USPS Package Inspection

WhenDogsSing · Mar 30, 2017

I recently sold an instrument and had it delivered via USPS overnight delivery. The delivery day came and went with no indication of a delivery being made through checking of the tracking number. I sent the buyer (who should and will remain anonymous) a PM telling the individual that I was hoping that the USPS would quickly deliver the package. This is a portion of the reply I received back from the buyer:

"Actually the package was deliver yesterday, but with quite a bit of drama. Some how the package was flagged for inspection and group of 8 including cops, bomb squad, and inspectors delivered and opened the package for inspection in my house. Had me worry a little that the sudden temperature change might of damaged the Uke."

Needless to say, I am quite dumbfounded. Did the USPS think there was a bomb in the box? Evidently, they must have. The buyer tells me that my use of duct tape had something to do with their suspicions.

The USPS tracking number still shows the package in transit.

Be careful with that suspicious duct tape...!!!

Mivo · Mar 30, 2017

The recent banjolele I got from Spain was stopped twice for an x-ray scan, but luckily they did that at the airport, not in my living room!

Jim Hanks · Mar 30, 2017

Wait, the guy/gal has 8 guvment folks including bomb squad in their house and they were worried about the temperature change from opening the box?!?!?

hawaii 50 · Mar 30, 2017

for some reason..USPS advises their employees if a shipment is taped up with duct tape to flag the package....if you read their shipping instructions it is stated not to use duct tape(not sure why the person who accepted the package did not say anything)....since your uke is ok that is good..but if it was a bomb sent by someone I may think it was a good thing to have USPS check

WhenDogsSing · Mar 30, 2017

hawaii 50 said:
for some reason..USPS advises their employees if a shipment is taped up with duct tape to flag the package....if you read their shipping instructions it is stated not to use duct tape(not sure why the person who accepted the package did not say anything)....since your uke is ok that is good..but if it was a bomb sent by someone I may think it was a good thing to have USPS check

I'm learning something from this experience. I had no idea that duct tape was a no-no in the eyes of the USPS.

Telperion · Mar 30, 2017

JohnM2001 said:
Maybe the NSA read your email where you said "this uke is da bomb!"

Haha! Awesome comment.

lfoo6952 · Mar 30, 2017

There's something fishy about this story. If they thought it was a bomb, why would they deliver it to your house? Just to have you open it and blow up?

Mivo · Mar 30, 2017

Interesting insights here, the last one by Chris and the one by Onlyocelot: http://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/no-duct-tape/

M!! · Mar 30, 2017

OH NO! May be USPS wasn't good... back to FedEx again. :O

kvehe · Mar 31, 2017

I love it here. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I could learn so much about duct tape via a ukulele forum.

bikemech · Mar 31, 2017

This all sounds very strange. As has been noted before, why would the post office box deliver a package they suspected was a bomb?

Perhaps this was a CITES issue and the Feds suspected an endangered animal, vegetable or mineral product was used in the production of the ukulele; and upon this suspicion they then decided to exercise their unchecked power to intimidate, abuse and or prosecute the buyer or seller of said package. Do not think it incredulous that the Feds would do such a thing.

Is it now illegal to use duct tape? Hmmm

And I will ask what Jim has asked - You have the Feds and their bomb-sniffing dogs show up at your house to inspect a package you just received and you are worried about the moisture content of a ukulele??

DaveY · Mar 31, 2017

bikemech said:
And I will ask what Jim has asked - You have the Feds and their bomb-sniffing dogs show up at your house to inspect a package you just received and you are worried about the moisture content of a ukulele??

My theory is that the Feds (but not the dogs) all play ukuleles or guitars, and they were there out of concern for the moisture content.

bariukish · Mar 31, 2017

Hmmmm... criminalizing certain uses of duct tape. This is going to be an onerous felony similar to tearing the tags off a mattress, copying a blu ray disc, or the dastardly crime of touching a sea turtle while snorkeling off the big island.

Ukuleleblues · Mar 31, 2017

JohnM2001 said:
Maybe the NSA read your email where you said "this uke is da bomb!"

Funny!!!!!!!!

Rllink · Mar 31, 2017

bariukish said:
Hmmmm... criminalizing certain uses of duct tape. This is going to be an onerous felony similar to tearing the tags off a mattress, copying a blu ray disc, or the dastardly crime of touching a sea turtle while snorkeling off the big island.

I don't think that duct tape has been "criminalized". It has properties that make it an ideal component to bind improvised explosives. That is why it raises concerns when a box is wrapped in numerous layers of it. As far as the rest of the story goes, I'll save my comments.

hoosierhiver · Mar 31, 2017

I remember a person who worked at the post office once saying something about why duct tape was a no-no, I just tried to look it up out of curiosity and the USPS site says don't use twine, etc, etc, but says nothing about duct tape. There are however, a lot of other posts from people who have had trouble with USPS refusing to take duct tape packages.

rubykey · Mar 31, 2017

[/QUOTE] This is a portion of the reply I received back from the buyer:

"Actually the package was deliver yesterday, but with quite a bit of drama. Some how the package was flagged for inspection and group of 8 including cops, bomb squad, and inspectors delivered and opened the package for inspection in my house. Had me worry a little that the sudden temperature change might of damaged the Uke."

Be careful with that suspicious duct tape...!!![/QUOTE]

My inner Detective questions the veracity of this story. At this point it's really just a rumor started by the buyer. If it was me I would follow the story and contact the US Postal Service. At the very least they didn't mark the package as delivered and the sender paid a premium price. So is the sender entitled to a refund since the Postal Service didn't deliver according to the tracking?

I would think if there was such suspicion, that the bomb squad FBI et cetera would be at the door of when dogs sing. After all he's the guy who sent the suspicious package. This story of the buyer is suspicious.

But now we all know that duct tape is not good for everything.

bratsche · Apr 1, 2017

rubykey said:
But now we all know that duct tape is not good for everything.

It's still a whole lot more useful than most Federal agents, though.

bratsche

Recovering Bassist · Apr 1, 2017

So....What if some creative "mad scientist" type luthier makes a ukulele out of duct tape and then tries to ship it???

redpaul1 · Apr 3, 2017

Or maybe this is why..

Police called to rescue teen duct-taped to a pole

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