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ADVICE NEEDED! Shipping with Stealth Problem...
 

So I had an issue today with the local post office.
I usually print my shipping labels right off of paypal, so a stealth address is on it. I go to drop off my packages like usual, and the guy says hold on a sec, and goes and gets a guy from the back... He pulls me to the side and is questioning me, saying I know this is not your address, and shipping from someone elses address is illegal.. Asking me for my ID, I tell him a little about my stealth account and what it is.. Hoping that will clear my @ss.. And hes like, well someone returned a package, to this name and address. He takes me to a back room. And had my returned package, cut open. Still questioning me about why would I buy a stealth account? I say because of limits..
The guy gave me my returned item. Then asks me to write down my name && adress. Then says ill let investigations know I spoke with you.

The guy kind of has me spooked, like im going to get in trouble for shipping under this stealth address... So now what should I do?
Just go to USPS, and ship everything under my name and address?

P>S When someone asks for a return, I message them my reall address for them to return too.

P.S>>
My post office does not have any drop boxes, you HAVE to take your packages to the counter!!
The people are really noisy and I swear they remember the names and address's on them!!

I don't know if you have tried the following but it's what I do:

I use my Ebay ID for "Name"
And I use my Real Address for the actual Return Address.

Some may say it's not good idea but I have done it this way since 2010...since I started to stealth.

Thanks^^
Do you just change it on paypal when you are printing out the label?

Well, my thing is that I don't actually ship a lot of packages so I actually just print the label (not the USPS label) myself, then take the package to the Post Office to have them put the postage and tracking on the packages.

I suppose this method might not work but I believe you can do this with the Stamps.com
I had spoken to someone who had a separate Stamps.com Account for each stealth with their Real Home address for each.

try changing post office?

or do pay for your parcel as the post office that way you can put your real address on the packages?

Agree - your post office sounds nosy and is itching to put something on you. Can you go to different office?

They are mainly concerned with you committing postage fraud.

Let's say that I live in Chicago, IL.. now the address and postage is calculated from the Stealth Account out of state somewhere. That's where the problem exists.

I would advise you to pickup a stamps.com account and start shipping from your home address, which you do not need to include on the postage label when using their software. This is the main benefit that I have seen when using stamps.com .. well worth the $15.99/month in my eyes plus a free postage scale!

I did not know that, very good advice. I thought the scale was extra cost?

We only have one post office here.. I really dont want to go there any more!!
Id be tempted to drive to the big city, which is 25 mins away!
But Im going to try stamps.com and just use my own address on it.

Also, you can look for USPS partners/forwarders/drop off stations. I have a bunch in my city. Gas stations, convenience stores, etc. They will have a little USPS logo outside their stores and are usually also listed on Google Maps. They are completely clueless and not USPS employees. So, you can do whatever you want.

My question is: How is this illegal?

Am I literally not suppose to know anyone else in the world?

Am I not supposed to have family members and friends or neighbors who get packages on my behalf?

If thats the case, Almost everyone and every business with a PO box is committing fraud....

And what if they live with someone that does not have their name on the apartment or house bell? Then what?

You are not transporting drugs or bootlegs are you?

There are hundreds of packages every hour that are delivered to wrong addresses....

I think he just wanted information...

Post office is facing some serious cut backs lately and he might try to muscle in on ebay accounts. :confused:

1st thing OP is get informed from what I read it is not illegal to ship from a different address but it is not allowed by the post office, who are private employees by the way not police, not govt just regular private employees.

The post office if they look on a box that is using fee service they can adjust the fee weigh it and still ship it if you pay the difference at the counter but most post employees are too lazy to do this so the just refuse the package.

Be careful how you print labels on ebay or paypal because that to me could easily be a link. But think of this there are zillions of drop shippers and they ship everywhere from their location and have millions of times there address is in pp.
I know that is not the same but link by address i think is hard unless the account has really fishy behavior

I agree!!
It was a guy that works in a office in the post office.
He told me you know this is illegal!
And he opened my item and seen it was nothing illegal!!
Which, are they allowed to just open anyones packages, whenever they feel the need?
I think he was also trying to get info...
I think when one of my packages got returned, it went to this address, where someone actually lives now, and the people at that address complained, maybe?

And no the package didnt have anything bootleg, it was an off brand item..

Next time laugh at him. Tell him I'm not going anywhere with you. The man in the office had no right to detain or question you. He was just a bored postal manager on a power trip.

The postal inspectors office is a legitimate police force who would have the authority to detain you. They would first mirandize you and then interrogate you. I assure you it would not be at a post office. It sounds like this postal manager may have acted improperly and I might explore looking into that.

I'm not sure if shipping from an address other then your own is a crime. It sounds like it is one of those kind of crimes that are only enforced in conjunction with a greater crime, if in the first place it actually is a crime. As is at maximum it would be a fine. You did nothing seriously reprehensible.

Don't just immediately cave to the demands of anyone who gives you a stern look and tells you that you have done something wrong. Next time tell him you don't owe him an explanation as you are conducting yourself in a proper fashion. If he has any further questions to refer them to your lawyer. Also do not provide anyone other then police with your ID and address. He did not have a right to it.

Had you done something serious, the police would have been there the moment you stepped out of the office. The police would have been called as soon as the postal clerk noticed you.

On a side note they are allowed to open a package to try to find the rightful owner of it if something is wrong with the return address. Not so the postal manager can play detective to quell his boredom.

I'm certain you have nothing to worry about and might look into filing a complaint about this postal manager. Then we will see if they ever bother you again.

I definitely wasn't giving him any type of ID.
I def am going to be looking into filing a complaint!
Here where I live, they make sure everything is a crime, and overrate it bigtime!
He definitely took his position way over hand, I tried to be nice to the man, in my past, I would told him off.. But it seemed the guy at the counter was just waiting to see my stealth name and address on them packages.

Was the package already opened by the time you got there?

I believe they have no right opening up a package with their name neither the sender or recipient without a legal court order, which obviously they would have no business getting just because you send under different names.

I am not sure if I am right about them opening up the package, but in the future I would say you are an eBay selling assistant, and you sell for people and do not use your own name as the return address, instead their name, business name, or assistants name. There is nothing illegal about that.

Then did he ask you if he could open the package or did he just open it in front of your face? Next time I would just tell him to get a warrant, take the package, and move on from that post office. Once the package is in your hands open it in front of his face to get rid of their suspicion that it is not some sort of bootlegs. Then leave and never go back, I hate when people pull that crap. Also complain if he did anything questionable.

Never give anyone your name and address unless it is a police officer.

In short, use stamps.com to print labels with no return address on the top if you have to go back.

Could someone correct me if I am wrong? Can they open up the package without a warrant?

Just looked it up.

They can open mail if they believe it to be suspicious and something illegal. If it was sitting there for days, they would have opened it days ago or brought it down to the police station if they believed it to be suspicious.

If he opened it in your face and you did not consent to it, what he did is illegal. He has no case of saying it looked suspicious or he would have opened it days ago. I would complain, and if sending under a different name is not illegal in any way (look that up), then threaten them with a lawsuit.

Maybe I am going to far.

The instant another party came into the picture, you should have asked wtfudge he was AND not spoken a word.

If this other man has not identified himself to you correctly, you had no need to say one word.

Not a single word.

Seriously just go open a Post Office Box or a UPS Mail Box or whatever. Make up a Business name and add it on the registration info. If you name is John Doe and you sell clothing it can be as simple as J.D. Apparel. Or if you sell electronics you can put J.D Enterprises. Whatever the heck you want. In prefer to use my initials for the Biz Addy but in most states you can add the info without any verification.

So then all you do is black out the stealth address and tape that over it. If they ask you why it is blacked out. Say you are sending it for a friend. Or drop shipping it etc. Really a simple solution to the problem. Plus if you ever send and item and the buyer gives you the wrong addy or it is undeliverable. The item isn't gone for good you get it back.

Also you don't have to register the Box in you own town. I have one that is like a 30-40 minute drive in another county. I only check it one maybe twice a month. That way if you are in a small town you can register in bigger place and not have them "all up in your Business" as Ludacris said many years ago.

Thats none of their business where u ship from, I'm sure your in a small town and everyone knows everything about everybody but you could be shipping from a friends , girlfriends, business partner etc.. All of which are no ones business except yours. As long as the contents are legal say none of ur business tell them to do their job and ship the packages and if theirs further problem tell them your reporting them to USPS take down their name for invasion of privacy

Not true you cannot ship from location A with a shipping label showing shipping location B. They can and 99 percent of the time will refuse it