-
Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
-
We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Question 42B: How do you ship a sample of mead without violating postal laws?
- Thread starter WayneG
- Start date
After going through this with FEDEX and UPS a little while ago, it sounds like to "technically" do this legally, you need a liscense of some sort (alcohol distribution liscense I think). But its probably a state by state issue, so whats legal here may be illegal where you are at. In other words, shipping mead as simply a home brewer from my state (VA) to elsewhere is illegal.
People ship samples for competitions all the time. UPS or FedEx. Seal the bottle(s) individually in ziplock bags in case of breakage so they don't leak. Wrap them well in bubble wrap. No movement or rattling. Box it like a gorilla will be handling it. If you need to put anything on the shipping form say "samples for evaluation".
I sent it yesterday, we will see if my method works.
I used a 300 ml water bottle, filled it with minimal air for shake factor. I put electrical tape on the screw top. Put that in a zip baggie. I used a box 3 times the bottle size with airbag packing so the package would not feel overly dense for its size.
It only weighed one pound. I went online to UPS and printed up my own label, paid $10 with PayPal for ground service, then dropped it off at a UPS location, no questions asked.
I used a 300 ml water bottle, filled it with minimal air for shake factor. I put electrical tape on the screw top. Put that in a zip baggie. I used a box 3 times the bottle size with airbag packing so the package would not feel overly dense for its size.
It only weighed one pound. I went online to UPS and printed up my own label, paid $10 with PayPal for ground service, then dropped it off at a UPS location, no questions asked.
Did the same thing on Wednesday, but dropped it off at a Staples office supply store. They asked what was in the box and I said "exotic vinegars". Now I'm tracking it as it bounces around various UPS locations and (hopefully) eventually makes it to its location.
The simple answer to this is "You Don't" (unless you have a TTB/ATF License). However, here's why people successfully ship samples all the time without being sent to Guantanamo Bay: The Government Jack Boots don't have the resources to go after everyone, so they concentrate on people who have money. Some guy shipping a few samples out of his basement doesn't have money, so they ignore him. The guy shipping ten thousand bottles has money, so they kick his door in and shoot his dog.
The key is not to slap them in the face with a dead trout. Or a live one either. As long as you don't basically force them to take notice (such as by shipping a leaking container by USPS), they will pretend they never heard of you.
I once asked the TTB if it was legal for me to advertise beer on tap as part of a rental listing for my spare rooms. Answer, in e-mail from a TTB agent, "No. Although, the advertising itself isn't really the problem. It's that you're essentially selling alcohol without a license by making it part of the rental deal. However, in such a situation, if you had a communal grocery bill for the house (1 gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, 50 pounds of grain), there would be no way we could legally prove you made beer with that grain and not bread." So the guy charged with enforcing the law is telling me how to skirt around the law.
The key is not to slap them in the face with a dead trout. Or a live one either. As long as you don't basically force them to take notice (such as by shipping a leaking container by USPS), they will pretend they never heard of you.
I once asked the TTB if it was legal for me to advertise beer on tap as part of a rental listing for my spare rooms. Answer, in e-mail from a TTB agent, "No. Although, the advertising itself isn't really the problem. It's that you're essentially selling alcohol without a license by making it part of the rental deal. However, in such a situation, if you had a communal grocery bill for the house (1 gallon of milk, a dozen eggs, 50 pounds of grain), there would be no way we could legally prove you made beer with that grain and not bread." So the guy charged with enforcing the law is telling me how to skirt around the law.
A side note on the shipping problem, It arrived at its location without indecent
BUT
I got this email from UPS:
I paid about $10.50 through Pay Pay. The attachment claims I either owe another $13 or the difference between the two?
The attachment was not clear about why they want me to pay more?
I know the weight was good, the box size was good, but it was complaining that the address was not exactly right?
Maybe UPS reads this forum and figured they could extort more money out of me. Or maybe I needed to give a sample to the carrier?
Anyway no adjustments have showed up on my PayPal account, so far!
BUT
I got this email from UPS:
I paid about $10.50 through Pay Pay. The attachment claims I either owe another $13 or the difference between the two?
The attachment was not clear about why they want me to pay more?
I know the weight was good, the box size was good, but it was complaining that the address was not exactly right?
Maybe UPS reads this forum and figured they could extort more money out of me. Or maybe I needed to give a sample to the carrier?
Anyway no adjustments have showed up on my PayPal account, so far!
Also, some links to shipping supplies that might be of interest.
https://www.landsberg.com/packaging/en/landsberg/wine-packaging Including Foam and Pulp Wine Shippers (including 375ml bottles)
https://www.uline.com/BL_5450/Wine-Shippers Foam Wine Shippers (750ml only)
http://spiritedshipper.com/ Cardboard shippers for 750ml, 375ml, magnum, and others.
https://www.landsberg.com/packaging/en/landsberg/wine-packaging Including Foam and Pulp Wine Shippers (including 375ml bottles)
https://www.uline.com/BL_5450/Wine-Shippers Foam Wine Shippers (750ml only)
http://spiritedshipper.com/ Cardboard shippers for 750ml, 375ml, magnum, and others.
Yep, just got shafted by UPS, besides the original $10.50 they charged to my PayPal account, they hit up my Pay Pal account again (without even asking) for another $13.50
So $24 to send a one pound package via UPS Ground half way across the country?
So $24 to send a one pound package via UPS Ground half way across the country?
Did you ever get clarification on why the charged you more money? I know they charge more if it's to a residence, rather than a business. I just sent a 5+ lb box, from NH to TX, and it cost less than $20 (not counting the $10 Staples coupon I had).
