I don't know if this is helpful or relevent to everyone but I would like to express my habits for buying on eBay. First, I should say that I use money orders for my purchases. I haven't broken down to try paypal yet but with some problems and dissatisfaction that I have read about PP, I have chosen not to go that way. I don't use checks since I usually don't know the sellers I am buying from and feel safer not giving information like bank and checking account numbers.

Anyways, When I win an auction and have received the invoice, usually that doesn't contain the mailing address of the seller. Therefore I send an email to the seller requesting the address and announcing my intention to pay by money order. If I were using Pay Pal, I would probably still send a courtesy email to establish contact with the seller.

In all my correspondance I add my address and email address. I, also, usually add language to the effect that "Please prepare to send the merchandise to the following address. This way, the seller can package and prepare the package and have it waiting to just drop in the mail when my payment arrives. I feel this makes things more efficient and saves trouble and time. Reading your post, it also would minimize such chances as using an outdated address from a check. Further, I always include, with my payment, a copy of the invoice and the reply from the seller which usually includes their address and a final total of the purchase along with citation of my email that would include, again, my address. This way, when I go to the post office I have all info I need to send the money order and the seller will then have all info including the auction number, discription of merchandise, my address....

I have often found sellers to have clipped my address from these materials, or from my return address on my payment envelope, and just taped them to the envelope. Another suggestion would then be to make sure that you write your address on your envelope bold, large and clear. Also, maybe, when including your address in an email, use larger bold cheracters for the address so that if a seller does clip your address it will be appropriate when used as an address label.