Question About FedEX Shipping

Maybe they scanned it. Are you sure it wasn't leaking? Sometimes they discard the broken bottle, repack and ship back to you. Expect a "rite of passage" legal letter from FedEx saying you shouldn't ship alcohol without going through the proper means.

 

I had this happen. I just shipped through UPS when I got the box. Waited 3 months and used Fed ex again.

 

That's a bit strange. I'd have to say a bottle broke, or maybe they heard the sound of the liquid and got curious. The one time it happened to me, they repacked the box and sent it out anyway.

 

Only 2 things really lead to this result 1) A bottle broke and leaked, 2) Hero delivery driver. At least you are getting the box back some people have not even been that lucky ...

 

Had this happen to me recently. A buddy of mine shipped a box from Chicago and it made it all the way here to Baltimore. It was on the truck for delivery when the exception came up. The box ended up back in Chicago with all beers intact but for some reason had been repacked. My guess is hero delivery driver. Hope you get everything back.

 

You should be fine, the box will come back to you and you see if anything broke (or more likely what they took out). Repack, and re-ship and you will be fine. If you are very lucky, you will get a rubber stamped letter from FedEx telling you that it is illegal to ship beer. They don't care too much and get to charge you twice for that shipment. Win in their book.

 

One thing to watch out for is any alcoholic insignia on the box to be shipped. I had a WSJ Wine 15btl shipper that my local fedex guy kindly pushed back to me across the counter. He informed me that someone along the shipping chain would spot the sign on the box and open it. His recommendation was to cover it up and schedule the box for pickup at my residence. The guy was an angel sent from BA heaven. That would have been one expensive box to lose!

 

I was once denied by a Fedex clerk after she had taken one look at the box (most likely its dimensions) and said, "we don't ship alcohol." Sometimes they don't need to open the box.

 

Box in a box... In a box! Hide the dimensions. This next box I'm shipping out has 3 layers. I also put a couple hands full of planters peanuts in with my packing peanuts. When they shake for the slushing sound, all they hear are those damn peanuts pinging up against cardboard!

 

Skip the noise makers. They're more likely to draw attention than any faint sloshing. No one at FedEx or UPS is holding your boxes up to their ears and shaking. The box inside a box is a great practice for the safety of your beer, but putting pennies, dried macaroni, peanuts, etc. in the box is going to draw attention. A lot of times, if employees suspect something in the box is broken, they are more inclined to open it and check it out.

It's so loud when packages are being sorted (radio, ambient noise, conversation, etc) that no one will ever just happen to hear a little liquid in a box. If you're looking to get past the clerk when you drop your box off, you need only print your label at home. Attach it to the box, go to your local FedEx, hand it off, walk out.

 

@12tb

 

NJ BAs will also tell you that they're part of the country seems to have this happen a lot (don't know if NJ just scans more or what). The only box I've ever had sent back was from NJ. Someone else in The Locals BIF sent a FedEx box to the same guy in NJ, and it was sent back too... Those boxes went UPS instead and got delivered just fine.

 

This was the most relevant thread I could find. Need some advise.

Just got a call from my local office telling me the three boxes I dropped of yesterday need to be picked up because they contain alcohol. They said their driver discovered it and refused to take them so the boxes never left the building.

Two questions for other master criminals who have been caught in the act:
1) Will I still be charged for these shipments since they were scanned in even though they never left the building? The bolded text above leads me to believe that I will. Hoping that isn't the case since its about $120 in postage costs.

2) Should I expect my account to now be flagged or anything, or is it safe to reprint the postage and take to another location far away? (Im driving to Lake Tahoe today and could drop these up there which is 200 miles away...)

 

I just had to pick up 2 boxes from the main FedEx ground hub that I sent out. It was discovered that there was alcohol, not sure how it was discovered. The employees there didn't really seemed too concerned about it, they just told me what happened and that in the future I need to go through proper channels.

A few days later, I got a call from a FedEx representative saying how a personal account can't send alcohol regardless of what steps are taken and that "between him and I," don't do it again.

Nothing new to add I suppose, just my account of what happened.

 

The voicemail I got the guy seemed really upset. About to head down there, not looking forward to any possible finger wagging or excessive admonishment. Sheesh.

 

1) I'm 99.99% sure FedEx only collects their money if there is a proof of delivery. No delivery = no charge.

2) No, your account won't be "flagged" as there is no such system. The people at that location might well remember your name/face/address and check out any future boxes, though. You should be just fine reprinting your labels and dropping them elsewhere.