Bartering with stranger by mail without POB or PMB?

May 5, 2019 1:09 AM

I'm exchanging physical goods for physical goods a stranger, no money is changing hands, but neither one of us particularly wants to share our physical mailing address with each other. I don't expect do be doing this regularly, so getting a post-office box or a private mailbox seems excessive.

Is there a way to do a "care of" with like a UPS Store (I haven't tried calling them yet for a one-off) or a library or I don't even know? Does anyone have additional ideas? (I don't want to do my workplace, either.) Are there any services that conveniently accept packages, or is it all pretty restricted, maybe because of drugs and terrorism?

(Note, the economics are such that I trust them enough to make the exchange. I don't care about escrow or something like that. But if there is a third-party that would accept both packages and then efficiently send them out to right recipient, that would be amazing. Nothing like that turns up on google.)

posted by zeek321 to Human Relations (15 answers total)

Can you send it to your work address?
posted by stillmoving at 1:30 AM on May 5, 2019

Try "remailing service."
posted by aw jeez at 1:37 AM on May 5, 2019

Response by poster: Amazing. Still watching this thread.
posted by zeek321 at 1:40 AM on May 5, 2019

Response by poster: Ah, with the "remailing service" it only hides the sender. You have to know the recipient's address. It seems like the thing I would want is pretty regulated. Still helpful, though, hmm. Still watching this thread.
posted by zeek321 at 1:50 AM on May 5, 2019

Use General Delivery. Speak to your postmaster.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:21 AM on May 5, 2019 [9 favorites]

UPS access point delivery seems worth looking into. It's not 100% clear though if you provide the shipper your access point address or if you provide your actual address and UPS redirects it. You can probably check by opening a UPS account and going through the access point setup
posted by trig at 2:24 AM on May 5, 2019

It looks like Shipito will let you send on to a US address, which would work for you. I have used it to send to Australia from stores in the US that won't ship internationally, it seems to you can take out the international component as well.
posted by deadwax at 3:24 AM on May 5, 2019

One data point- I have absolutely received packages at a UPS store addressed to the store under my name. I just showed up with the tracking number and ID and it was provided. I can't speak to the return address issue but I would not be surprised if they allowed you to use a UPS store address.
posted by Karaage at 4:03 AM on May 5, 2019 [2 favorites]

FedEx offers 'hold at location' which sounds like it would work for you.
posted by reptile at 4:49 AM on May 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

Seconding General Delivery; it’s real and awesome, one of the more interesting things I’ve learned here :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:05 AM on May 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

Not all post offices allow general delivery so verify before going that route.
posted by Aranquis at 6:00 AM on May 5, 2019

Adding my vote for General Delivery, internationally known as Poste Restante. It is the free solution to your problem that has existed for more than one hundred years.
posted by seasparrow at 6:31 AM on May 5, 2019 [1 favorite]

Many (maybe all) UPS stores will receive packages for $5 per package. Just show ID and pay them, pretty painless.
posted by Candleman at 8:20 AM on May 5, 2019

I've used General Delivery/Poste Restante in Canada and it worked very well
posted by Canageek at 2:36 PM on May 5, 2019

Verify with your local UPS store that they will accept the package first. A friend sent packages to his local UPS store at the suggestion of another UPS store and the receiving store sent them back.
posted by soelo at 9:15 AM on May 6, 2019