First of all, sorry if this isn't the best place for this - there seemed to be more discussion here of best OPSEC shipping options than r/darknetmarketnoobs, but please let me know if this would be better suited over there.
I'm trying to figure out what would be my best option for delivery address and I'm feeling torn, so I would really appreciate any advice!
(1) My home address
Pros: control, convenience
Cons: I have two roommates - one would probably be comfortable with it, the other I'm less sure about. I would want to tell them so that they know not to sign for anything that isn't theirs. Also, my landlord sometimes accepts packages for us, although usually delivery people won't deliver there unless there's a note on our door explicitly asking them to. I'm paranoidly concerned about how this would affect a potential CD.
(2) A friend's address
Pros: could choose someone with no roommates or landlord
Cons: putting someone else at risk, finding someone completely trustworthy who is willing to do this (so far I know someone willing, but whose GF I don't trust, and someone who is trustworthy, but is nervous)
(3) A post office PO box
Pros: only putting myself at risk, pickup seems pretty painless, I could use it for convenience on clearnet orders too
Cons: Worrying about whether orders will fit in my box / paranoia over the possibility of something getting held at the front for me. NOT 24 hours near me. Also the hassle (buying box, establishing junk mail) plus the cost for what will be very small personal use amounts. I'll probably only be ordering 2-3 times a year, so keeping a PO box would pretty much double the amount I actually spend on orders... still worth it for security. I'm not considering a private mailbox cause the ones near me are around 3x what USPS charges (plus there's less protection against opening your mail).
Any and all advice is much appreciated!
I use a PO box, so let me give you some insight.
If the package does not fit in a PO box, they will simply put it in a bigger box that it fits in, and put the key to that locker, in your box. Then you go get it and leave the key. So just get the smallest box. Note: someone else mentioned that at their post office, they keep all the stuff behind the counter, and therefore don't use the key system. I guess it just depends on which you go to. Can't hurt to ask what they do if the package is too big.
They are relatively cheap for how long it lasts. I think I paid $16 for three months (the minimum) and if you buy 6 months or a year, it's overall a lot cheaper. Also if you do the three month, they require a card on file so they can automatically bill you again when it is up. The longer ones do not require this. Either remember to cancel if needed, or buy a longer time period.
The box will keep your roommates safe, and if anything happens you will most likely be the only one to go down. (I mean it's all based on situation obviously). That being said, your real address is public. PO box addresses are not. Meaning anyone can send something to your house with your name, but it would be a lot harder for someone to send to your PO box with your name, unless they somehow knew address. So if you get caught at your house, you can say you didn't order this or whatever, and not answer any questions. If you are caught at PO box, well, I don't know what to tell you. Don't have any experience and/or knowledge. This is just what I have read on here. I've read that posting your PO Box address to various places online (facebook, instagram, forums, etc) makes it considered public, and therefore can be your defense I guess. Don't quote me, someone more knowledgeable please answer. Be careful where you post it though so random people aren't sending you stuff that is junk or possibly could get you busted.
All that being said, ordering is going to be a breeze either way as long as you order domestic and use the complete correct info(this is a must!). Normal info doesn't look suspicious. John Smith looks suspicious when you are the Williams family. If he doesn't live there, don't put the name on it.
Also, if it's not domestic, it's alright, but it's just going to be way more of a hassle because of going through customs, and just generally taking a lot longer. I just did my first overseas order, and it worked well, but I was waiting forever to get it(I'm impatient as hell and I am spoiled by all the other vendor's 2 or 3 day shipping and whatnot). Kept going to PO box every day to check, which is one thing that sucks because mine is like 20min out of the way from everything. If yours is close then you have no problem. If you are going to order overseas, I suggest only doing thin/small things. Tabs of acid, something in powder form, etc. If you are buying a pound of weed from Europe, well, I don't have high hopes for you.
Lastly, vendor stealth is important! Read reviews and make sure the vendor is good and has good enough stealth to get to where you want. If someone orders domestic and says the stealth was not that good, then it might not be worth it if you have to order overseas. Take your security seriously, unless you want to deal with the cops.
This turned out a lot longer that I originally planned. But my source is just this subreddit. I've learned a lot about doing this, thanks to all the people here.