PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

Hello

Does anyone know if you can set up a PO Box from the UK for use in Oz, so that when we leave our UK address we can have mail redirected to a PO Box in Brisbane as we do not know what our addres will be until after we get there?

Thank in advance for replies.

Mark

Re: PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

We looked into this before we left and found it impossible. Technically there is nothing stopping you from doing it, but getting the information and forms from the Post Office was simply impossible. We must have phoned 10 times and it was always engaged, once we got through and waited for 30 mins before giving up. We called 10 post offices in the Bayside (Melbourne) area and they were all used up, however one did say to us "if you pop in on the 27th that's when the monthly leases usually run out and there might be some free but it's first come first served and there is usually a queue :confused:

So that kind of buggered it for us.

Thankfully we had a very kind friend out here who agreed to be used as a forwarding address for the first 3 months for out UK Postal Redirection. By then we were in our long term rental and have since renewed it for a further 3 Months, then 6 months and now 12 months.

Warning - You must go into the post office and setup the redirection while in the UK because you need to have copious ID. Also keep a copy of every letter/receipt you get from the post office and ask them to note that you will not be in the UK when you change the destination address in 3 months time. When I called up the UK to renew and asked them to change the address it took three phone calls and two days for them agree that we could not turn up in person to present ID (which technically you need to do to change the destination address) as we were 17,000 Km away.

Also, fill out every possible version of all your names as the algorythmn they use to filter the mail based on the addressee at your old address isn't that smart, i.e. John SMITH, Johnathan SMITH, Johnny SMITH, J SMITH, etc

Hope this helps

Al

Re: PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

We found out that it can't be done with Auspost, i.e. you can't have an Australian PO box set up from the UK.

But, you can set up mail forwarding with Travellers Contact Point:
http://www.travellers.com.au/default...=article&ID=44

That's what we did. You can set it up for 12 months with a credit/debit card from the UK. You then give Royal Mail your PO box details. If whilst you're in Oz you change your address, you can access your Travellers Contact Point account over the internet and change your forwarding address there. If you're travelling you can change the setting so that TCP just hold your mail until you have an address again to forward it to. Your PO box details stay the same wherever you live in Oz.

We've moved twice since we came to Oz and it's been easy peasy to change our forwarding details.

Gina

Re: PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

That is REALLY good advice !

Al

Re: PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

You can also try using a private mailbox company like Mailboxes etc.

They give you a "street" address like Apt 132, 52 New Street etc which you can divert your mail to from your old UK address ( UK Post office will accept this type of address no problem ). They will also hold your mail until you have an address in Oz if thats what you need.

To get your mail sent to you overseas you just ring the Mailbox etc store in the UK and ask them to forward all your mail onto you at your new address. They will take payment over the phone via a credit card etc.

Hope that helps :)

Re: PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

This is due to the fact that there are very, very few boxes becoming available when people cancel their lease of the box, as not many people cancel unless moving well out of the general area to make it uneconomical to travel to get their mail out or if they die.

Why not just advise them (the people who send you stuff from the UK)of your new address instead of continuously renewing the redirection, or paying for the new redirection service, or is that too easy?:confused:

Re: PO Boxes - Mail forwarding when moving
 

Most people who move to Oz, move homes at least a couple of times in the first two years. New arrivals may stay in a motel/caravan park for a couple of weeks, then move into a furnished rental, then an unfurnished rental, then buy a house.

Friends and family will of course always have your real address. But telling all the "offical" people, e.g. pension companies, life insurance etc, your new address each time is an enormous hassle.

Mail re-direction isn't expensive. It's simply easier to have re-direction until you're more settled. For some people that might be 3 months, others 6 months or longer. Once you're in a settled situation, you'll stop renewing the re-direction and tell everyone your new address.

Gina