Heads up My Stealthy freinds (USPS)

HurricaneHuntr · #1 07-13-2015

So i dropped off my usual big weekend shipping of items. After i dumped it. I was met by a loud crack of the door opening up..The lady starts asking questions about my business, what do i sell etc.. She said "postal inspectors" were here and they want to know why the address on the return part of your envelopes are invalid and where your business is located. (i use a lot of different addresses, and yes they are invalid for the most part). I said i drop ship etc... she said "just giving you a heads up" and that the invalid return address on the parcel "has to stop" . And i was ok no worries i'll fix it.

I am a bit concerned, i don't need them snooping on me, not that i have much to hide.But, it's never a good thing to have postal inspectors curious.

I'm both paranoid and freaking out that i did something illegal, but i don't see anywhere online it saying putting invalid return address is against the law.I did read that a lot of drug sellers do this... Which of course i am safe, as i don't sell or ship that stuff. But, if they start asking import questions... ughff

Smoothness · #2 07-13-2015

This is why god blessed you with middle fingers! It's really none of their business what you do. They are the mail couriers and you pie postage. You didn't do anything illegal. Well I guess they might be able to bend it into mail fraud. But just don't tell them anything and tell them to shove it

jakobrockz · #3 07-13-2015

Is it even required to have a return address though? Lol

HurricaneHuntr · #4 07-13-2015

Sounds all fine and dandy... until you start getting mail inspected and they snoop into your business. NONE of us want that.

Smoothness · #5 07-13-2015

But isn't that illegal? Technically you aren't doing anything illegal. I used to put invalid addresses all the time when I wrote letters when I was younger. Honestly don't worry about it. They have no right to go through your mail. That would be a major crime on them. What you are doing is a frown upon thing to do but no illegal.

dealagreeproceed · #6 07-13-2015

moscutter your not doing anything wrong. tell them to shove it like the last poster said LOL. MAN I see this way too often in my everyday interactions with some people who have your average job and want to assert their authority over you, haven power trips. so annoying. sometimes I ignore it and sometimes I put these power tripn fools in their place. ok rant over LOL. your story reminded me of something that happen to me recently.

Bunneh · #7 07-13-2015

i agree, if your invalid address was cause for concern, I am sure they would have held onto your mail.

I mean would you get into trouble if you didnt add a return address? because i am sure people doing dodgy things, dont want items traced back to them.

Sounds to me like you have a snoopy Post Office person.

Bunneh · #8 07-13-2015

Surely, Post Office's are very busy normally?. I mean people who work there must have better things to do with there time other than to check which return address works and which doesn't?

What a waste or resources.

joew8989 · #9 07-13-2015

I use the correct return address on all my shipments by placing a small sticker over the ebay generated label return address. It works fine. It'll also get postal inspectors off your ass

MM78 · #10 07-13-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscutter

So i dropped off my usual big weekend shipping of items. After i dumped it. I was met by a loud crack of the door opening up..The lady starts asking questions about my business, what do i sell etc.. She said "postal inspectors" were here and they want to know why the address on the return part of your envelopes are invalid and where your business is located. (i use a lot of different addresses, and yes they are invalid for the most part). I said i drop ship etc... she said "just giving you a heads up" and that the invalid return address on the parcel "has to stop" . And i was ok no worries i'll fix it.

I'm a bit confused....How did the Postal Inspector know where to go if the address on the Return Address was not your real address?

Did you ask for some type of ID or did they provide you with some type of ID?

Quote:

I am a bit concerned, i don't need them snooping on me, not that i have much to hide.But, it's never a good thing to have postal inspectors curious.

I'm both paranoid and freaking out that i did something illegal, but i don't see anywhere online it saying putting invalid return address is against the law.I did read that a lot of drug sellers do this... Which of course i am safe, as i don't sell or ship that stuff. But, if they start asking import questions... ughff.

If you don't ship/sell foo-foo items then they have nothing to bother you with...still curious how they knew to come to your house.....

SilentHill · #11 07-13-2015

Lol are you routinely doing drop-off's at the same time. ? Are you dropping in alot of shipments at once? Is it all the same packaging ?

I mean they are just being snoopy. I mean why not use a valid address that you dont have access to. ??

Smoothness · #12 07-13-2015

nvm read wrong

rsot · #13 07-14-2015

Vary your activity - hate the snoopers. Any other post offices available?

123 · #14 07-14-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by joew8989

I use the correct return address on all my shipments by placing a small sticker over the ebay generated label return address. It works fine. It'll also get postal inspectors off your ass

That's a very good tip, I've done this as well in the past along with including a return to this address in the package for the customer

HurricaneHuntr · #15 07-14-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsot

Vary your activity - hate the snoopers. Any other post offices available?

Yes there is, i am going to adjust the address to another one. I hate not ever going back to that one. On one hand, i think maybe it really wasn't postal inspectors. It was just a nosy clerk pissed about scanning 100 parcels.

I usually use all wrong addresses, but she said that one of the parcels had a return address there, so that's why they checked there about it (i used to have a po box there,and did say i used to have one,). Which confuses me.She seemed a little irritated to begin with. Maybe because it was late when i dropped them all off. I'm a bit paranoid of course. So i think i will vary it up a bit and make some changes, all my parcels are very light parcels. If they popped one open or had a dog sniff, there would be no issue, because there is nothing drug related. I just don't want to draw attention of course, because they can find anything to get into your business.. I pay my taxes so i am not worried about that. I am going to get a retainer today just for my own protection. A lot of people on here act as if it's no big deal. But Postal inspectors are federal police officers.Not something to play with.

yankee · #16 07-14-2015

you can also use a third party such as stamps and endicia and use your real address.

Not sure what the actual issue is to be honest.

Haidukken · #17 07-14-2015

Thats exactly the reason why you need to be nice to the ol ladies down at the Post Office- get them a box of chocolates every now and again and build a relationship.
Nobody tells me dick when I do my dropping off and if I ever have any problems, I know that my golden ladies have my back!

doL · #18 07-14-2015

I hate USPS, but the guys I've worked with over there could care less. 'It's none of my business what you're shipping, and I'm not asking you to tell me what's in each package, just as long as it doesn't contain....' and he goes through his spiel.

But the 3rd party shipping or the true return address stickers aren't a bad idea. Both resolve the issue AND you can actually get your package returned to you. :D

HurricaneHuntr · #19 07-14-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergfro

If you're not worried about anything then why post ? waste of time
You seem a bit too paranoid and probably doing something fishy

You mean like using falsified eBay accounts to sell products? Of course i'm paranoid. heh anyway.. I never said i wasn't worried. Anyone would be worried. But whatever~ Just was sharing and a place to vent.

yotano211 · #20 07-14-2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moscutter

You mean like using falsified eBay accounts to sell products? Of course i'm paranoid. heh anyway.. I never said i wasn't worried. Anyone would be worried. But whatever~ Just was sharing and a place to vent.

There is nothing illegal with using falsified eBay accounts

livelifewild · #21 07-14-2015

I read this and I just HAD to post.

First off just a comment on the its not illegal with STEALTH accounts. Technically probably no. I am actually not sure. But I do know if you got under someones nerves of someone who wanted to look into it to the extreme, there could most likely be problems. Selling under a name that is not your own, saying that whatever address is yours or you have access or permission to use it when you do not, is Fraud. Unfortunately most of us Stealthers do not have a choice.

I had a few issues with the US postal service myself over the years. I had lived in one town and did scheduled pick ups from my home. Depending on who I got it was not a problem. A few times however i got a mail man that took his job VERY seriously, and had an issue with the return addresses being from different towns or states.

I then had the post master from the post office call me and tell me that they would not process my mail and they would be return ALL the parcels to me. HIS REASON WAS:
Because my post office does not get the CREDIT for this.

Processing mail with different towns or states as the return address, my postal workers would be doing all the work while the zips that are on the packages, their post offices would be getting the credit for it.
I did not argue I did not feel like getting into it. BUT WOW!

Another time when I lived at a different address I had another postal worker inquire about the addresses (which are valid just not my address where they were picking it up), and I just told them I was a drop shipper and also was a part of ebay that sells stuff for other people that do not know how. So they have addresses on it from the people I sell for.

Now I do not schedule pick ups anymore. I found the closest post office that have that AUTOMATED machine available after hours, and they usually have a big bin next to it. AFTER hours I go and drop off my packages, I try to never have a lot of them in one drop off. If I do I go to several post offices.

Hope that helps!

jeffweico · #22 07-14-2015

I have been through this before. It is not a big deal.

First, Postal rules state that you are supposed to be mailing packages from the ZIP CODE of origin, which is the return address on the package. This is important to them because they want to track how busy each post office is, and also because mailing a package from a different zip code throws off their tracking and time estimates.

Second, you (or someone else) mentioned that drug dealers use false addresses to ship drugs, which is true.

So, yes they are suspicious. Here is the fix:

Get an Endicia or Stamps.com account, or better yet, ShipStation. Stop using eBay postage.

Rent a PO BOX and use a d/b/a to create a generic sounding company, something like Northern Logistics, or Fulfillment Express, or something similar.

On ALL of your packages, use the name and PO BOX of your newly created company to ship all of your items.

OPT OUT of automated returns on eBay.

If a buyer wants to return an item, tell them no problem, please just send it back to the return address on the package. If the buyer does not have it any longer, offer to send them a prepaid mailer for the return.

This will keep you under eBay's radar, keep you in good standing with the Postal Service, and not arouse suspicions that you are selling drugs or engaging in criminal activity.