Longshot Shipping Trouble

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shamrock

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Location
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SWMBO just called and said that both UPS and FedEx refused to ship our entries for the Sam Adams Longshot contest.

As soon as they saw the shipping label (it must be shipped to "Sam Adams Longshot Homebrew Contest" - gee, I wonder what's in the box?) they refused. UPS even opened the package when SWMBO tried the "live yeast sample" thing.

Both companies said they would only ship the beer if we had a distributor license. We're going to see if our local craft-beer centric beer store will help us out.

Frustrating.

Anyone else have trouble?
 
Hmm, the labels I printed from the e-mail only List "Longshot" c/o Two Brothers...etc. Call the place you are sending them to and ask if you can address it differently. Then try a different UPS.
 
Print the labels at home, pay for it by credit card, then drop at a 3rd party pick-up location (Office Depot, etc.) or schedule a home delivery (might cost more). This is how I do it and no one ever even asks what is in the box.
 
Yeah, I'm sure if you just put "Longshot Contest" on there, with the correct address, and list it as "live yeast samples" or "collectibles" (my favorite), they won't have any problem.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I have emailed S.A. but no response yet. If I get one, I will post it here.

Otherwise I'll try the lables/3rd party location thing.

Cheers.
 
Evan! said:
Yeah, I'm sure if you just put "Longshot Contest" on there, with the correct address, and list it as "live yeast samples" or "collectibles" (my favorite), they won't have any problem.
Click to expand...

I like "glass crafts," that way you are not lying, it is listed as fragile, and you dont get the confused look when you refuse shipping insurance on "collectables". :D

But yeah, +1 on adressing diffrently and trying at a different store. If that does not work, try going to a local distributor, explain you are trying to ship to a contest, and see if you can pay for shipping and just place it in their outgoing mail.

My $0.02
 
So, am I to assume that it is illegal to ship these entries, but as long as you decieve the shipper, it works ok?


I guess I am confused, are all of the entries to Long Shot shipped illegally?
 
The Pol said:
So, am I to assume that it is illegal to ship these entries, but as long as you decieve the shipper, it works ok?


I guess I am confused, are all of the entries to Long Shot shipped illegally?
Click to expand...

Illegal? Maybe (depends on states). Against the policies of FedEx and UPS, yes.
 
The Pol said:
So, am I to assume that it is illegal to ship these entries, but as long as you decieve the shipper, it works ok?


I guess I am confused, are all of the entries to Long Shot shipped illegally?
Click to expand...

It's not "illegal" unless you send it USPS. With fedex and ups, it's simply against their company policy.
 
I see, so as long as you lie to them, you are in the clear, gotcha.
 
The Pol said:
I see, so as long as you lie to them, you are in the clear, gotcha.
Click to expand...

Not so much 'lie' as not volunteer information that goes unasked. I have a postage scale at home - so I print the shipping labels at home and use my UPS account for JDIDJ to schedule pickups. No frustrations with being refused service or dealing with too many questions.
 
flyangler18 said:
Not so much 'lie' as not volunteer information that goes unasked. I have a postage scale at home - so I print the shipping labels at home and use my UPS account for JDIDJ to schedule pickups. No frustrations with being refused service or dealing with too many questions.
Click to expand...

If my kids intentionally decieve me because they withold information that they know will cause them to be reprimanded, I call it lying. Making a false statement or not being completely forthright I guess is a type of lie to me... because Id hold my kids to that standard.

I guess, if you told them what they were shipping, they wouldnt ship it right? Just like that Air Florida flight where they shipped O2 generators that they werent supposed to, and they crashed in the everglades?

I am just trying to make sure I inderstand the whole shipping of contest entries thing. I mean I don't care what you do, I just want to make sure that I know, and others who are new to this know the real "rules" about how to properly ship an entry. I think that the "dont ask, dont tell" policy is not a good policy for some, and some may prefer to know what they should and should not do in order to ship alcohol over state lines.
 
I am just trying to make sure I inderstand the whole shipping of contest entries thing.
Click to expand...

Call them 'live yeast samples for analysis' - you're being truthful as that is indeed what they are and you avoid the moral quandry you seem to be grappling with here. ;)

Like has been said earlier, it's not illegal - just against company policy to ship alcohol unless the person/entity shipping is a distributor.

That said, it's a minor inconvenience.
 
flyangler18 said:
Not so much 'lie' as not volunteer information that goes unasked. I have a postage scale at home - so I print the shipping labels at home and use my UPS account for JDIDJ to schedule pickups. No frustrations with being refused service or dealing with too many questions.
Click to expand...


The only issue with this that I've found is that you have to lie on the form when you do the shipping label at home. I think the webform asks if there are liquids in the package.
 
Yes, we all should never enter a brewing contest or ship beer to a friend because of "company policies". If it bothers you, then don't ship it. I personally just sent 21 bottles of beer out yesterday and I feel great about it.
 
Who let the narcs in!??! Are you two being serious? Why not write Sam Adams and tell them their breaking the law if you are so concerned. I'm lucky enough to work for a winery that has an agreement with UPS to allow us to ship alcohol so I ship "legally", but still. Why the panties all in a bunch?
 
Kilted Brewer said:
Who let the narcs in!??! Are you two being serious? Why not write Sam Adams and tell them their breaking the law if you are so concerned. I'm lucky enough to work for a winery that has an agreement with UPS to allow us to ship alcohol so I ship "legally", but still. Why the panties all in a bunch?
Click to expand...

I dont think anyones panties are in a bunch, chillax. I just wanted to know the rules, I wanted to know if I had to lie to them to get them to send it.

Then when my daughter asks why I lied to them, I can just say, nahh, that isnt lying, I just witheld information that would have caused them to make a completely different decision, that is all. :D

I personally dont care what anyone here does, I dont have that much time. But if it is an Apple, don't call it an Orange.
 
The Pol said:
I dont think anyones panties are in a bunch, chillax. I just wanted to know the rules, I wanted to know if I had to lie to them to get them to send it.

Then when my daughter asks why I lied to them, I can just say, nahh, that isnt lying, I just witheld information that would have caused them to make a completely different decision, that is all. :D

I personally dont care what anyone here does, I dont have that much time. But if it is an Apple, don't call it an Orange.
Click to expand...

Then, yes, you have 3 choices:

1. Don't send beer to competitions unless they are in your local area, and you can just drop them off in person.

2. Get a license to distribute, or find a place that has one, and send away.

3. Lie.
 
Like I said...

--www.UPS.com--
Schedule shipment at home.
Print Labels at home.
Affix labels at home.
Drop packages at desk.

...ask for half dozen padded envelopes...they make great bottle wrap...:D

SwapBoxes.jpg
 
BierMuncher said:
Like I said...

--www.UPS.com--
Schedule shipment at home.
Print Labels at home.
Affix labels at home.
Drop packages at desk.

...ask for half dozen padded envelopes...they make great bottle wrap...:D

View attachment 10799
Click to expand...

Ha! I didn't even cover the USPS logos. I was hoping I would get more respect from Fed-Ex, and they would be careful with my babies! I went to a pack and ship place and the lady said they get the least amount of complaints about broken shipments from Fed-Ex, which surprised me.

And I shipped To Vermont (arrives in 3), Texas (arrives in 2!), and Arizona (arrives in 3) from middle Tennessee! I thought that was fast for their ground service.
 
shamrock said:
Thanks for the suggestions. I have emailed S.A. but no response yet. If I get one, I will post it here.

Otherwise I'll try the lables/3rd party location thing.

Cheers.
Click to expand...

Any word from SA about this? The address labels that SA provides DOES say brewing contest in the title, so I am wondering if it would be OK to just say Longshot Contest. I am surprised SA doesn't address this problem on their website, or at least change the title of the shipping address to something a little more "low key".

Keep us posted if you hear from them.
 
macabra11 said:
Any word from SA about this? The address labels that SA provides DOES say brewing contest in the title, so I am wondering if it would be OK to just say Longshot Contest. I am surprised SA doesn't address this problem on their website, or at least change the title of the shipping address to something a little more "low key".

Keep us posted if you hear from them.
Click to expand...

Nope. I emailed them the same day as my original post and no response yet. I'll let you know if I hear from them, but I may have to try one of the other options soon, as time is running out.
 
Late to this, so sorry.

To all the, "It's Illegal" blah blah blah crowd:


The Answer is here.
http://www.samueladams.com/promotions/LongShot/rules.aspx

G.Packing and Shipping Hints
...

It is not against any federal laws to ship your entries via a privately owned shipping company for analytical purposes. However, IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHIP ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES VIA THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE. Private shipping carrier’s rules and regulations concerning the shipment of beer or alcoholic beverages vary. We strongly encourage you to check with your shipping carrier prior to shipping your entry. It is solely the entrant’s responsibility to follow all applicable laws and regulations.
Click to expand...

There is not a Federal Prohibition on shipping via a private carrier.

It's obviously not against any state or local laws for Sam Adams to receive alcohol shipments at any of the sites that they have you ship to or there wouldn't be any contest.

Your state or local ACB may have laws against individuals shipping it so the Private carriers have policies in place to support the independently owned and operated outlets (Mail and More, Etc). If it is not illegal in your state or locality then you will not have that policy enforced.

Individual outlets may have their own policies. I've heard of stores invoking some bizarre post 911 excuse to open boxes. Spend your money elsewhere.

Some states and ACBs are more proactive about enforcement. Utah comes to mind. If you are in one of those illegal areas and your package breaks, they may turn your package to your state's alcohol control board or they may return it to you, or they may dispose of it, or they may re-pack it and ship it. You are at the mercy of that employee.

So, to those that say it is illegal. Please post where you live and cite the ACB or state law so that we all can benefit.
 
I don't even package my beer, I have the UPS lady take care of everything for me. I hand her the bottles and she packages and ships them. A few small "donations" to your local UPS store can go a long way.
 
Well, I never did hear back from SA. I had to take action since the entries have to arrive before Friday, May 1st so I followed advice from several of you.

1) The shipping address that comes in the email from SA is slightly different from the one that you get if you click the little button next to your entry on the site. The email version simply says "Longshot" instead of "Samuel Adams Longshot American Homebrew Contest." Obviously, "Longshot" is what I used.

2) I pre-payed on the UPS website and printed out a shipping label. (There was a moment of panic when I realized that we don't own a scale of any kind and I had no way to weigh the package. Then I remembered that SWMBO has a Wii Fit...)

3) I dropped the package off at a busy suburban UPS instead of the one out here in the sticks where the employees obviously have too much time on their hands.

As of this morning my shipment is out for delivery in Boston, so everything worked out.

Thanks everyone for your ideas.
 
olllllo said:
Late to this, so sorry.

To all the, "It's Illegal" blah blah blah crowd:


The Answer is here.
LongShot - American Homebrew Contest - Rules and Regulations



There is not a Federal Prohibition on shipping via a private carrier.

It's obviously not against any state or local laws for Sam Adams to receive alcohol shipments at any of the sites that they have you ship to or there wouldn't be any contest.

Your state or local ACB may have laws against individuals shipping it so the Private carriers have policies in place to support the independently owned and operated outlets (Mail and More, Etc). If it is not illegal in your state or locality then you will not have that policy enforced.

Individual outlets may have their own policies. I've heard of stores invoking some bizarre post 911 excuse to open boxes. Spend your money elsewhere.

Some states and ACBs are more proactive about enforcement. Utah comes to mind. If you are in one of those illegal areas and your package breaks, they may turn your package to your state's alcohol control board or they may return it to you, or they may dispose of it, or they may re-pack it and ship it. You are at the mercy of that employee.

So, to those that say it is illegal. Please post where you live and cite the ACB or state law so that we all can benefit.
Click to expand...

I dont know who said it was illegal... my question was, if I tell them what is in the package, will they ship it? If not... then obviously I have to withold information, which then in my mind contitutes deception of some kind to get a different reaction on thier part.

To each thier own, but as someone who carries cargo on a daily basis, I personally appreciate it when people follow all federal and company cargo carriage requirements. It makes my day easier.

SA knows that these carrier wont carry alcohol as part of thier own policies, I mean they make it pretty explicit on thier site that they know this and that you should be aware of it. They know people are going to lie and decieve, but this sentence relieves them of any responsibility when you do so.

So you are right, it isnt breaking a Federal Law... it is simply decieving someone so that you do not have to adhere to thier business policies. So it is the same thing, really, you are just not going to go to Federal Prison for it.... gotcha.

Quote: It is not against any federal laws to ship your entries via a privately owned shipping company for analytical purposes. However, IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHIP ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES VIA THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE. Private shipping carrier’s rules and regulations concerning the shipment of beer or alcoholic beverages vary. We strongly encourage you to check with your shipping carrier prior to shipping your entry. It is solely the entrant’s responsibility to follow all applicable laws and regulations. End Quote
 
The Pol said:
...my question was, if I tell them what is in the package, will they ship it?...

Quote: Private shipping carrier’s rules and regulations concerning the shipment of beer or alcoholic beverages vary.
End Quote
Click to expand...

When they say "rules will vary", they're not kidding.

If you go to the same UPS store at different times of the day, you'll get different answers depending on which 19-year old is behind the counter.

Package it at home.
UPS.com it at home.
Label it at home.
Drop it off and save yourself the moral dilemma of having to engage in a conversation that will yield inconsistent results.

We're shipping bottles of homebrew for crying out loud, not anthrax.
 
BierMuncher said:
When they say "rules will vary", they're not kidding.

If you go to the same UPS store at different times of the day, you'll get different answers depending on which 19-year old is behind the counter.

Package it at home.
UPS.com it at home.
Label it at home.
Drop it off and save yourself the moral dilemma of having to engage in a conversation that will yield inconsistent results.

We're shipping bottles of homebrew for crying out loud, not anthrax.
Click to expand...

Exaclty, but the guys that shipped the O2 generators on Air Florida thought, "we are just shipping O2 generators and tires"....

I know what you are saying, but I am maybe more concious of what is in my cargo hold than others, and who is shipping it.
 
The Pol said:
Exaclty, but the guys that shipped the O2 generators on Air Florida thought, "we are just shipping O2 generators and tires"....

I know what you are saying, but I am maybe more concious of what is in my cargo hold than others, and who is shipping it.
Click to expand...

I understand your position, Pol, but what possible harm, physical or otherwise, could possibly be incurred as a result of shipping a handful of 12 oz bottles of beer/live yeast samples for analysis/competition purposes? Seriously.

If entering competitions in this manner is against your moral compass, just don't enter for corn's sake. I have no issue shipping like this.
 
flyangler18 said:
I understand your position, Pol, but what possible harm, physical or otherwise, could possibly be incurred as a result of shipping a handful of 12 oz bottles of beer/live yeast samples for analysis/competition purposes? Seriously.

If entering competitions in this manner is against your moral compass, just don't enter for corn's sake. I have no issue shipping like this.
Click to expand...

I suppose for me, it isnt a matter of what harm... it is a matter of the fact that there is a policy.

We follow rules every day, for which there is no compelling, harm avoiding reason, except that there is a rule. That is all.
 
jkarp said:
Man, I sure as hell hope I don't get stuck behind Pol doing 55 on the highway. :)
Click to expand...

I am sure I will pass you while you are getting your ticket.

Yes I do drive THE speed limit... sorry.
 

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