Quick Question

[sona1111]

this might have been asked before but i was not sure what words to search for...

If you, like many others, have realized better deals can be found by buying online compared to buying retail, how do you ship to yourself. Can you set your address to a post office where they can hold it until you come to pick it up?

this might be a stupid question but i was just wondering.

[zeehag]

are you underway or in a marina or at anchor?
i find , here in mazatlan, in the marina i am in currently, things sent to me go to post office(correo) and i have to pick em up, despite the marina address being placed clearly on the package..
the rest i am not certain about.

btw--is there such a thing as a quick question in an online forum...LOL...

[sona1111]

actually you answered that really quick, but yeah, you are usually right. =P

anyway i am still a landlubber now just trying to figure everything out. I plan to be at anchor much more then at...dock. If you move around alot can you just put the shipping address as the post office, wait a few weeks, then go there and see if they have it? Or if they hold it too long will they throw it out or something?

thanks.

[zeehag]

dont know length of time of hold for a package in mexico. usually my experience if you do general delivery is one month will be held then return to sender or dead file.
if you have an address, is easier to receive stuff. marian addresses work, club nautico , in olld harbor, mazatlan works, many places have that benefit. as long as ye pay money , ye has an address.

[boatman61]

I usually pick a Marina near a good anchorage... most are pretty cool over here...

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Originally Posted by zeehag

btw--is there such a thing as a quick question in an online forum...LOL...

for the quick question, yes.

It's getting a quick response that gets a little tricky

[Kettlewell]

It really depends on where you are located. A lot of times I will use a marina or boatyard, but you need to let them know ahead of time you will be expecting something. Sometimes I use a friend or relative if they live nearby. A lot of US cities have shipping/packing stores like the UPS Store that will receive packages. And, yes the Post Office will take General Delivery mail, but then your shipper can't send it via UPS or Fedex. I have found that some companies will not send a package to a P.O. Box or a Post Office. In fact some companies will only ship to the address your credit card is registered to.

[JanetGroene]

If it's shipped to another country you may have to pick it up at the customs house. In our case that meant borrowing a car, endless hassle with authorities and paying duty. Within the U.S. shipping may be less if sent to a business rather than a private address. Most companies won't ship to a PO Box, so a street address is a definite plus, especially if it's a business address.

[zeehag]

i have had stuff sent to me here in mazatlan--i use the marina address, as advised--i have to pick up in correo, or postal office....they keep saying is too big to deliver..LOL..isnt really, but they keep saying iti s.

[Viking Sailor]

If nearby, you might ask at the Port Captain's office if they accept and hold mail. This has worked for me many times. Also, local establishments (i.e. restaurants, stores, .etc.) have allowed me to have stuff shipped to their addresses.

[Jim Cate]

G'Day Sona,

Part of the cruisers skill set is learning to deal with issues like this... and the answer is usually found within the cruising fleet itself. As others have noted, the answer to your query is totally dependent on where you are. We have always been able to ask around other cruisers and be advised as to local shipping practices. What works for Zee in Mazatlan won't necessarily work in La Paz, or Papeete, or Sydney.

A little research on site goes a long way.

Cheers,

Jim

[Chief Engineer]

I have had stuff shipped to Bermuda labeled "Yacht in Transit"

Still had to pickup at Customs

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by sona1111

this might have been asked before but i was not sure what words to search for...

If you, like many others, have realized better deals can be found by buying online compared to buying retail, how do you ship to yourself. Can you set your address to a post office where they can hold it until you come to pick it up?

this might be a stupid question but i was just wondering.

First of what country is your home country makes a huge difference. The country you are intending to ship to - if it is not your home country makes a difference.
- - Assuming you are USA and you pay with a credit card from a USA vendor then most likely they will only ship to the address associated with the credit card.
- - As others have mentioned UPS/FedEx/DHL/etc., will not ship to a US Post Office box. So you need a real hard address somewhere if you are able to convince the vendor to ship it to someplace other than your credit card address.
- - Credit card theft and scams have severely restricted where and to whom you can have stuff shipped.
- - If you pay by check then you can have them ship it most anywhere you want. But you lose the protections of purchasing with a credit card offers. That can be risky.