Hi Everyone:

Has anyone, ebay seller, shipped to an APO/FPO address before? It's a remote military base sort of post office locked boxes.

I have an ebayer asking me if I ship to APO/FPO. I told her/him that I only ship to Paypal confirmed address. Is it safe to ship if his PP confirmed address is an APO/FPO?

Here is the info on what's an APO/FPO and how it works:
http://www.shipitapo.com/info/apo_fpo_guide.php

I appreciate all answers and suggestions/advices

Thank you.

It is just like shipping to another city except that you do need a customs form. I normally ship Priority to get it into the system faster, once it is in their system USPS has no more control over it.

But the military services have been shipping to their people for a very long time. It is fine.

Hi Deekai:

Thank you for your quick answer.

So, in a sense, the package is not trackable because USPS has no more control over it once it's passed on to the APO/FPO system?

Hmm, if I ship to my own relatives, I wouldn't mind. But, I feel a bit hesitant here...unless the buyer's Paypal confirmed address is an APO/FPO then I'll have no choice.

Thank you again for your help.

Best.

I shipped priority to an APO/FPO address and purchased Delivery Confirmation and insurance and I was able to track the package.

I have also shipped a few times to an apo/fpo and never had a problem even though I was a little nervous. It all worked out fine. :)

You cannot get a signature. So if the total is $250 or more, you will be taking a risk. And yes, I have taken the risk.

You can use confirmation. The military instillation post offices are still USPS. Its handled just like domestic mail, and you don't actually need customs forms as the foreign country's customs doesn't handle the mail going into military instillations.

You have to put a customs form on APO FPO packages-- as a military spouse i get annoyed by the paranoia surrounding mailing to us. It is the SAME as DOMESTIC MAIL

If you send it insured it gets signed for so you can use that service instead of sign confirmation

Been shipping to APO/FPO's for a decade now. I have never had one problem. Like BagloverBurr said, it is just like shipping regular mail, you do have to have a customs form. It takes an extra minute of your time, but is so worth it to military families!

The insurance signature does not count for paypal though. You need the scanned signature. But that is how I sent a package - with insurance.

Just remember not to use parcel post. It takes forever.

Uh oh, you need a customs form?? Eek!

I sent two packages out a couple of weeks ago and didn't put one on either. Actually I had a repeat buyer and sent another one out last week w/o a form. Oh geez. Thankfully they are not big purchases (not bags!)

Originally Posted by missbanff

Uh oh, you need a customs form?? Eek! I sent two packages out a couple of weeks ago and didn't put one on either. Actually I had a repeat buyer and sent another one out last week w/o a form. Oh geez. Thankfully they are not big purchases (not bags!)

I work at USPS and even for me it was sometimes confusing. Not every APO/FPO zip code requires a custom's form, but better to be safe than sorry. When my husband was in Iraq I used custom's forms, but then when I first started working at USPS we didn't use them on a lot of APO/FPO packages that were under 16 ounces. 16 ounces or more required a customs form no matter where it was going.

Linda

Originally Posted by LindaP

I work at USPS and even for me it was sometimes confusing. Not every APO/FPO zip code requires a custom's form, but better to be safe than sorry. When my husband was in Iraq I used custom's forms, but then when I first started working at USPS we didn't use them on a lot of APO/FPO packages that were under 16 ounces. 16 ounces or more required a customs form no matter where it was going. Linda

I'm SO glad I know this now....I will definitely use a customs form from now on!

I have gotten things people print off from stamps.com or ebay shipping labels without a customs form, and they arrived fine. but usually the post office will tell you to put one on there

My daughter is in the military and the only package she never received was the one I didn't insure.
I insure every box I send to her now and it works out fine.