I have seen many threads about trading and not trading using USPS so figured I would share my most recent transaction. New trader sent me a box by priority mail, was anticipated to arrive on 2/22 (two days after drop off). 2/22 comes and goes and of course USPS tracking continues to say it will arrive on 2/22 while also showing it was picked up from his area but never shows arrival in my area. This goes on for a week and a half, until today when they suddenly update in rapid fire that it is in my town, then sorted, then out for delivery. Box arrives in plastic bag...because it is leaking. Couple cans look like this: All the others (10 cans) are dented, but intact. So the bad, they somehow knocked the crap out of the box and lost it for over a week....the good, they delivered a box that was clearly leaking beer. Take from it what you will, but I don't think we really need to worry about being prosecuted for shipping beer through USPS... Also, this is the first time I have had any real issue with USPS and I have sent and received numerous boxes through them...
How do you even do this to a package. Must have been ran over on accident. Good you got the beer, hope it wasn't shook up too much.
How was it packed? Several people that I've seen touting USPS aren't, -for my tastes-, packing securely enough in order to get uber cheap shipping. Perhaps that works for easily replaced brews but it's (imo) a bad idea when shipping rare or hard to replace bottles.
I didn't actually unpack the box as my wife got to it first, but she said it was well packed. I have had very poorly packed boxes arrive that didn't look like this one. It's hard to crush a can like that inside a box. The box was a week and a half late so the shipper has already shipped replacements (great guy and one of his first trades so I feel bad for him). Since most of the box was salvageable it looks like I owe him another box now!
International with USPS is cheaper and seem to be very fast if you prelabel & take care of customs at Stamps.com.
I agree I would never ship rare bottles usps, but I frequently ship heady topper and HF growlers this way, particularly when shipping coast to coast. You can't beat two,day shipping wen sending growlers IMO. The problem is the boxes are so small packing securely can be a challenge. Even wrapping a couple of layers of bubble wrap around a growler can make for a tight squeeze. A well padded bottle will still burst if it's pressing right up against the sides of a box, the pressure caused by any squeezing has to go somewhere.
Exactly, Vicster. New traders should realize shipping isn't a one size fits all scenario. I once rec'd a Prop 13 loose in a rather flimsy box, rolling around, with no padding & no wrapping. Chutzpah or simple stupidity? Still, it was intact & unharmed. I had someone else ship me a bomber in nothing but a padded envelope. Again, intact & unharmed, but I was amazed that anyone would take that chance. Ftr, neither trade was made on BA. Packing on trades I've made through BA had been generally very good tio excellent to bomb proof. There was a small mishap where I sliced through bubble wrap too aggressively & sprung a leak on a Gose but that was as simple as drinking it right away.
This is only one instance though, and I wouldn't be so quick to make that claim. Everyone reports widely varrying reports of what happens with shipping incidents with FedEx and UPS too. Sometimes the shipper will repackage everything, apoligize, and send it on its way with a smile. And sometimes they'll "destroy all contents" and send the shipped a threatening letter. My point is, you definitely got lucky with this one, but this one instance doesn't mean everyone is in the clear to use USPS.
This is indeed one instance, but I have read of plenty of others on this thread as well and have never read of anyone ever getting in trouble...
I've never heard of anyone being prosecuted regardless of which carrier was used. Police officers & lawyers openly trade without fearing professional blowback. Conversely, beer has been confiscated, & disposed of. Depending on which beers were lost, that could result in anything from minor annoyance to serous heartbreak. Anyone trading should understand the very real risks associated with it.
