( 
)
Having been an eBay member for over ten years, I have become increasingly frustrated at eBay's divisive and discriminatory policy of disallowing BFPO addresses to be registered. The wariness of sellers (which is NOT limited to eBay - but well done Amazon for openly allowing BFPO residents to buy from you!) to despatch items to a BFPO address never ceases to amaze me and I'd like to explain the system in the vain hope of opening up the system to show support for UK Armed Forces deployed world-wide.
During the last quarter of 2007, the British Forces Post Office moved from Mill Hill to new premises at RAF NORTHOLT, just outside London. Here, BFPO exists to "provide an efficient and effective Postal and Courier Service in order to sustain the fighting power of UK Armed Forces Worldwide." All mail to BFPO addresses is routed through Northolt and those sending mail pay standard UK mainland letter charges for the service. Occasionally, though, the rates may even be LOWER: for instance, using ParcelForce to some BFPO addresses allows up to 30kg (yes, thirty kilos!) for just £13, although the maximum weight through Royal Mail is just 2kg (please check with the Post Office or on the BFPO website (see below) for BFPO numbers that can accept such weighty parcels!). Recorded (Signed For) and Special Delivery can also be used, but online tracking does NOT seem to be available. Guaranteed delivery times to the final recipient are not available with this system, only to the BFPO offices in Ruislip. That said, all such items must be signed for at the final destination, so full tracking IS recorded and insurance afforded.
BFPO addresses do not have a postcode, as such, but the address is completed with the addition of BFPO X, XX, XXX or XXXX depending on the type of location (static, operational or ships at sea). Some of these addresses attract Duty Free privileges, but by no means all. A Customs declaration label CN22 should always be used (in case the shipment happens to be diverted to a non-EU country). Air Mail labels are not required for destinations within the EU, but are for the rest of the world. The correct format for BFPO addresses is:
Thank you for your interest and support. If you feel strongly about this, please tell eBay that you'd like to see UK Armed Forces and their dependents being able to use BFPO addresses by sending them a suggestion; just click here to access the appropriate page.
Please also consider letting eBay know if this guide was of any help/interest by clicking on the appropriate button, below. As of today (15 Aug 08), the guide has been viewed nearly 240 times, yet only twentyfour people have bothered to click the button! So, if you think something is missing or is in error, please let me know so that I can update my guide.
Many thanks.
During the last quarter of 2007, the British Forces Post Office moved from Mill Hill to new premises at RAF NORTHOLT, just outside London. Here, BFPO exists to "provide an efficient and effective Postal and Courier Service in order to sustain the fighting power of UK Armed Forces Worldwide." All mail to BFPO addresses is routed through Northolt and those sending mail pay standard UK mainland letter charges for the service. Occasionally, though, the rates may even be LOWER: for instance, using ParcelForce to some BFPO addresses allows up to 30kg (yes, thirty kilos!) for just £13, although the maximum weight through Royal Mail is just 2kg (please check with the Post Office or on the BFPO website (see below) for BFPO numbers that can accept such weighty parcels!). Recorded (Signed For) and Special Delivery can also be used, but online tracking does NOT seem to be available. Guaranteed delivery times to the final recipient are not available with this system, only to the BFPO offices in Ruislip. That said, all such items must be signed for at the final destination, so full tracking IS recorded and insurance afforded.
BFPO addresses do not have a postcode, as such, but the address is completed with the addition of BFPO X, XX, XXX or XXXX depending on the type of location (static, operational or ships at sea). Some of these addresses attract Duty Free privileges, but by no means all. A Customs declaration label CN22 should always be used (in case the shipment happens to be diverted to a non-EU country). Air Mail labels are not required for destinations within the EU, but are for the rest of the world. The correct format for BFPO addresses is:
Service No, Rank, NameIn Dhekelia Garrison and at Ayios Nikolaos (BFPOs 58 and 59 respectively) in Cyprus, mail is not delivered to Services Family Accommodation, so dependants can only receive mail care of their Service family member at their place of work. It would not be unusual, therefore, to see an address such as:
Unit/Regt
Operation Name (if applicable)
BFPO Number (see list at www.bfpo.mod.uk/bfponumbers_home.htm#whatisabfponumber)
Note that the Town, County and Country must not be included in the address (and their use is now likely to incur a return to sender!)...and this is where eBay fails UK service personnel!
Joanne BloggsI could go on, but all this information and (much!) more is available at BFPO's own website at www.bfpo.mod.uk/index.html
c/o 2359796 Cpl J Bloggs
MRS
Dhekelia Garrison
BFPO 58
Thank you for your interest and support. If you feel strongly about this, please tell eBay that you'd like to see UK Armed Forces and their dependents being able to use BFPO addresses by sending them a suggestion; just click here to access the appropriate page.
Please also consider letting eBay know if this guide was of any help/interest by clicking on the appropriate button, below. As of today (15 Aug 08), the guide has been viewed nearly 240 times, yet only twentyfour people have bothered to click the button! So, if you think something is missing or is in error, please let me know so that I can update my guide.
Many thanks.
Guide created: 28/12/07 (updated 08/10/08)
Thank you for voting. If your vote meets our 
