well said.

A complete misconception by the OP.

Many years ago I ordered water filters from a company that used postal mail at the time. I gave them the general post office address (poste restante). Picked up the parcel there. Worked fine at the time.

 

Years later ordering again. Call to wife: we use courier now, can not deliver to post office).

 

The post office is not a free service agent for their competitors.

 

That Lazada sellers are stupid enough to use such address is remarkable. They should have rejected.

 

There are many agents (shops etc.) that accept courier deliveries for you to pickup.

Another option might be to have it stored at the courier distribution center (in most district cities). How to specify?

[SAFETY FIRST]

15 hours ago, simon43 said:

Now I'm back in Thailand and renting a house in the middle of nowhere

Why don't you have your items delivered to your house address? 

 

It's much easier these days, if I type my address into google my house is identified on google maps. 

 

[Gottfrid]

Simple, PO boxes does not work with private delivery companies. You have to change your delivery address in your shopping accounts, and the things will be delivered to your home.

[degrub]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

Lol, this is Thailand 🙂  You're thinking with a 'western' hat on your head!

Lol, True 😀

yet…

[KhaoNiaw]

The delivery driver can't physically put their parcel into the PO Box. They need to get someone to sign for the delivery. The Post Office doesn't have anyone there to accept deliveries for the box. Postal deliveries come through the postal service and are sorted into the PO boxes in the same way as regular mail is sorted out to addresses. I'm pretty sure that the PO Box service doesn't include staff to physically receive and sign for your packages and then stick them in your box.

[simon43]

Update: Well I spoke to a nice lady at Lazada customer service.  She confirmed that it is perfectly acceptable to use a post office box at the local post office to receive deliveries, and the post office staff have also confirmed this directly with me, (they will sign for the parcel and keep it safe inside their office if it's too big to place in the p o box.

 

Lazada also said that they have received numerous complaints about Flash Express (the delivery company).  Both missing orders should have been delivered to the post office by the same delivery driver, and Lazada spoke with Flash Express while I waited online.  It seems that particular driver is pocketing parcels!!  Further investigations are underway...

 

In other words, most of the above comments from posters are bollo x 🙂

[simon43]

Also, as to why I don't use my physical address, the answer is simple!  To reach my physical address requires the driver to use a 4-wheel drive vehicle to drive into the hills on a muddy track for about 20 minutes. My house is definitely 'ban nork'.

 

I opened the box at the post office in the town to make it easy for the delivery company 🙂