Anyone have this happen?

[LilWhiteClouder]

Ok, so I am at work and I get a frantic call from my SO. She is distraught saying some undercover cops came to the house and wanted to question me about some purchases I made online. She tells them I am at work and they will find me there. I thanked her for the heads up and hung up the phone, dumbfounded. First off, I dont do drugs or illegal activities and second off, if I did, I surely wouldn't go online to do so. So, not wanting to create a scene at my office, I go down to the entrance of our building not knowing what to expect. 10 mins later two official looking SUVs and a truck with some big dudes come rolling into the parking lot. One pulls into a space beside me one rolls up to me and asks my name and the other just sits there. I felt surrounded but was not worried as I knew there had to be a mistake. They all exit their vehicles and come up to me. The first gentleman tells me he is the USPS mail inspector and offers his hand. I shake it and shakily ask what was going on. He has two of my vapemail packages in his hands, one is already opened. He tells me the company I ordered from out of Texas is being investigated by the police they were here to find out if my packages contained illegal substances. The opened package was my authentic 26650 Fat Snow Wolf I got for a great deal. He pulled it out and opened it up and asked me how it worked. I went through the positive and negative contacts, how the battery goes in, how the atty attaches and what happens when you press the switch. I assured them I only use liquid nicotine in my atties and tanks and that I do not use marijuana in them. He was satisfied with my knowledge of the device and asked me if he could open the second package. I said please do. As he opened it, I told him it should be the Chi You Mech clone I ordered. Indeed it was and, again he opened it and inspected it to make sure it didn't have anything illegal in it. They told me about the investigation into the company I had ordered from and said they were satisfied knowing I had not ordered anything illegal. The guys were really cool after that and I told them how good vaping has been for me to get off cigs. I also said I would never be ordering from that company again. I knew there was nothing wrong but god I was freaked out for a moment there. Anyone had a similar experience? Also, not sure if it is right for me to out the company I ordered from but if you guys want to know I can share...

 

[realsis]

OH MY GOODNESS! I would have had a heart attact!! DEFINITELY NOT A COMMON PROBLEM!! wow! I'm so glad it worked out alright! Talk about SCAREY!!!

 

[crxess]

No, and I see no reason they needed to do such. USPS has full authority to inspect any package contents they wish for contraband. No need to address the end recipient.

Charges can be laid in both directions if contraband is found.

 

[edyle]

I've had maybe 10 or so orders from fasttech over the last year to 2 years and the last one got held up by customs and i had to travel to the airport to collect it. Spent maybe 10min explaining to a customs officer what the items were.

Ever since then I haven't ordered anything cause it might be too much trouble really.

 

[Jugband]

Wow! That's unreal, I never herd of such a thing. I would avoid that company like the plague.

 

[kkiet]

Wow, That is unreal. Hope you are over your ordeal, and to come to your place of work besides.

 

[LilWhiteClouder]

Wow, That is unreal. Hope you are over your ordeal, and to come to your place of work besides.

I was so scared about them coming to work. I immediately went down to meet them. Vaping is a no no here.

 

[LilWhiteClouder]

I've had maybe 10 or so orders from fasttech over the last year to 2 years and the last one got held up by customs and i had to travel to the airport to collect it. Spent maybe 10min explaining to a customs officer what the items were.

Ever since then I haven't ordered anything cause it might be too much trouble really.

Ive ordered thrice from Fasttech and never had any issues. Just having to wait a month has turned me off from them.

 

[kkiet]

I was so scared about them coming to work. I immediately went down to meet them. Vaping is a no no here.

Then you were lucky you had a heads up.

 

[LilWhiteClouder]

Wow, That is unreal. Hope you are over your ordeal, and to come to your place of work besides.

I was going out of my mind when I heard they were on the way. All over a couple of mechs.

 

[kkiet]

I was going out of my mind when I heard they were on the way. All over a couple of mechs.

Boy, I still can't believe they would go to that extent.

 

[RandyF]

Seems like they went through a lot of trouble to simply confront you with the 2nd, unopened, box after opening the 1st while you were not present and not finding anything. Tax dollars at work.

 

[Elizabeth Baldwin]

Wow. That's crazy. Good thing they believed you. Some people stare as though a mod has to have something illegal in it. Luckily they didn't go down the road thinking you'd be putting something else in it. Scary.

Honestly though, that online company could be innocent. Some people have limited knowledge about vape gear. The wrong person could have seen a mod and thought the wrong thing which caused the investigation into that company. You never know.

Happy everything worked out for you though.

 

[LilWhiteClouder]

Wow. That's crazy. Good thing they believed you. Some people stare as though a mod has to have something illegal in it. Luckily they didn't go down the road thinking you'd be putting something else in it. Scary.

Honestly though, that online company could be innocent. Some people have limited knowledge about vape gear. The wrong person could have seen a mod and thought the wrong thing which caused the investigation into that company. You never know.

Happy everything worked out for you though.

Thanks! Your reasoning is why I don't want to post the company name. I have no idea what they've done, or have not done, but I surely wouldn't want another vape enthusiast to experience this. It was scary. I will say this though, I saw a product on their site that was called 420 odor eliminator. Should have been a clue to me to steer clear of the site, I think. It was such a good deal on the FSW mech though, I had been looking around for a few months, that I jumped on it. Then, after I created an acct. with them I received a $10 site credit and was able to get the Chi You clone for the shipping price. I am such a sucker for vaping cheap.

 

[Paradicio]

Honestly, I don't know what forum rules about this stuff are, but I would think calling out the company name is a no brainer. It arms people with knowledge around this kind of situation. If you'd rather not be accosted by postal inspectors, don't order from xxyy.com. I, for one, would rather know now than be surprised when they come knocking on my door later.

 

[ckquatt]

No, and I see no reason they needed to do such. USPS has full authority to inspect any package contents they wish for contraband. No need to address the end recipient.

Charges can be laid in both directions if contraband is found.

Actually no. The recipient must claim the package prior to charges being filed for illegal contraband possession.

Basically it takes the "it's not my package, someone must have put the wrong address on it" out of the equation.


Sent from my Commodore 64 using Tapatalk

 

[bluecat]

No, and I see no reason they needed to do such. USPS has full authority to inspect any package contents they wish for contraband. No need to address the end recipient.

Charges can be laid in both directions if contraband is found.

They did open one. Maybe they thought to get the other instead of just the mail they would get the possible perp too.? Not bad.

I wonder when they are going to start knocking on office building doors that order toner in the mail.

When I was in college (at 19), I had a Sheriff stop by my mom's house with a subpoena. I spent the next 4 hours on the phone with her trying to explain I had no clue why they were there. She just asked me who is pregnant. I said, mom.. they don't issue subpoena for that. Of course this is before the internet so I could just say google subpoena and summons. Apparently some chick shot her husband and I knew about it or something.

 

[Train2]

There's probably some reason for it - and your cooperation was the right move.

You met some "Postal Inspectors".
Title sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it's not.
Some Postal inspectors go through training comparable to FBI, and carry firearms.
They caught the UnaBomber, and identified someone for those Anthrax packages (suicide before charged). They pursue suspected terrorists.

There ARE some pretty specific rules about mailing batteries...
Maybe they mailed something that exploded?

 

[HauntedMyst]

Wow, that must have been scary! You said SO, so are you in the military? Maybe that was a factor? I've never had anything like that happen to me. Worst thing that ever happened to me was on a transatlantic flight. I was sitting next to Keith Richards and asked him if he had anything for a headache. He did. About an two hours later, I woke up, took off my pants and ran around the first class cabin yelling "Wendy! Peter's taking us flying to Neverland tonight!" until the air marshals tackled me and shot me full of Diprivan and I don't remember anything else until I woke up in Paris.

 

[Panorama911]

Being that I am usually a cool cat under that sort of pressure, that the first thing that would have exited my mouth, after the formalities, would have been..."You come all the way here to ask me if you can open a parcel after you already opened one of them?"..."OK where are the cameras, am I on Candid Camera?"....Their response is obvious in this case, No. Then I would have said "Why not just open the second package and if you found any contraband, just come and arrest me, why did you have to call my wife and scare the ...you know what....out of her!"...Needless to say, I most likely would have taken a spanking in an ordeal such as that even if I was just being a smart...sss.

My compliments to your handling the situation gracefully!