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Archiver > APG > 2005-01 > 1105657483


From: "Karen Steely" <>
Subject: RE: [APG] Using P.O. Box as address
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 15:04:43 -0800
In-Reply-To: <6.0.0.22.2.20050112171154.01cd39a0@pop.ameritach.yahoo.com>


I have also used a P. O. Box as my "home" address for equally pragmatic
reasons as those described in this email chain. For thirteen years, my job
as a management consultant kept me on the road. Being single, I did not
want to use my real address for two reasons. First, having mail piling up
at my home address every week would have served only to advertise that I was
not at home and second, I did not like giving my real address out to people
I did not know, especially given that the one thing these people frequently
knew about me was that I was very rarely home. In addition, when I did need
to provide someone with a street address (such as for delivery of UPS or
FedEx packages) I had an arrangement with my local Mail Boxes, etc., that
allowed me to give their address as my street address. Which is another
point. Just because people have a physical address, one should not assume
that they actually live there - there are many places (such as The UPS
Store) that will serve as your physical address for a fee.

Having said all this, I would also react with suspicion to a client who
refused to give me a mailing address or insisted on only online
communication. I do not believe I am under any obligation to share my
actual physical address with anyone other than those that are legally
entitled to it, such state election boards requiring my address for voter
registration. However, I do believe that everyone should also be able to
provide some sort of mailing address when establishing a contractual
business relationship. In my case, I always explained up front why I did
not give out my home address and then offered to make reasonable efforts,
such as providing my business address, so that the other party could
validate that I was who I said I was. In contrast, the client whose refusal
to provide an address started this email chain did not seem to understand
that if she wants someone to enter into a business contract with her, she
should be willing to validate that she is who she says she is. To me, that
was the red flag that caused suspicion.

Karen Wallace Steely
email:


Polly Kimmitt said:

One final note: she says that she prefers to do everything online. I have
asked twice for her mailing address and not yet received it. Do I have any
right to know where she resides or can be reached by more traditional means
than the internet?

Kathy Flynn said:

Would you hire a roofer for your house if he refused to tell you where he
lived? Or gave you an e-mail address only? I have yet to see a contract
betwen two parties where both do not give their actual physical addresses.
>
> If she will not give one then there is a basic level
> of trust missing here that makes any legal
> relationship impossible.

Kathy, there are valid reasons for using only a P.O. Box in correspondence
and relationships with unknown people. My husband is an FBI agent who deals
with undesirable people. He asked me long ago to get a P.O. Box for my
business transactions for my safety. I have several web sites and am
involved in several businesses, and I feel safer publishing my P.O. Box for
potential customers to use, rather than to post--to the world--my home
address. Just my 2 cents worth.

Liz Kelley Kerstens, CGRS, CGL



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