Shipping Perfume

[elksmile]

Hello, I was wondering if you folks who sell perfume have trouble with shipping. I have gotten quite a few "old" perfumes at estate auctions and would really like to get them listed. In the past when I've taken the few that I've sold to the post office, I tell them that it is perfume and they look flustered. They've read through their regulations and can't find anything. I end up saying, "It isn't very much. No more than someone would take with them on an airplane. I have it wrapped in paper towel and in a zip-lock." They say, ok. Am I missing something or am I going to have to go through this routine every time? Thanks for any advice.

[androtics]

Elks,

It was would be wonderful if you could found out from your postmistress how some companies get 'authorized' to ship this way, and share it on this forum. This question comes up on ebay repeatedly.

My own postmaster had no idea, and was not willing to research. 😞 It's like USPS doesn't know what the other parts are doing or authorizing. It's a really weird thing that hurts most small perfume and oil suppliers.

Thanks!

[elksmile]

I got a reply in my mailbox today from my postmistress. The note said, "perfumery products w/flammable solvents, Hazard class-3. Mail-ORM-D only. No airmail. surface mail-3A. Ok, that may be "greek" but I understand,"no airmail". I also stopped into another post-office where my husband often takes packages for me after work. I spoke to the postmistress there too, and she was pretty clear on no air-mail. I asked her about that company shipping large quantities and I got a shoulder shrug. She and I both know that these rules don't have to make sense. 😞
So, is first class mail also by air?

[androtics]

Thanks for that info.

Too bad they weren't helpful. The perfume account they're talking on the USPS site is definitely air - "priority".

Yes, first class is also air, that's why it takes 1-3 days. First class and priority are just about the same in every way, according to my experience and what the PO says.

[elksmile]

I wouldn't say they weren't helpful, just didn't tell me what I wanted to hear! 🙂 I'll just list with parcel post. I mostly have been selling books and most buyers are taking the very slow media mail, so maybe speed isn't such a big factor if the item is what someone wants. Thanks for the discussion.

[luv3labs]

Our local Post Office has told me this...if it is an aerosol spray, it cannot go via Air (Priority, First Class, Global)...if you have to pump it to spray it, then it is OK, as long as it is sealed (like double ziplock bags inside of package) in case of breaking, as with any other liquid...

I used to be one of those MK Consultants...could not be pushy enough, thus got stuck with lots of stuff...recently got a letter from the MK legal telling me that someone thought I was still representing myself on eBay as one of them...every listing states not & states Vintage stuff...don't like being falsely accused !!!

Wonder why they don't seem to go after people who have eBay stores with the trademark name as part of the store's name & who openly boast that they can get new products for buyers...guess they are too busy going after little people who are trying to clear out some Vintage stuff honestly...

Have heard that eBay selling is forbidden in their newer contracts...when I signed on to sell, did not know eBay existed, it is not in the contract I signed (I still have my copy)...and eBay was just a PEZ trading forum at that time...

OK, have vented...

Loved the line about the dog farting...crude, but very funny...

[luv3labs]

Opps!...the puppy fart thing was in another thread I read a few minutes back...still funny, though...

[straightbangin]

holy crap i didnt know any of that! thanks

[midnight*raven]

I can't imagine them saying none at all even ground. How in the world do perfume companies, avon etc sell anything online then? Or offline for that matter, doesn't Avon send their items to consultants? I buy perfume online off Amazon once in a while and USPS ships it.

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I'm a fashion nightmare...and I love it.

[elksmile]

My understanding is that ground is the only way you can ship perfume. That's not so horrible if everyone would follow the rules. It puts the honest seller at a disadvantage if they are the only one not shipping by air! Don't know what they say at the post office when asked if it is liquid or flammable and still are able to ship priority.
I'm assuming that much is shipped via truck for the big operations. Someone has already pointed out that USPS has some fragrance companies that they have shipping deals with. Maybe the plane load is nothing but perfume and the pilots are aware of the risks. I don't know the answers to this one as it still makes no sense to me.

[midnight*raven]

USPS has never made much sence to me lol. Different post offices say different things. I tried to drop off a couple of packages at a small town post office and the lady chased me out to my car to tell me no tape was allowed on a flat rate envelope. She was nice but I knew they were allowed as long as it's only at the seal just to reinforce it. She also told me I wasn't allowed to just drop packages off and leave. I told her I had been doing it for years and my post office even has a drop off slot for packages with postage.

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I'm a fashion nightmare...and I love it.

[annabellasgiftshop]

My post office said I couldn't ship perfum via AIR overseas, but I could via economy. Since that takes way too long and since I've had lots of problems with people not receiving their items, I just don't ship it internationally anymore.

[elksmile]

Annabella--Did your post office say that you could ship perfume by air within the United States? I've got three post offices now that tell me no, it can only go ground. Just wondering what yours has to say.

[salem-and-sabrina]

When I took several perfumes to a package center I shipped them priority mail no problem, but they were going to people here in the U.S. Maybe the person helping me prepare the packages wasn't aware of the guidelines, but she shipped them priority mail.

[trinkettrauma]

Hi
Here's the deal.

NO perfume is SUPPOSED to be shipped First Class or PRIRORITY, since they both go by air.

And NO perfume is to be shipped overseas.

The sellers that ship it by air are either lying about what is in the package or nobody is asking them.

I just received an email from a buyer today wanting to know where her perfume samples are, and have they been shipped?

Yes, they were shipped 5 days ago USPS PARCEL POST, which can take as long as or more than 10 days.

I believe that the companies you are talking about shipping by air...that a special container built for flammable items is on the plane and they go into that container in case the plane catches on fire, crashes or whatever.

It really bugs me, because I try to do the right thing, I certainly don't want a plane to explode because I cheated and shipped perfume! And kill a bunch of people.

The clerk also told me that if the airlines discover that usps is shipping flammable products and they get caught, that they could lose their contract w/them.

And you have to mark your package with all of that ORM flashpoint stuff to, so they know what degrees of heat is likely to cause the liquid to erupt into fire.

I wish a seller that ships perfume by air would come by and tell us why or how they do it..I'd be curious.

And there are no exceptions....it doesn't matter how tiny the amount of perfume it is....I used to think if it was just a tiny sample, no big deal...I was WRONG!

[katendi8290]

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to send someone a bottle of body splash so I asked (in advance) at our local P.O. fi it could go Priority. They said if it was flammable-- if it contained any alcohol-- it couldn't go by air.

Every time I take a package to the P.O., the clerk asks if there is anything flammable in it, so unless I were to lie outright, I couldn't send by any other means than ground.