Shipping to Troops

[smokinbodybuilder]

Just spent a lil over a half hour at the PO trying to ship out a couple boxes to my nephew in Afghanistan and ran into a few issues that made it not possible for them to send yet. Mother f*cking stressful but here is what I learned while there...in regards to shipping TOBACCO to troops:

1) You CAN ship tobacco to troops
2) Shipping tobacco must be done in person at a PO and you must have a valid ID. Addy on ID and return addy on box must match. Mine did not and this was Strike 1.
3) You can not ship more than 10 tobacco packages per month to troops. Also the package containing tobacco can not weigh more than 10oz. Each box I was trying to send weighed a couple pounds. Strike 2.
4) Tobacco can not be shipped Priority. Must be shipped Express. This was Strike 3.
5) Not all countries accept Express mail so we had to look that up. Afghanistan does NOT accept Express. Strike 4.

The end result was the lady (who was real sweet by the way and kinda a GILF) told me to either condense the packages to fit requirements and to get my license changed and ship Express OR to accidentally leave off the customs form that I'm sending tobacco...of course she encouraged me to try a different PO if I opt for the last choice.

So, needless to say, will ship via a different PO tomorrow.

Oh, also, she did tell me it is illegal to ship ANY TOBACCO INCLUDING CIGARS domestically. I brought to her attention about their website saying cigars are ok and she didnt dispute that, but did say they have been strictly told not to allow it anyways.

 

[JLB]

Great info, and I laughed at GILF. Hahahaha

 

[Craig Mac]

Sorry bro, your postal employee has no idea what they are talking about. Take note of the line at the very bottom. Get online and print out the tobacco restrictions and take them with you next time. We ship boxes that are several pounds on a daily basis to APO and FPO that are declared "cigars" using labels created from click and ship.

 

[mdwest]

Craig Mac is spot on (obviously).. postal lady might be sweet.. but she is very misinformed...

I have shipped dozens of packages with cigars declared to buddies with APO addresses.. never once have I had a problem...

The old cigar club at the US Embassy in Kabul used to get multiple boxes shipped in almost weekly at one point (group buys, etc..).. I havent talked to anyone in the club in a long time, but Im guessing they are still very active and still smoking..

As recently as 2 weeks ago I sent out 10 sticks to a guy at Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan.. no problems at all..

 

[mwlabel]

+1 to the above posts.
Last year, I sent out a ~8 pound package to my buddy in the sandbox. It was nothing but cigars, chew, and cigarettes.

 

[smokinbodybuilder]

THANKS CRAIG! I may go back to her and say, "GILF...you dont know your shizzer."

 

[Craig Mac]

+1 to the above posts.
Last year, I sent out a ~8 pound package to my buddy in the sandbox. It was nothing but cigars, chew, and cigarettes.

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco DO have restrictions at the Post Office

 

[Clint]

GILF is Government Intern I'd Like to F**k?
Lol
Thanks for the info, gents

 

[mwlabel]

+1 to the above posts.
Last year, I sent out a ~8 pound package to my buddy in the sandbox. It was nothing but cigars, chew, and cigarettes.

Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco DO have restrictions at the Post Office

Oops. That's on them then. They asked, and I told them "tobacco products."

 

[MoJo]

Funny that this thread appeared today, I'm sending a package to an APO tomorrow, trying to print everything at home now. Reading the restrictions I see the following:

RESTRICTIONS:
A1. Mail addressed to 'Any Servicemember' or similar wording such as 'Any Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine', 'Military Mail', etc., is prohibited. Mail must be addressed to an individual or job title, such as 'Commander', 'Commanding Officer', etc. A2. APO/FPO/DPO addresses shall not include a city and/or country name.
B. Regardless of mail class, a customs declaration (PS Form 2976 or, if the customer prefers, PS Form 2976-A) is required for all items weighing 16 ounces or more, or any item (regardless of weight) containing potentially dutiable mail contents (e.g., merchandise or goods) addressed to or from an APO, FPO, or DPO ZIP Code. No customs form is required for items weighing less than 16 ounces when the contents are not potentially dutiable (e.g., documents). The surface area of the address side of the mailpiece must be large enough to contain the applicable customs declaration.
The following exceptions apply:
B. a. Known mailers are exempt from providing customs documentation on non-dutiable letters or printed matter. (A known mailer is a business mailer who enters volume mailings through a business mail entry unit (BMEU) or other bulk mail acceptance location, pays postage through an advance deposit account, uses a permit imprint for postage payment, and submits a completed postage statement at the time of entry that certifies that the mailpieces contain no dangerous materials that are prohibited by postal regulations.)
B. b. All federal, state, and local government agencies whose mailings are regarded as "Official Mail" are exempt from providing customs documentation on any item addressed to an APO, FPO, or DPO except for those APOs/FPOs/DPOs to which restriction "B2" applies.
B. c. Prepaid mail from military contractors is exempt, providing the mailpiece is endorsed "Contents for Official Use - Exempt from Customs Requirements."

C. Cigarettes and other tobacco products are prohibited.
F. Firearms of any type are prohibited in all classes of mail. See definitions of firearms in DMM 601.12.1.1. This restriction does not apply to firearms mailed to or by official U.S. government agencies. The restriction for mail to this ZIP Code does not apply to firearms mailed from this ZIP Code, provided ATF and USPS regulations are met. Antique firearms are a separate category defined in DMM 601.12.1.1.h and ATF regulations; they do not require an ATF form.
F1. Privately owned weapons addressed to an individual are prohibited in any class of mail. R. All alcoholic beverages, including those mailable under DMM 601.12.7, are prohibited. U. Parcels must weigh less than 16 ounces when addressed to Box R. This restriction does not apply to mail endorsed 'Free Matter for the Blind or Handicapped.' V. Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) not available.

Customers who fail to electronically file their export information may be subject to civil and criminal penalties. If you need further assistance with AES filing requirements, contact the U.S. Census Bureau on their toll-free hotline at 1-800-549-0595 =, Option 1 - AES Assistance, Option 2 - Commodity Classification Assistance, Option 3 - Regulatory

In it is says that "Cigarettes and other tobacco products are prohibited." am I misunderstanding something?

 

[Craig Mac]

This is what I understand to be true.

"Tobacco Restrictions

With few exceptions, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco shipments cannot be mailed. This applies to domestic shipments, as well as inbound and outbound international shipments. Cigars are still mailable domestically, as well as internationally, unless prohibited by the destination country."

https://www.usps.com/ship/international-tobacco-restrictions.htm

 

[GoingPostal]

Ok so people at your post office don't know what's going on cause cigs and chew are non-mailable items (but what they don't know won't hurt em) cigars are mailable items. I have sent countless packages to APO and FPO with declaring cigars and have gone without a problem. Only thing when sending to the troops is NO PORK and NO PORN

 

[MoJo]

Only thing when sending to the troops is NO PORK and NO PORN

Damnit, there goes my package... Just kidding.

Thanks for the info Craig and GP!