Alternatives to PO Boxes?

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turtleattacks

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#283816 13-Mar-2021 20:51

Hi guys,

The wife has a business in which she needs to invoice her clients but ideally we would not like to reveal our address on the invoice.

We've used a PO Box in the past but at a cost of around $160 per year and only receiving about 2 letters a year, it seems very over the top.

Are there any other options we can use?

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Prodigi

#2673985 13-Mar-2021 20:58

My suggestion would be https://www.privatebox.co.nz/ - used it in the past when a PO Box was too much.

Do keep in mind there are other benefits to PO Boxes, like having CourierPost items sent there, assuming you are able to collect it while they're open, to avoid giving your address out to online sellers as well!

they/them

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tieke

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#2674031 13-Mar-2021 23:00

danielfaulknor:

My suggestion would be https://www.privatebox.co.nz/ - used it in the past when a PO Box was too much.

That seems like a pretty cool service, but their cheapest tier does seem to be around $230 per year, so more expensive than the existing PO Box option, and that's before the various add-on charges.

tieke

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#2674032 13-Mar-2021 23:03

Of course privatebox does have the convenience of not having to physically check your PO Box, so avoiding wasted trips to the Post Office is an advantage for those who receive only a few letters.

richms

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#2674039 13-Mar-2021 23:57

I get emailed by nzpost when there is a snailmail in the po box, or parcels. Annoying thing is that they dont say if the parcel is too large for the lockers or not, so I go after work and its a card, not a key for the locker so I have to come back in the morning. If its mail I usually just leave it till there is a parcel to bother going, since nothing important would ever come by snailmail.

Richard rich.ms

mattwnz

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#2674043 14-Mar-2021 00:31

Can you share with someone elses PO box. I thought the charge had gone up to over $200 per year. They seem to be increasing the cost by more than inflation.

danfaulknor

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#2674050 14-Mar-2021 02:06

tieke:

danielfaulknor:

My suggestion would be https://www.privatebox.co.nz/ - used it in the past when a PO Box was too much.

That seems like a pretty cool service, but their cheapest tier does seem to be around $230 per year, so more expensive than the existing PO Box option, and that's before the various add-on charges.

Wow, their service model/pricing has changed since last time I used it...

they/them

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quickymart

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#2674164 14-Mar-2021 09:53

Just renewed mine in January, fairly sure it's around $190 now. I get very little mail as it is, and they changed the hours at the Post Office in Glenfield to 2 hours a day, first thing in the morning for parcel collection, so I'm seriously wondering if it's worth it at all anymore.

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Bung

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#2674175 14-Mar-2021 10:20

Do you need to include your address? IRD seem to want sellers business name and gst number and buyers name and address on a tax invoice.

BlinkyBill

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#2674195 14-Mar-2021 11:37

Bung: Do you need to include your address? IRD seem to want sellers business name and gst number and buyers name and address on a tax invoice.

If the tax invoice is for more than $1,000 then the buyers, not sellers, name and address must be presented.

I am 90% sure a PO Box is not acceptable as an address type if the seller chooses to include their address, but not 100% sure. A PO Box is ok as an address for service, but not as a business address.

cshwone

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#2674202 14-Mar-2021 12:10

Another problem of PO Boxes is that some delivery companies will not accept them as a valid delivery address (eg DHL)

jpoc

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#2674320 14-Mar-2021 17:18

It was a long time ago but I used to have a subscription with the guys at privatebox.

It turned out that the service that they were offering on their website did not actually exist and I did not receive items that were sent to me.

I complained and they told me that they had never offered the particular service that I expected.

I sent them the URL of the page which offered the service that I thought that I was buying.

Their response was to accuse me of hacking their website.

I told them that I would see them in court with evidence that I was not hacking them and they caved in and gave me my money back.

That is how much you should trust them.

Geektastic

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#2674462 14-Mar-2021 18:40

I’m reminded of the Python sketch “Blackmail” in which contestants were invited to send their payments to “Behind The Hot Water Pipes, Gents Lavatory, Paddington Station, London “!

MurrayM

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#2675287 16-Mar-2021 09:39

quickymart:

Just renewed mine in January, fairly sure it's around $190 now. I get very little mail as it is, and they changed the hours at the Post Office in Glenfield to 2 hours a day, first thing in the morning for parcel collection, so I'm seriously wondering if it's worth it at all anymore.

I'm in the same boat. I recently renewed my PO Box (also at Glenfield) but I'll seriously have to consider alternatives before I renew again.

Batman

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#2675322 16-Mar-2021 10:12

richms:

I get emailed by nzpost when there is a snailmail in the po box, or parcels. Annoying thing is that they dont say if the parcel is too large for the lockers or not, so I go after work and its a card, not a key for the locker so I have to come back in the morning. If its mail I usually just leave it till there is a parcel to bother going, since nothing important would ever come by snailmail.

i get emailed saying there is mail but recently half the time there is no mail there.

question - is that a computer error or what?

camo786

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#2675339 16-Mar-2021 10:40

I have used PrivateBox for the last 7 years, recently they increased their pricing astronomically

I might get 1 piece of mail everything 3 months now, so it is looking very expensive

I don't want to go to a PO Box to check or clear mail either

I've been reading on the IRD website, and I don't think on GST Invoice the seller is required to put an address

How tax invoices for GST work (ird.govt.nz)

I'm thinking now I will just only put an email address & Phone number on my invoices

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