Hey Everyone,... GG Pearls and I were thinking of getting a po box for privacy, and we were wondering if there are things we should consider (?). For example: The post office vs. private companies / rates, service etc. The Post office is on the other side of town from us, but we have lots of postal chain type stores nearby. Also, size of box (?).
In other words,.. what have you learned that might help us do it right the first time ?
Thanks !
"Beauty is not Exclusive"
I use the UPS store, one about 10 miles away from where I live. The staff surely knows about my CD'ing by all the various things that come in the mail, but I'm sure that they see lots of unusual stuff, it's part of their business. They don't seem to care at all, and the service is great. I pick up the mail once a week, if I want to come in after hours, there is a jumbo lock box they leave my mail in and leave my key in my regular mailbox. Great place. I've had a mailbox there now for 10 years. Cheap insurance to avoid being outed by having a partially open package sitting on my front steps with a dress in it. Get the smallest box you can. They will hold packages and such in the back room, no matter how big (I've had mag wheels shipped to them, I've seen bicycles there too).
Some causes of crossdressing you've probably never even considered: My TG biography at:http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/...=1#post1490560
There's an addendum at post # 82 on that thread, too. It's about a ten minute read.
Why don't we understand our desire to dress, behave and feel like a girl? Because from childhood, boys are told that the worst possible thing we can be, is a sissy. This feeling is so ingrained into our psyche, that we will suppress any thoughts that connect us to being or wanting to be feminine, even to the point of creating separate personalities to assign those female feelings into.
I'm thinkin that the private mailboxes are probably a little handier 'cos the USPS only gives you P.O. Box number. And many businesses on line just won't ship to a P.O.Box number.
With some of the private box companies, you'll get the box number for regular mail, but you'll also be able to use the street address of the location for package delivery.
Lol. I have my online things sent to work.. "Hey Joe.. That engineer on the 5th floor is buying boobs again". Hahaha
Obviously I don't care that much.. I'd try the UPS store!!
I use the Post Office. It's a lot cheaper. The hours aren't great, and there's no way to pick up after hours. My previous post office had some larger shared boxes where they put packages that couldn't fit into my smallest box. Some companies won't ship USPS, so I don't buy from them.
To me it's a matter of cost vs convenience.
I use the post office also, its cheap and I have one about a mile from me. However if you do use a third party post office, jusy make sure its a secure place that either has the boxes accessable from the inside only and has an attendant on duty at all times. I have seen a few mail box places that have boxes available from the outside and they look like they have been beat up and broken into several times.
Erika Leigh
I have a PO Box. It works well to keep some stuff private. Its under a group name so mine is not even there.
A lot of mail order stuff I just have sent home. Having a wife who is supportive is a real boon.
You want to wear a WHAT??
I have a small P.O. box, it's gone from $24 to $36,or $38 in the last few years. It's my favorite place to go dressed up(less traffic after post office hours, if I'm not feeling to passable some days).........Michelle
I have both but am thinking about closing the P.O. Box. Several companies won't sent to a P.O.Box and my post office doesn't have large boxes for pick ups and I have to stand in line. The UPS store is open later and I can get my stuff after work.
Jen
I've been using a P.O. box for my packages for the past year. I've had mixed results. The pros are that I've received almost everything I've ordered there, even some of the UPS only packages. Cost wise I pay every six months and it comes to about $7 a month so that's not too bad.
The down side is that since I go in there on a regular basis I have become a person of peculiar interest to the postal employees. They all know I am a crossdresser, not because I told them, but because of the catalogs and packages I receive. Some of the packages were not shipped discreetly and had the contents inside clearly marked (and pictured) on the front (like stiletto shoes for example)...so that definitely blew my cover AND embarrassed me big time. Now when I go in there I get knowing smirks and asked inappropriate personal questions which are no one's business. A few weeks ago I was even teased about the possible fem version of my "real" name. I laughed it off, but deep inside I was pissed and for the moment have stopped ordering things so I don't have to go in there.
I've always used a P.O. Box. No problems here. It's good for us "Closet CDers". The only thing is when the package was a bit too big, they just held it in the back and I signed for it and away I went. I always rented the medium sized box because what I usually purchased was too big for a letter box.
While it doesn't have anything to do with crossdressing, I came home at lunch one day (through the garage) and heard something at my front door. It was the vibrator I had bought for my wife, it was turned on (accidently?) and vibrating against my glass storm door.
The package wasn't ripped but it was put in a simple plastic shipping bag with no packing. Luckily, the mail comes about 11:30 each day & hadn't been there long. I'll never buy from Adam & Eve again.
I have had both USPS and a UPS boxes. I liked the UPS better. No problem about companies not shipping to P.O. Boxes, UPS has a street address. Most of the UPS places I have seen are usually in malls or shopping centers, so it can be a very convenient stop.
Excuse me Sir, is this your purse?
Since I live alone I have no need for a P.O. box of any kind. The things I order online are delivered to my very large rural mailbox or if too big for that are left on my deck by the UPS or Fed Ex driver. I have never experienced any problems with my mail or package delivery.
I use an independant shipping store in my neighborhood. I don't have a PO Box there - but the will accept USP, Fed Ex etc and just charge a $2 fee per package. I am doing this for all my online purchases. I never have to worry and theft from my doorstep if I am not home at the time of the delivery. When I order - I just give the street address of the shop and c/o... I also make sure the shipper provides a tracking number and I have that then send a text message to my phone when the delivery is made or if there any problems with the shipment.
I use the post office! Private ah! no the place is a rumor mill
Kelsy
Born female intended
" Don't die with your music still in you!"
Post office boxes are good if you live close to the post office, as they are cheaper than a private mail service (like UPS Stores). Also, if you are renting the box as an individual, your identity is kept private. However, there are advantages to using a mail service:
* You can call to check your mailbox to see if you have any mail before driving down
* USPS does not accept FedEx, UPS, DHL or any other type of shipping; a mail service will
* They will sign for your packages, so you don't have to worry about missing a delivery and possibly having it returned
* If you need to ship something, they'll package it for you. And, it's often cheaper to ship from these stores, since you don't have to have to schedule a pick-up
* The staff doesn't care what name you use, but it's courteous to let them know if they should expect items for names other than yours
* If you are one of those people who likes to avoid extra baggage charges by shipping, you can get a prepaid return label and have your things shipped back to the store-which is often cheaper than getting it sent to a residence.
I use a local UPS Store, and they've been more than helpful.
Countess in exile
Keep Calm and Dance to Morrissey
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