USPS refused to ship my eliquid

[adeline]

I probably wouldn't say, "Hey, maybe you forgot, but you work for me. My tax dollars pay your salary." But I'd be thinking it.

I would try again at another post office and just say it's fragile.

You should have expected this. No good deed goes unpunished, after all.

Great advice, but tax dollars haven't funded the USPS normal operations since the 1980s.

Food for thought.

 

[zoiDman]

I just put things in a Priority Mail Flat Rate Box and drop in the Out Going Mail Bin.

Saves standing in line and all those Pesky Questions.

 

[EddardinWinter]

Great advice, but tax dollars haven't funded the USPS normal operations since the 1980s.

Food for thought.

Until recently, that was true. The last two or three years they are operating at a loss, so it is partially true they are working on our tax dollar.

 

[subversive]

You should never have told her. I have shipped e-liquid before. I tell them nothing. If I ask for it to be marked fragile, I'll say something like "electronic device." Don't say you have batteries, though. Sorry that happened to you.

edit: flavoring for baking sounds like a good idea as well. If you don't need it marked fragile, you definitely don't have to say anything at all. Bagging it and wrapping it up would take care of that.

 

[kelli]

sounds to me you got the ms. snooty pants of the P.O. there is one in every town, i swear. good thing you didn't make a big deal out of it, or it could have gone on your permanent record ♥

 

[grandmato5]

It is true that an individual can't ship via the USPS any tobacco product without signature required upon receipt shipping (sorry- forgot exactly what that classification is called by the USPS ). And then there is a limit of how many per month an individual can ship- I "think" its 10 but not sure without looking it up. Vendors cant ship to individuals tobacco products at all via the USPS. BUT technically our ecig juice is NOT yet classified as a Tobacco product so it CAN legally be shipped via the USPS by both individuals and our vendors. The change won't happen until there is a deeming order put into place by the FDA making our nic juice a tobacco product and subject to the USPS shipping rules.

The problem exist when postal workers assume our nic juice IS already considered a tobacco product under their regulations and don't know there are different rules for individuals AND vendors even if it was and honestly arguing with some postal employees would get you no where quickly

When asked, I DO say I am shipping a liquid and NO it is NOT a hazzard and IS well packaged. Its rare, but when I have been asked what kind of liquid, I always say flavoring.

 

[adeline]

Until recently, that was true. The last two or three years they are operating at a loss, so it is partially true they are working on our tax dollar.

Operating "at a loss" because they were forced by Congress to pre-pay into a retirement system for 75 future years of retirees. No other company or agency has to do that.

The USPS was gutted to make it look like it can't sustain itself. But it can.

 

[tA71ana]

Operating "at a loss" because they were forced by Congress to pre-pay into a retirement system for 75 future years of retirees. No other company or agency has to do that.

The USPS was gutted to make it look like it can't sustain itself. But it can.

That is true.
Just my opinion, I think they gutted USPS like that to use it as an excuse to privatize it

 

[trishdadish]

You were shocked how? Despite the fact that we convince ourselves that what were doing is hunky dory, its not. Were still required to fly under the radar by NOTdrawing too much attention to ourselves or our vendors.That is until we somehow pony up the money to legislate that it is....

Next time just look them in the eye and say....not flammable, fragile, and how fast can it get there. My vendor uses the "baking supplies" line too.

 

[trepalium]

This is exactly why I just print the USPS labels online and then drop it off. 0 Questions

 

[Absintheur]

Great advice, but tax dollars haven't funded the USPS normal operations since the 1980s.

Food for thought.

How do you figure that? They are running at a loss and have been for several years. They are paid by the federal government. The federal government's source of income is our tax dollars. So yes, our tax dollars do fund the USPS.

I actually see this as a bit of a positive. I hope the USPS can survive but being forced to pre fund their benefits now means it is one less thing my daughter and her children will have to pay for in the future. The only way to keep our children and the children from being saddled with enormous debt is for us to suck it up today and do what has to be done.

Mail 5 days a week is fine with me as are increases in fees. I want my grandchildren to be free of this huge burden of debt.

 

[adeline]

How do you figure that? They are running at a loss and have been for several years. They are paid by the federal government. The federal government's source of income is our tax dollars. So yes, our tax dollars do fund the USPS.

I actually see this as a bit of a positive. I hope the USPS can survive but being forced to pre fund their benefits now means it is one less thing my daughter and her children will have to pay for in the future. The only way to keep our children and the children from being saddled with enormous debt is for us to suck it up today and do what has to be done.

Mail 5 days a week is fine with me as are increases in fees. I want my grandchildren to be free of this huge burden of debt.

How do I figure? The USPS revenue is stamps and packages and services (PO boxes and whatnot). Not the federal government. The federal government does give money to USPS -- reimbursement for disabled services and mail delivery to our military/soldiers. I see that as money for our troops/extended SS for our disabled/blind Americans. I'm sure others don't see it that way.

Because of the pre-funding mandate, the USPS is forced to borrow money from the treasury, to pay its 'debts' ... to the treasury. Those 'debts' are the payments that Congress is forcing it to make on behalf of people not even BORN yet.

It's really quite silly.

The USPS "bailout" would consist of loosening up the 75 year pre-payment requirement. It's not a bailout in the same sense that we bailed out those banks. Other relief comes in the form of Congress not micro-managing the USPS, by letting the org makes its own restructuring and delivery decisions. Like we now have the impending 5 day per week delivery (works for me! some vapemail should still make it through on Saturday! Yeah!).

Last time I checked, the money that USPS 'owes' is nothing compared to our national debt. Having the USPS pre-pay retirement money isn't going to make it any easier on our children/grandchildren. The USPS is not our problem. We have plenty of those.

 

[dsy5]

Despite what anyone here says, e-liquid is indeed flammable...

 

[Absintheur]

We do have many problems and saying this issue or that issue is just one tiny problem is why we are in this spot because all those tiny problems combine to make our national debt. We justify letting all of these tiny problems slip by using the rational above.

"It's just one tiny part, changing it won't make a difference".

It will make a difference if all those tiny things are changed. Got to start somewhere.

Indiana was in bad shape when Mitch Daniels became Governor and today we are back in the black because he forced us to take care of all the tiny problems. Ticked off a lot of lazy folks but what he did worked. There were cutbacks and lost jobs but the huge debt is gone and Indiana functions on a balanced budget. And because we don't owe a huge debt the State has a lot more options open to it as far as growth is concerned.

 

[klynnn]

Lately the gov't hasn't done anything that wasn't silly.

 

[Absintheur]

Despite what anyone here says, e-liquid is indeed flammable...

Of course it is...but with an auto ignition temp of 700 F I don't think it is a risk.

 

[jfalbanese]

just got a shipment today. think it comes down to how much the postal worker is paying attention

 

[MDV39]

Glad it worked out. I usually just say its food flavoring lol

 

[ingerri]

My local post office thinks I am in a flavoring club. I tell them it is flavorings for baking. It is double bagged always.

that's what I tell them too LOL

also had to find out the other day, why my package wasn't left at house, mailman left note I could pick it up next day, too lazy to get out of truck. I was asked what it was, I said personal items, she asked, medication? I said sure LOL

 

[adeline]

We do have many problems and saying this issue or that issue is just one tiny problem is why we are in this spot because all those tiny problems combine to make our national debt. We justify letting all of these tiny problems slip by using the rational above.

"It's just one tiny part, changing it won't make a difference".

It will make a difference if all those tiny things are changed. Got to start somewhere.

Indiana was in bad shape when Mitch Daniels became Governor and today we are back in the black because he forced us to take care of all the tiny problems. Ticked off a lot of lazy folks but what he did worked. There were cutbacks and lost jobs but the huge debt is gone and Indiana functions on a balanced budget. And because we don't owe a huge debt the State has a lot more options open to it as far as growth is concerned.

Of course baby steps are a viable option. I wasn't trying to discredit that...

You said it'd be one less thing our children would have to worry about. That would be true, if every single company in the country were forced to do what Congress has imposed on USPS.

At this point, it's hardly a drop in the bucket. There is no interest in putting these rules on anyone else. That's why it won't solve anything. It was a carefully crafted move by some scumbag politicians (redundant) to manipulate the financial standing of the USPS, to (what I can only assume) make sure it gets privatized.

Not trying to have a full-on argument here, but the money woes the USPS is facing was never its own fault. This one rests squarely with Congress. And the USPS didn't cause our financial problems either, why is it the only entity being forced to pick up a larger tab than is required? It makes absolutely no sense.

Get everyone on the same page, following the same rules, and I'll agree with you 100%.