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Having problems with package deliveries? Follow these rules for success

December 14, 2018
By Marcy Shortuse

■ BY MARCY SHORTUSE

The hustle and bustle of Christmas is upon us, and while the seasonal cheer is apparent, so are the lines at the post office. With so many residents sending and receiving packages on an island with no mail delivery to residences and businesses, there has been a lot o confusion surrounding how to properly provide an address.
One of the biggest problems people have encountered while using Amazon.com is that no shipping courier is specified. Your package may come UPS, FedEx, DHL or USPS. If you simply write in your physical address, a USPS (United States Post Office) delivery won’t make it to your PO Box.
Apparently consistancy is key, and NO hash tags or number signs are allowed. Using a hash tag, otherwise known as a number/pound sign, can really foul the whole works up. According to the postal service, if the address has a number sign in front of the PO box number, it will not only be undeliverable to your PO Box in many cases, it also won’t be forwarded.
In a perfect scenario your address would look like this:
Joe Smith
1234 12th St. W.
PO BOX 1234
Boca Grande, FL. 33921
or:
Joe Smith
1234 12th St. W. PO Box 1234
Boca Grande, FL. 33921
Make sure your physical address is listed first.
If you have had a problem with a specific vendor or business in the past, make sure you make a note on your order or contact the company directly and ask them to place a note on your file that you do not have USPS mail delivery to your home on the island, and that it is imperative your address not include a number/hash tag/pound sign.