Return Address Option UK

[CaptainComedown]

So up until now I have just been accepting the loss on returned items and issuing a full refund. However recently, I have been expanding my stock and want to figure out a stable way to have items returned to me from various accounts.

I read on another forum that Ebay don't track the Return addresses (due to shared return addresses from suppliers, dropshippers etc) and there was a guy claiming he had been using his own address as a Return address on dozens of stealth accounts without issue for years. This seems too good to be true but I thought it was worth mentioning in case anyone had any more information about it?

So I was looking at using a mail forwarding service, such as Ghostmail or a PO Box. Does anyone have experience with this method, or able to recommend a service to use?

Ghostmail have a small parcel forwarding service within the UK for £90 a year so it seems like pretty good value.

I was hoping to get the PO box/forwarding address and be able to add it as a Return address on all of my accounts, do you think this is possible? Or would I need a separate address for each account?

Cheers

[ebabe]

I will check out ghostmail too. PO box is expensive. I use to put my real address in messages for the buyer to return, but I dont do that anymore, as I think they now have AI for certain words in messages. I use a relatives address. But would perfer a mail forward service.

[MathProfessor]

Can't you just add some nonsense to your address to make it look different?

e.g. you live on "15 Canary street"
you change it to
"Unit 3, 15 Canary Street"
"Unit 4, 15 Canary Street"
etc.

Or add "C/O Richard Brown" to the beginning

Postman ignores the fluff at the beginning, ebay thinks it's a different address.

[CaptainComedown]

Originally Posted by MathProfessor

Can't you just add some nonsense to your address to make it look different?

e.g. you live on "15 Canary street"
you change it to
"Unit 3, 15 Canary Street"
"Unit 4, 15 Canary Street"
etc.

Or add "C/O Richard Brown" to the beginning

Postman ignores the fluff at the beginning, ebay thinks it's a different address.

Ah ok thats a good idea, have you personally tested this method? I can use my girlfriends address for my return address but I'm unsure as to whether I can use it for multiple accounts (I currently have 9 although only 5 are actively selling)

[CaptainComedown]

Originally Posted by ebabe

I will check out ghostmail too. PO box is expensive. I use to put my real address in messages for the buyer to return, but I dont do that anymore, as I think they now have AI for certain words in messages. I use a relatives address. But would perfer a mail forward service.

On further inspection, Ghost mail charge 90 a year to receive parcels but to forward them they charge twice the Royal Mail postage rate so for me, it isn't cost effective as most of my items are relatively low value.

[ebabe]

Originally Posted by CaptainComedown

On further inspection, Ghost mail charge 90 a year to receive parcels but to forward them they charge twice the Royal Mail postage rate so for me, it isn't cost effective as most of my items are relatively low value.

Thats how they get you, the £90 per year is okay, but the forward charge is too expensive.

[MathProfessor]

Originally Posted by CaptainComedown

Ah ok thats a good idea, have you personally tested this method? I can use my girlfriends address for my return address but I'm unsure as to whether I can use it for multiple accounts (I currently have 9 although only 5 are actively selling)

No I haven't tested it myself. (I don't use eBay)

But it's a common method of creating an "alias" address, used by a lot of small businesses as well for separating their business mail from their home mail.

[ebabe]

Can you put on your invoice with your parcels, a message that says if you want to return you must only use Hermes. Then have them send it to your local Hermes parcelshop, and collect it from there?

Im getting a return from a buyer at the moment, and one of the options is to collect the parcel from your local hermes parcelshop, if that where they sent it.

[paulfoltyn]

Originally Posted by ebabe

Can you put on your invoice with your parcels, a message that says if you want to return you must only use Hermes. Then have them send it to your local Hermes parcelshop, and collect it from there?

Im getting a return from a buyer at the moment, and one of the options is to collect the parcel from your local hermes parcelshop, if that where they sent it.

I do the same but via collect+

[ebabe]

Originally Posted by paulfoltyn

I do the same but via collect+

hows does it work?

[CaptainComedown]

Originally Posted by paulfoltyn

I do the same but via collect+

Would you mind elaborating on that? How do you set it up? There is a Collect+ near me so this might be the perfect solution

[ebabe]

Yes, it is a perfect solution, I have one near me also, 1 mile away. Do you tell your buyers to return via collect+ ONLY? And do you have to show ID when you collect the parcel?

[assad]

Originally Posted by MathProfessor

Can't you just add some nonsense to your address to make it look different?

e.g. you live on "15 Canary street"
you change it to
"Unit 3, 15 Canary Street"
"Unit 4, 15 Canary Street"
etc.

Or add "C/O Richard Brown" to the beginning

Postman ignores the fluff at the beginning, ebay thinks it's a different address.

I would love to know if anyone is doing this
this could be perfect.

Thanks

[LOMBOK]

Originally Posted by assad

I would love to know if anyone is doing this
this could be perfect.

Thanks

There's a private mailbox company close to me that charges £15 a month for a small mailbox, more for larger boxes. You can call the box a unit, suite, office, flat etc followed by its number and then the street address. I have used them a couple of times in the past without any problems whatsoever.

I don't really see a difference in that scenario and adding something like that to your address. Posties are usually pretty good at working things out and your mail would get delivered. You could even pop an extra mailbox or two on your wall for the post!

I haven't tried it myself and don't use mailboxes now as I have other ways to get my returns.