shipping cigars
Hi folks. I'm a fairly new cigar smoker and this is my first post here. I live in Utah which I believe is the only state that online sellers can not ship to.
I've looked up shipping regulations for UPS, FEDEX and USPS. These are the short versions of what I've found so far:
UPS - shipper must be licensed and authorized
FEDEX - prohibits the shipping of tobacco and tobacco products
USPS - small quantity "gift" shipments are allowed between private parties. (no definition of "small")
I've been having my cigars shipped to a friend in another state and he them ships them to me. He uses FEDEX through his business but I feel I have been lucky so far in that none have been confiscated (yet).
None of my orders could in any way be considered small so this probably leaves out USPS as well.
The online seller that I usually buy from offers the option of Priority Mail which further confuses the process.
Can anyone shed some light on this? Do any of you ever ship full boxes?
Any suggestions for someone in my situation?
"It's easier to fool the people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain
Comments
That sucks about Utah.
How big of a box are you trying to ship?
We ship cigars among ourselves here on the forum. Usually USPS small, medium and large flat rate boxes. I get cigars shipped to my home direct from retailers by both UPS and USPS. I didn't even know about FedEx. It's probably not "illegal" with Fedex, but just their policy.
It's OK to ship cigars by USPS but some postal employees don't know the rules well enough and will balk at the idea, but as long as you don't mention cigars, you'll be fine.
There's a thread called "How To Ship Cigars" that covers a lot of info.
https://forum.cigar.com/discussion/743470/how-to-ship-cigars
First off…does your occupation involve a set of initials? 🧐
Usually shipping 2 to 4 boxes and some singles. Much of that info may be outdated but even still USPS is probably the best option which concerns me on a different level.
I had a small amount of herb (of a different flavor) sent to me which USPS flagged and actually returned to the sender with a "not allowed" note. There was absolutely no smell and we've both wondered how they knew.
My occupation is do what I want when I want (retired).
"It's easier to fool the people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain
All I can figure is that the USPS in Utah must be a different breed. As Mr. Luken said before, we ship amongst ourselves on a regular basis and many times they are not “small” packages. We all also order cigars from several different companies that all use the USPS, FedEx, UPS, or a combination of two of them. I’ve never had an issue. I simply answer no to the liquid, fragile, or perishable question and that’s it.
Yes, Utah is a bit different but overall there is probably more personal freedom here than most states.
Of course members of the Church of the Uptight A-holes still control a few things like tobacco and liquor. There is only one liquor store in the entire valley which is a state controlled store. Fortunately it is large and well stocked with some good stuff. No Pappy but I can't afford that **** anyway.
"It's easier to fool the people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain
Shipping 2 to 4 boxes and some singles shouldn't be a problem with USPS. Pack them well, wrapped tight and don't tell them what they are. If your friend goes up to the counter, the clerk will ask the usual questions,.... anything perishable?, flammable, etc., blah blah. The correct answer is no. And it's truthful too. You're not hiding anything. But if you say cigars, some clerks will not understand their own rules. And if the box will fit into the chute, your friend can skip the counter and use the self-service kiosk.
Also,..... The dogs knew.
I talked with a post master about this once.
He said that USPS allows tobacco shipments, but over a certain amount it has to be declared for taxes
But also added that if the ask what you are shipping, tell them "personal items" or "collectibles".
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy cigars and that's close enough.
The thing is…they shouldn’t be asking what you are shipping. Only the questions that involve products that can cause safety issues such as flammable or perishable items. Beyond that it is not their job nor their business to know. That’s why the standardized question is “liquid, fragile, or perishable”. Some people in some positions feel they have a position of some sort of authority when they don’t. And some people are just plain nosey. The answer is always “no” and any unnecessary questions get “the eye” lol.
Gracias amigos. I have now formulated a plan of attack!
"It's easier to fool the people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain
At least he was a polite troll.
.
huh?....who?
"It's easier to fool the people than to convince them they've been fooled" - Mark Twain
Guilty until proven innocent. Everyone's a troll until they pass the hazing; if the forum chews them up and spits them out and they still stick around and contribute in a meaningful way, then we remove the troll label and re-assign them a new label.
I'd like to help out the OP. I'll pm him my address and he can practice sending me cigars.
Trapped in the People's Communits Republic of Massachusetts.
That Shawn. Always helping out.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Never use FedEx. If they find out, through x-ray or other means, they will literally destroy the smokes. Since all FedEx goes on a plane, lots of stuff gets x-rayed. @RobbyCruz had a buddy lose a bunch of stuff.
Small Batch Cigars literally DGAF and will ship them to Utah. Some others might also, not sure.
The definition of a small amount of cigars for the USPS is anything that will fit in a box that USPS will ship, i.e. no business-to-business huge shipments. No parcel post sized items. No freight.
Move out of Utah. Other than the golf, that place sux.