# U.S. mailbox for purchases worth it?



## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

Anyone here have a U.S. mailbox address for online purchased items not deliverable to Canada?
Thinking of getting one in the Niagara Falls, NY area and then driving down perhaps once every two months to pick up. 
I'm guessing duty charges will apply when I bring it back, but it may be cheaper in the end.


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## retrocactus (Jun 17, 2003)

I've got one...although you might want to look for a company that allows pay per use instead of getting a formal p.o. box which usually costs a monthly fee. 

I use a service in Point Roberts, WA that is about $1.50 per use and they email me when a package is in.

Try to find a service with a street address instead of a P.O. box as many online stores won't ship to a P.O. box (Amazon for example). My service uses their street address with a # at the end that corresponds to me in their system: 123 Main Street #555 for example.

I've also heard reports you can get setup at the UPS Store (formerly Mailboxes Etc) to be able to receive a package at $5 per occurance. I haven't had a chance to verify that but it might be useful as well, if not a little pricey but still cheaper than maintaining a mailbox monthly.

Only downside to my current provider is that I can't receive letters at that address since it's for parcels only so it's not useful for rebates. Fortunately I have a US friend that can handle those for me.

Also be aware that you may have to deal with your credit card not working since it wouldn't be associated with your US address unless you've added it as a secondary address with your bank/card provider.


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

Hey thanks for the response. I'll try UPS and see what kind of service they offer.

By the way Moderators, can you put this into the "Everything else" forum...I inadvertantly put posted the thread into the wrong place. thanks.


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## Chealion (Jan 16, 2001)

Thread moved to Everything Else, eh?!


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## Mac4me (Aug 26, 2005)

You could check out shopthestates.com. Although as a previous poster mentioned, some US stores may identify your CC # as out of country and not authorize your purchase. Shopthestates has an answer for that too  

/http://shopthestates.com/index.html

Mac4me


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## MissGulch (Jul 20, 2005)

I'm looking for a service similar to this one. I want to move from NY to CA, and send boxes of stuff in advance to CA via the U.S. post or FedEx. I have to be physically present to open a storage unit somewhere, and put the boxes in there myself, so this won't do.

Is there a service that will receive and hold packages for you until you're ready to pick them up?


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## satchmo (May 26, 2005)

Miss Gulch, try UPS.com.
They do have monthly mailboxes from $15/month for a small box to $30 for a large one.


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## MissGulch (Jul 20, 2005)

satchmo said:


> Miss Gulch, try UPS.com.
> They do have monthly mailboxes from $15/month for a small box to $30 for a large one.


Thanks. I saw an advertisement for that today.


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## rafehh (Aug 10, 2008)

Who is the service provider that you use in Point Roberts?



retrocactus said:


> I've got one...although you might want to look for a company that allows pay per use instead of getting a formal p.o. box which usually costs a monthly fee.
> 
> I use a service in Point Roberts, WA that is about $1.50 per use and they email me when a package is in.
> 
> ...


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## retrocactus (Jun 17, 2003)

I haven't used the Point Roberts place for a couple of years and don't remember their name....been using a place (TimeKeepers Inc) in Lynden, WA...cost a little more but much more convenient to get to.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

What you're describing is a "mail drop" . You don't want a USPS P.O. Box because most courier companies do not deliver to P.O. Boxes. 

Mail drops are pretty good, I have a UPS Store box here in Mississauga and they accept large packages for me free of charge, but there are drawbacks. So keep that in mind.

I once had a vendor cancel an order on me because the shipper cross referenced the delivery address and wouldn't ship to a "mail drop" thinking it was a scam. I also worry about the employees at the store accepting and signing for damaged packages, at which point you're crewed as far as claims.


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## kps (May 4, 2003)

MissGulch said:


> I'm looking for a service similar to this one. I want to move from NY to CA,


Why? Everyone in CA is moving to OR... 




> and send boxes of stuff in advance to CA via the U.S. post or FedEx. I have to be physically present to open a storage unit somewhere, and put the boxes in there myself, so this won't do.
> 
> Is there a service that will receive and hold packages for you until you're ready to pick them up?


Forget it. FedEx, UPS et al are not into warehousing and mail drops do not have the space.

Crate your stuff and have it shipped by an LTL carrier. They may be more willing to hold your stuff for a reasonable period of time.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

I have a US "private mail box" (PMB) at a UPS store in Port Angeles, WA.

From where I live in Victoria, this is a $13 ferry ride (each way). I plan to visit it and enjoy a nice meal in Port Angeles every quarter.

For me, the combined cost ($115/year plus tax, and then the ferry costs which we'll say totals $100/year) is worth it. I tend to order US goods (mostly CDs and DVDs) in big batches, mostly from retailers that won't ship to Canada (Amazon and DeepDiscountDVD.com primarily). This will also make it less expensive for US friends and relatives to ship gifts to us without an extra burden on them, and finally I may decide to do enough Ebay auctions to offset the cost entirely.

I recommend UPS Stores because they're not PO Boxes (lots of retailers won't ship to em) and because they will hold your package from any service for a significant length of time, and because you can count on them being there tomorrow (there's another PMB "store" in Port Angeles, but I really did not feel like they would still be around when it comes time to renew).


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## cheapguy (Nov 29, 2012)

*Niagara Falls NY shipping address*



satchmo said:


> Anyone here have a U.S. mailbox address for online purchased items not deliverable to Canada?
> Thinking of getting one in the Niagara Falls, NY area and then driving down perhaps once every two months to pick up.
> I'm guessing duty charges will apply when I bring it back, but it may be cheaper in the end.


I use American Mail Box, 256 3rd Street, Niagara Falls across from Seneca Casino. They charge $5.50 per package with no storage fees. www.American-Mailbox.net


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

Zombie revival.

The Canadian Dollar has bounced back considerably in the past seven years. I doubt that very many members really need to ship stateside any more.


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## cheapguy (Nov 29, 2012)

*Buying in the USA*

I pick up about 5 - 10 packages a week from Niagara Falls. My children did all their Xmas shopping online and had their gifts shipped to American Mail Box. Now that the dollar is at par all the more reason to shop in the USA. When I had to pay 40 cents on the dollar you really had to know your prices to shop in the states.


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## MacGuiver (Sep 6, 2002)

I do large format printing on canvas and have a family member in NY state. Its sickening how much I can save buying my canvas on Amazon.com VS any Canadian retailer or Amazon.ca. I've easily save 30-50% off the cheapest price I can find in Canada. I do however wish I could just get it shipped to Ogdensburg and pick it up and bring it over myself. Family doesn't get home often and I hate to bother them with it.


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## macintosh doctor (Mar 23, 2009)

eMacMan said:


> Zombie revival.
> 
> The Canadian Dollar has bounced back considerably in the past seven years. I doubt that very many members really need to ship stateside any more.


yes our dollar has increased but the credit cards and banks and value of merchandise has not reflected that..
we are still treated like our dollar is 4 cents less or more.


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## cheapguy (Nov 29, 2012)

Mac4me said:


> You could check out shopthestates.com. Although as a previous poster mentioned, some US stores may identify your CC # as out of country and not authorize your purchase. Shopthestates has an answer for that too
> 
> /http://shopthestates.com/index.html
> 
> Mac4me


They are out of business


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