There is no easy way to ship an old cigarette lighter if you're honest about the contents.

[toytrekker]

USPS said no way. It doesn't matter if it's dried out and doesn't work. If it once had lighter fluid inside it cannot be shipped without special permissions. So then I went to Fedex. It was the same thing except they said I could possibly get approved in the hazmat shipping if I take some course. Who knows what the cost of this will be. Every single person shipping lighters on e-bay is not following the rules. Obviously the rules are absurd but this is what I get.

[chapeau-noir]

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@toytrekker wrote:

USPS said no way. It doesn't matter if it's dried out and doesn't work. If it once had lighter fluid inside it cannot be shipped without special permissions. So then I went to Fedex. It was the same thing except they said I could possibly get approved in the hazmat shipping if I take some course. Who knows what the cost of this will be. Every single person shipping lighters on e-bay is not following the rules. Obviously the rules are absurd but this is what I get.

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Not really - lighter fluid is incredibly volatile and there's no logistics firm that will have the means to inspect every single lighter being shipped to see if there is lighter fluid in it or it's all dried up. So I guess they ban all of it. There is indeed a course for hazmat shipping, I know locally it's a few hours long (undoubtedly the cost is deductible).  I thought UPS ships that stuff but it has to have some kind of special label - I had lighters in a small estate I cleared so I got an idea about all of this (never shipped them anywhere).

But yeah, you're not wrong about shipping lighters on eBay - there's a ton of them!

[simba6]

" if you're honest"      Something every politician knows.

There is no good way for them to know if it's dried out long ago or not.

Did you try UPS ?   They may insist you have to be a company to ship it however.

[toytrekker]

I will try tomorrow with UPS. I'm glad to take a Hazmat course with Fedex I think that would actually be interesting.

[itsjustasprain · Accepted solution]

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@toytrekker wrote:

USPS said no way. It doesn't matter if it's dried out and doesn't work.

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I am going to let common sense intrude here 😉 and say of COURSE it matters if it is dried out and does not work. They may not know if it is old and dried out - but you DO know. In the case you are describing there is no need to make any hazmat declaration in the first place. Just pack it and ship it.

[gator08041971]

I did find this option in the hazardous list:

But it says "Authorized" whatever that means.

I know my local USPS will ship things as long as the box is correctly labeled for the package.  But there area  few things they will not ship at all.  I may ask them about this tomorrow when I stop by to drop of my packages.

[chapeau-noir]

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@itsjustasprain wrote:

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@toytrekker wrote:

USPS said no way. It doesn't matter if it's dried out and doesn't work.

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I am going to let common sense intrude here 😉 and say of COURSE it matters if it is dried out and does not work. They may not know if it is old and dried out - but you DO know. In the case you are describing there is no need to make any hazmat declaration in the first place. Just pack it and ship it.

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That's the end run - I would probably do the same TBH, as once it has dried completely there's nothing to make any vapor or gaseous substance to ignite.

[broto_64]

Wrap it in paper towels, put all that in ziploc bag and close it up good, then put it all inside a tyvek padded envelope or a small corrugated box, buy and print shipping label, stick label on packet, put in the mailbox, raise flag, I am pretty sure that's how most sellers ship them but yes, honestly that is not allowed.

[mike_jayroe]

Back in 1990,1993 and  1996, I had to take the haz-mat class (15 hours approx.) to be certified for my employer.

Back in the early 1990's, I ordered a NASCAR driver Case knife that included a lighter that was well packed in a wood display box. I stored it until last year when I sold and shipped it here on e-bay. Neither time was there a haz-mat label on any packing box. I even used the original box I received it in to ship it. Never had any problems.

I don't know if the rules changed any or not.

But looking at a copy of the 1996North American Emergency Response Guidebook which I saved cigarette lighter, with flammable liquid is listed. I don't have the CFR-49 guide book to read all of the rules, but I would think sending "ONE" lighter at a time should be okay.  The rule if I did the research right on line is # 173.115 in the CFR guide.

Hope this helps some one in the future.

[toysaver]

I use lighter fluid to clean adhesive off of many things, especially price sticker residue.  It evaporates quickly.  It's a component in many commercial 'cleaners' so if an item has been cleaned with one it's getting through without issue.  

[toomuchstuffagain35]

Same with perfumes if you go by the shipping offered in most listings.

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@mike_jayroe wrote:

....I don't know if the rules changed any or not.....

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Of course they do. I could smoke in the workplace office in 1992. 

Batteries can ONLY be shipped 'ground only-with a sticker' (no 'training required)

Fast foward to today- doors and wheels are falling off airplanes, so the last thing they need is an 'explosion' in the air because someone isn't following the 'new/old' guidelines.

[toytrekker]

UPS took it no problem. They said as long as it’s empty it’s not a problem. Vs the freak out usps and fed ex had. Although I’m sure it’s based on the employee at the time.

[montyrob-2879]

Yeah unfortunately I'm just finding this out I was supposed to ship today as I lost three good lighters in an auction which eBay recommended all three sold three separate buyers paid for shipping from USPS and on all three of these together it's costing me money I make nothing I am actually losing money with eBay fees and all this bull crap and the shipping is so low I don't understand how that how they can estimate the cost of shipping for under $5 anyways my customers are going to be upset because eBay never gave me this information when I started my account selling the lighters