FedEx opened package!

[carlpb]

I print the labels at home then drop off at a local shipping store that is not owned by UPS or FedEx, just a pickup location. Never had a problem.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[Qhrumphf]

I also use UPS, measure, weight, and print at home, and just drop it off at the UPS store. Never once had a problem. I find FedEx to be a lot more anal about things, so I've never even tried shipping through them.

 

[BoomerHarley]

Not to be a dick here (and I know that by starting a sentence that way I am totally going to be a dick), but I find the double standard regarding discussing this ridiculous. Every now and then someone starts a thread about distilling alcohol or brewing with pot, and the thread gets deleted faster than you can say "How do I illegally ship beer?" with a diatribe about how this is an illegal subject (even though it isn't) and will not be discussed on this board.

However, here we are discussing an illegal activity and how to do so, with multiple people discussing how they do it, how they have done it in the past, and how they plan on doing it in the future.

For the record, I have no problem with it and have used USPS and UPS. However, I find it completely ironic and stupid that any discussion of distillation or weed is forbidden. Especially considering that weed is legal in many states.

 

[johnnv]

Don't label the bottles other than a code if shipping more than one kind, email the recipient the code if they must know, call it inert lab samples. Don't put fragile, glass, handle with care or anything like that on the outside. That makes it a target for desk clerk and the warehouse little part time college punks who will throw it on the floor on purpose!
Ship stuff USPS priority mail, box it, print postage, email USPS for a pickup, they get it the next day. You don't need to talk to anyone to ask questions.

 

[The_Bishop]

Boomer, difference is distilling is illegal almost everywhere in the US, same as marijuana. Shipping 'yeast samples' is only illegal via USPS, it's against policy (not law!) with UPS/FEDEX.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Not to be a dick here (and I know that by starting a sentence that way I am totally going to be a dick), but I find the double standard regarding discussing this ridiculous. Every now and then someone starts a thread about distilling alcohol or brewing with pot, and the thread gets deleted faster than you can say "How do I illegally ship beer?" with a diatribe about how this is an illegal subject (even though it isn't) and will not be discussed on this board.

However, here we are discussing an illegal activity and how to do so, with multiple people discussing how they do it, how they have done it in the past, and how they plan on doing it in the future.

For the record, I have no problem with it and have used USPS and UPS. However, I find it completely ironic and stupid that any discussion of distillation or weed is forbidden. Especially considering that weed is legal in many states.

Except shipping via UPS and FedEx isn't illegal. It's a violation of their policies, but it is not a crime. Shipping via USPS is a crime, hence the stern warnings, both here and in ever competition (at least every single one I've entered) of DO NOT DO IT.

I'm sure a mod could clarify this better, but I'm pretty sure as long as marijuana and distillation are illegal in Texas where I believe this site's servers are located, I'm pretty sure that the topics remain off limits, regardless of whatever another state does.

Apples to oranges.

Don't label the bottles other than a code if shipping more than one kind, email the recipient the code if they must know, call it inert lab samples. Don't put fragile, glass, handle with care or anything like that on the outside. That makes it a target for desk clerk and the warehouse little part time college punks who will throw it on the floor on purpose!
Ship stuff USPS priority mail, box it, print postage, email USPS for a pickup, they get it the next day. You don't need to talk to anyone to ask questions.

See above, USPS is a crime. Where the private couriers may refuse or return your package and that's it (ie a minor inconvenience), if you ship via USPS you can have federal agents knock on your door, you find yourself in court, and in prison or with massive fines, or both. Not worth the risk.

 

[BoomerHarley]

Boomer, difference is distilling is illegal almost everywhere in the US, same as marijuana. Shipping 'yeast samples' is only illegal via USPS, it's against policy (not law!) with UPS/FEDEX.

Except shipping via UPS and FedEx isn't illegal. It's a violation of their policies, but it is not a crime. Shipping via USPS is a crime, hence the stern warnings, both here and in ever competition (at least every single one I've entered) of DO NOT DO IT.

I'm sure a mod could clarify this better, but I'm pretty sure as long as marijuana and distillation are illegal in Texas where I believe this site's servers are located, I'm pretty sure that the topics remain off limits, regardless of whatever another state does.

Apples to oranges.



See above, USPS is a crime. Where the private couriers may refuse or return your package and that's it (ie a minor inconvenience), if you ship via USPS you can have federal agents knock on your door, you find yourself in court, and in prison or with massive fines, or both. Not worth the risk.

If that's the excuse you guys want to use fine, but it's not really correct. Marijuana is legal in several states. It really doesn't matter where the site is hosted. Freedom of speech protects this. You can discuss these things. Furthermore distillation is not illegal at all. Distillation of alcohol for consumption is, but distillation of tonics or other is not at all. The admin has decided not to allow this discussion for some reason. However, here we are discussing illegal activities. Like actual illegal activities.

And regarding whether shipping is illegal or not, I think it is very similar to the weed thing. It is illegal in some cases, not in others. In particular, it is illegal in Texas to ship beer or receive beer that is shipped. Why are we discussing this?

 

[DanH]

Pretty plain text. Up to a year in prison and/or fines if you're caught shipping alcohol via USPS. And if a bottles happens to break and injure a postal worker (or anything similar) it goes up to 20 years in prison. And if that injury kills said postal worker (as unlikely as that may be), you're eligible for the death penalty.

So again, don't send beer through USPS.

A friend of mine had a bottle of beer break while it was being shipped via USPS. They called him in to an office at the post office and they just said "most people don't realize it's illegal" and handed him the unbroken beers.

But I wouldn't gamble on it...


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[bob1852]

But I wouldn't gamble on it...

Great, now we're discussing another illegal activity?

 

[sudbuster]

Since when does Fedex demand to open and search packages? I went today to try and ship a brew to a competition and they insisted that they open the package and check the contents and when they learned I was shipping homebrew they of course refused.

Did I just get unlucky today or is this a new policy of theirs?

Nope, The same thing happened to me at UPS. They broke into the package put the stuff on the counter as they felt of it through the bubble wrap, then stuffed it all back in and sealed the box. I asked if they were looking for dope or bombs. He just said he needed to make sure it was packed well. I asked was everything packed well?, and he responded, Looks good. That was that. Off it went to the comp.

 

[Qhrumphf]

A friend of mine had a bottle of beer break while it was being shipped via USPS. They called him in to an office at the post office and they just said "most people don't realize it's illegal" and handed him the unbroken beers.

But I wouldn't gamble on it...


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I'm sure it's like most less than obvious offenses, where the odds of anything other than a warning are pretty low, but like you said, I wouldn't gamble on it.

 

[sudbuster]

I'm sure it's like most less than obvious offenses, where the odds of anything other than a warning are pretty low, but like you said, I wouldn't gamble on it.

I don't doubt that. The left has turned us all into a crouching bunch of snivelling paranoids afraid of shadows..

 

[sfgoat]

Not to be a dick here (and I know that by starting a sentence that way I am totally going to be a dick), but I find the double standard regarding discussing this ridiculous. Every now and then someone starts a thread about distilling alcohol or brewing with pot, and the thread gets deleted faster than you can say "How do I illegally ship beer?" with a diatribe about how this is an illegal subject (even though it isn't) and will not be discussed on this board.

However, here we are discussing an illegal activity and how to do so, with multiple people discussing how they do it, how they have done it in the past, and how they plan on doing it in the future.

For the record, I have no problem with it and have used USPS and UPS. However, I find it completely ironic and stupid that any discussion of distillation or weed is forbidden. Especially considering that weed is legal in many states.

Never thought this would even turn into a discussion. I mostly just wanted to vent but I learned a few things here so, awesome.

 

[sudbuster]

Never thought this would even turn into a discussion. I mostly just wanted to vent but I learned a few things here so, awesome.

Yeah, the US of A. I can remember when we were awesome!

 

[BoomerHarley]

Never thought this would even turn into a discussion. I mostly just wanted to vent but I learned a few things here so, awesome.

Me too. But that is exactly my point. People come on here to find information. Why is it that some information is allowed to be discussed and not other info? I learned a fair amount about brewing with pot (not that I was super interested or anything, but there was some interesting info to be learned) as well as thought I was learning about the idea of distilling. I have no interest in distilling, but until a recent thread that was promptly deleted, I didn't even know how it related to brewing or the process.

Neither of these activities are illegal (distilling for aromatherapy and marijuana in several states). Neither of these is illegal to discuss or show (as opposed to say child porn). Yet these subjects are forbidden.

However, another subject (mailing beer) is as much if not more illegal than the other two. But here we are, discussing at will.

It's inconsistent and frustrating. This place is a treasure trove of info, except when it comes to these completely pertinent subjects.

 

[BoomerHarley]

Yeah, the US of A. I can remember when we were awesome!

Was that before the libs made it legal to brew in your state?

 

[Qhrumphf]

Well, now I'm counting down until this thread either A) gets locked by mods or B) gets moved to the debate forum.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Just my 2 cents here...if anyone asks, tell them that you are shipping marinade, it's a tried and true method that a lot of wine makers use.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

and now for something completely different.

 

[Qhrumphf]

and now for something completely different.

I may be a little bit drunk. I literally almost fell out of my chair laughing.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I may be a little bit drunk. I literally almost fell out of my chair laughing.

I need to make that into a t-shirt. I laugh every time I see it.

 

[BoomerHarley]

Well, now I'm counting down until this thread either A) gets locked by mods or B) gets moved to the debate forum.

No reason for that.

1. I've said my piece and am done.

2. Nothing illegal is being discussed here.

 

[sudbuster]

I need to make that into a t-shirt. I laugh every time I see it.

You laugh every time you fart, so what doe's that add to the thread?

 

[sfgoat]

I need to make that into a t-shirt. I laugh every time I see it.

I would buy that shirt.

 

[dxbq48]

you laugh every time you fart, so what doe's that add to the thread?

+1

 

[eatmorefrogs]

If they ask about the contents, describe it as a yeast sample. This isn't a joke.

\

I heard of people calling them zymological samples Haven't tried that yet. My box electric motor part labels on it so I said it was a commutator lol

My beer. I spit it out while laughing.

I went once and accidentally admitted to it. The guy was like "i didn't hear that, don't say that." Ever since, I've simply said "a gift." I think it's a classic example of 95% of the employees not caring, 5% being hard asses. I'd write this off as a one-off experience and get back in the saddle and send more from a different shop.

 

[sfgoat]

\


My beer. I spit it out while laughing.

I went once and accidentally admitted to it. The guy was like "i didn't hear that, don't say that." Ever since, I've simply said "a gift." I think it's a classic example of 95% of the employees not caring, 5% being hard asses. I'd write this off as a one-off experience and get back in the saddle and send more from a different shop.

Yeah I don't intend to stop. I didn't even care that she refused to ship. Just that she ripped apart my packaging before even weighing it in. But lesson learned. Always print out my own labels to avoid having to deal with it.

 

[snowtires]

and now for something completely different.

I laughed so hard I think I just hurt my fresh vascetomy

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[gratus fermentatio]

Wrap each bottle in bubblewrap & secure with packing tape. Place each bubblewrapped bottle in a gallon sized ziploc bag & seal, get as much air out as you reasonably can. Place bottle(s) in an oversized box with a good layer of styrofoam packing peanuts under, around & on top of them, fill the box all the way to the top, seal the box well with packing tape & label it yourself.
If they ask about contents, tell them it's a gift.

Takes a LOT to break bottles packed this way & even if one does break, the ziploc bag contains the liquid and most, if not all of the odor. In 30 years of shipping various things, I've never had anyone ever open or even ask to open a box I was shipping. They've asked about the contents, but always accepted my answer; whatever that answer was.
Regards, GF.

 

[johnnv]

After reading some post you guys copied off the internet concerning rules regs and laws. The is a real paradox or quandary that many of you don't know about. USPS, many foreign postal system, ups, fedex, dhl and many others have partnered to form global shipping innovations and shipping innovations . This means you may originate a package with UPS, for example, and it will probably be delivered by USPS. There is nothing you can do about that.