Post Office Run Around

shaintiques · Aug 9, 2013

So I went to the post office today to send out two tobacco packages. I like to gift tobacco when I am able and was sending out two packs, one to Georgia and one to Canada. The lady at the post office posted the one to Georgia no problem, but when she came to the customs form for the Canada one she said, "you can't mail tobacco". I was like, "sure I can I do it all the itme, it is perfectly legal." Well she wouldn't do it, so I took the box, drove across town to the other post office, filled out a new form, not mentioning the tobacco and mailed it from there. Funny thing was that the first stateside package was also tobacco. Ignorance is bliss!

mso489 · Aug 9, 2013

Laws on international shipping and mailing are so arcane, I don't think the people behind the counter actually

understand them. At my workplace, we used to send publications from the U.S. to Canada for scientific

meetings. Our agency provided a customs agent to smooth the way, on the basis that the material would

never get to the meeting on time otherwise. In this day and time, truly silly. I think in the corporate sector,

people simply use bribes.

captainsousie · Aug 9, 2013

Gotta love the P.O. Some great people work at mine but they are fairly nervous about all the things that can come back to bite them. Sorry you got one that doesn't know the laws and got the runaround.

pitchfork · Aug 9, 2013

What is the best way to mail a friendly package to someone in Canada?

smokeybear · Aug 9, 2013

That's so weird I can't believe that I ship tobacco cross boarder once in a while however I label it pipe supplies. But still that's ridiculous. It sucks you had to drive cross town but I'm sure the Canadian receiving that package really appreciates it wink wink. If it were me I would be very grateful wink wink. Haha

shaintiques · Aug 9, 2013

Yeah no worries, it isn't a big town, I'll have to remember the pipe supplies, that is a good one. I've gotten packages before that said, "loose tea". But there were enough other items in there, that I really didn't have to put tobacco at all. There are only 4 lines for items on the small customs documents, so all is good, and its on its way.

taerin · Aug 9, 2013

Best way to get around the customs thing is to just call it "hobby supplies" they will not question it and it does not sound tobacco related. Funny how we gotta not tell the whole truth to get around the USPS workers even though it's 100% legal to ship.

cortezattic · Aug 9, 2013

The most I have ever mailed to Canada in one package is a few ounces, and I declared it was pipe tobacco. No problems.
My beef with the USPS is with our local carriers. Being too lazy to bring a package with them on their route, they leave the package at the post office, and just fill out a "Failure To Deliver Notice", which they put in my mail box. Since I'm retired, I was able to catch one of these lazy bums in the act. I grabbed the notice out of the mail box and ran after the carrier shouting "Yoo-hoo! I'm here! Gimme my package!" The carrier actually had the chutzpah to get mad at me -- as if it was a racial incident! I called the local post office and complained, and someone there made a special trip out to my house with the package. Don't you just love it when the gubberment tries to do something?

ssjones · Aug 9, 2013

I just avoid the hassle and label my packages "hobby supplies". I'm not lying and it draws no questions.

brian64 · Aug 9, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hox-ni8geIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nKlzQo3Wqo

metalheadycigarguy · Aug 9, 2013

When shipping tobacco to Canada and/or to the UK, if customs gets a hold of it the person you are sending tobacco to may be penalized and have to pay the taxes on it. Its best to list the contents as "hobby supplies" which is exactly what it is for most of us. I've had others list it as craft supplies.

spud · Aug 9, 2013

I have received tobacco labeled candle making supplies. Here in Nicaragua it is prohibited to send tobacco out of country. The post mistress must inspect the empty box including the folded flaps both sides, then she must inspect the article being sent, then I must wrap the package in her sight useing special brown paper, then I must address it under her watchful eye. She then weighs it and charges me postage. Not prohibited to receive tobacco here though. I learned this the hard way the first time I tryed to send a hammock out of country. She ripped the paper off the package, opened the box, inspected the mocca, and the inside of the box. Then I had to go get the right kind of brown paper, bring it back to the P.O. where she could inspect the whole thing again. Then I got to wrap it while she watched.

Now when sending cigars to the states I wrap them and take them to Costa Rica to mail them. No problem.

taerin · Aug 9, 2013

@ spud, I just got a whole new level of appreciation for my post office.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ousaiByU1ko

ssjones · Aug 10, 2013

On Post Office in PA did make me wrap the small pipe box in brown paper before they would send it. I'd sent pipes before and after to Canada without such nonsense, I'm not sure where or why that came up.

tbradsim1 · Aug 10, 2013

When I sent spud a few pipes and tobbaco I filled out the customs form, put down smoking pipe supplies on declaration , figured it was partly right, crossed my fingers that he would get it. Spud was lucky he got it .

taerin · Aug 10, 2013

LOL, Bradley that is just plain lucky. My father has the same name you do

shaintiques · Aug 10, 2013

So this is kind of funny. I know you all impatiently wait for pipes to arrive, check the mail box repeatedly like me. If there is tracking you check it over and over to see if it is right around the corner yet. Well it figures that the week I buy a pipe, from Canada, the Canada post site is down for maintenance, so I can't track my package. I know it is stateside, maybe it will come today. Just funny that of all days the site is down today.

onepyrotec · Aug 10, 2013

Had a similar issue a while back when sending cigars to Canada. The clerk said it was illegal to mail cigars...I informed her she was incorrect...along comes the post master and I tell her to SHOW me the regulations where it is illegal. She says cigarettes are OK but not Cigars because they may be CUBAN..I had to insist she is incorrect because #1 people sneak CUBAN cigars INTO the country, not OUT. #2 in the regulations for the USPS cigarettes are what is illegal to mail, and cigars and pipe tobaccos are OK to mail. After several minutes of the clerk & post master reading all the regulations for banned from mailing items, they realized they were wrong and accepted my package.
And YES a lot of countries have to pay VAT (value added taxes) on items. My friends in Canada say they don't get bothered by the USPS but UPS packages will have very high VAT.

delkhouri · Aug 11, 2013

I am really frustrated with the Post Office today so I will comment.
I had a package that was to be delivered today. I bought something off Ebay and had to pay $10 to have it shipped, but at least it was 2 day shipping. Well the package got to my city and was given to my delivery person and was labeled online "out for delivery". Well my postal delivery guy dropped off the mail but no package. It was labeled online "We attempted to deliver your item on August 10 and a notice was left.. I was in my living room all afternoon and saw him walk by and deliver the mail. He did not knock, he left no notice, and he left no package. Now I have to wait until at least Monday to get it. So pissed.

foggymountain · Aug 11, 2013

And both Fedex & Ups are getting worse, so there is no viable alternative.

Post Office Run Around

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