PO Boxes

[Lucie]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to see if any of you had any opinions regarding PO boxes.

I make my jewellery from home and work on some relatively pricey pieces. I don't really want to use my actual address on my website or leaflets for the sake of security - just recently there was a jeweller shot dead at his home in a local town & another couple local to us were forever getting broken into - not something anyone wants, but especially not with 3 small children in the house!!!

I thought about going down the route of getting a PO Box, but have been told that this might 1) put off customers and 2) Isn't actually much more secure than a house address.
There are companies out there that offer "real street addresses", but looking at reviews of some of them, you probably wouldn't want to go near them (very expensive hidden costs / post going missing, etc).

So here's my question - Would a PO Box put any of you off, or is this an out-dated idea? Do any of you have any better suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your help with this. xx

[mizgeorge]

I believe that distance selling regulations require that you have geographic postal address on your website, and PO boxes are not acceptable. I'm not sure what the rules are on using a handling address, but I suspect they are the same.

I have to say I would never buy from any site that didn't include a 'real' address, a telephone number and an email address (rather than just a contact form).

Whilst not trying to downplay any worries you might have, having good home security and adequate insurance (usually a separate policy for the business side of things) is the best thing you can do.

[caroleallen]

I used to have my home address on my website until someone on here (I think it was James) suggested that was a bad idea. Since I took my address off, I haven't noticed a drop in sales.

[Lucie]

Thank you very much for your responses My problem is that I need to recieve packages from customers to make my jewellery, so I need to have a postal address of some sort. Quite a few people have said that PO Boxes would put them off, but I find the idea of using my home address a bit scary!

Can you guys think of any other options? I had thought about approaching one of my local high street jewellers - I suppose I could offer to pay them something, but i'm not sure how that would work?

Thanks again. x

[caroleallen]

Can you maybe let them have the address once they've placed the order? I've no problem with giving customers my address, I just don't want every Tom, Dick and Harry to know.

[pearlescence]

You have to have your trading address on your website, that's the law, whether you like it or not .
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/bus...ral/oft913.pdf

[Gold Girl]

I don't really want to use my actual address on my website or leaflets for the sake of security............ I thought about going down the route of getting a PO Box, but have been told that this might put off customers and Isn't actually much more secure than a house address........ There are companies out there that offer "real street addresses",............(very expensive hidden costs / post going missing, etc).

So here's my question - Would a PO Box put any of you off, or is this an out-dated idea? Do any of you have any better suggestions?

As an online cash for gold company we did a lot of research into this for security reasons, This is how we set it up :

1. Address on website and Ltd company registered address from Virtual Office in London with full mail forwarding service; Clearly show your telephone and email on contact us page.
2. PO box number to send and receive day to day business mail. Traceable to nearest main post office so secure.

Customers feel safe with full Address on website, London address also adds prestige and we fulfil distance selling rules. PO Box address is used for all standard business mail, even the bank who have all our address on file mail to our PO box. Great care must be taken to choose a virtual office who will filter junk mail before forwarding as this service costs per item, be careful to use Virtual office address only on your website. Who use's snail mail these days? if your telephone number and email address is on the same page. HMRC and a surprisingly small number of others will write.
I will happily provide contact details for Virtual office service.

Hope that helps

[Patstone]

I have my email address and home phone number (albeit ex-directory) and mobile number. People can buy from the website if they want to, but after two years nobody has, so in my write up on the "About Me" part I say that we both live and work in Exeter, Devon. I have had people contact me by phone to ask about certain things, mostly people that saw us at a show and either didnt have enough money on them (we can now take card payments, but only person to person) or wanted to buy it as a present for people they were with. My address isnt on the website for the same reason, I work from home, although all of my work is silver jewellery, there is only semi-precious stones nothing expensive, and I have two dogs, so they would get licked to death if they broke in.