Heads Up - US Postal Service is enforcing the law

paulatpetshop · Dec 6, 2009

Hi all..!!!!

I just thought i would let everybody know that the US Postal Service is enforcing the law . I just got popped..A tip was given anonymously.

Shipping Spiders via the U.S. Postal Service is ILLEGAL. (postal code…124.293c2)
Considered a Felony and punishable by not less than $1000.00 and or not less than 1 year in jail.
Receiving spiders in the mail is punishable under the same postal code and punishable as a Felony.
I am now using other carriers..

Thanks,
Paul Becker
www.petcenterusa.net

Tindalos · Dec 6, 2009

that sucks man
and someone tipped lame....
its just a harmless spider

come on people.

paulatpetshop · Dec 6, 2009

Funny thing is that scoepions are legal to ship in the US Mail(for medical purposes but neverthaless legal).. so are bees and other dangerous animals. No one on record has ever died from a tarantula bite. Not that i have ever heard of,but yet people die every year from bees and scorpions. But those are OK..? Sheeesh..!!
The Law has to be changed.. It makes no sence.
thanks,
Paul

Ts are #1 · Dec 6, 2009

With the lack of education, and lazy people laws like this are made this irks me a lot.:evil: :evil: :evil:

Amelia · Dec 6, 2009

That sucks, Paul! If you need any signatures or anything, I'd be willing to help in any way(if anyone needs a signature or something, I'll do it).

Or, I will just be making my order from Paul's Fudge Kitchen next time.

Steve Calceatum · Dec 6, 2009

I'm pretty sure that just because one person gets popped, that it doesn't mean EVERYONE will. But this now tips the authorities off to what hobbyists are up to, and therefore increases the chances of getting caught.

There are going to be several people out there who do not want to risk it. This begs the question: So what do we do now??? Not just for the dealers, but those who are doing trades and breeding loans?

Mvskokee · Dec 6, 2009

That sucks.

Ts are #1 · Dec 6, 2009

xsyorra said:
I'm pretty sure that just because one person gets popped, that it doesn't mean EVERYONE will. But this now tips the authorities off to what hobbyists are up to, and therefore increases the chances of getting caught.

There are going to be several people out there who do not want to risk it. This begs the question: So what do we do now??? Not just for the dealers, but those who are doing trades and breeding loans?

Theres FedEx but they may change to you never know.

codykrr · Dec 6, 2009

what i dont get is how can the postal service give you a felony? last time i checked regulations are not law. and the usps is not a government service but rather an affiliate.

thats like Mcdonalds giving you a littering ticket for throwing trash down in there parking lot...

also paul, if i may ask. how did they go about this situation. meaning once you were narked on, did they just wait till you came up there to mail another package off? then did they proceed with opening your box or what?

Exo · Dec 6, 2009

So if FedEx lets you ship inverts legaly, why does everybody seem to only use the USPS?

I have a scorp to ship someone.....I guess I'll have to use FedEx and eat any additional shipping cost. (the guy paid for USPS priority)

Xian · Dec 6, 2009

codykrr said:
what i dont get is how can the postal service give you a felony? last time i checked regulations are not law. and the usps is not a government service but rather an affiliate.

Quote:
The USPS is often mistaken for a government-owned corporation, but is legally defined as an "independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States," (39 U.S.C. § 201) as it is wholly owned by the government and controlled by the Presidential appointees and the Postmaster General. As a quasi-governmental agency, it has many special privileges, including sovereign immunity, eminent domain powers, powers to negotiate postal treaties with foreign nations, and an exclusive legal right to deliver first-class and third-class mail. Indeed, in 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that the USPS was not a government-owned corporation, and therefore could not be sued under the Sherman Antitrust Act. The U.S. Supreme Court has also upheld the USPS's statutory monopoly on access to letterboxes against a First Amendment freedom of speech challenge; it thus remains illegal in the U.S. for anyone other than the employees and agents of the USPS to deliver mailpieces to letterboxes marked "U.S. Mail."

That pretty much says they can do whatever they want.

jayefbe · Dec 6, 2009

codykrr said:
what i dont get is how can the postal service give you a felony? last time i checked regulations are not law. and the usps is not a government service but rather an affiliate.

thats like Mcdonalds giving you a littering ticket for throwing trash down in there parking lot...

also paul, if i may ask. how did they go about this situation. meaning once you were narked on, did they just wait till you came up there to mail another package off? then did they proceed with opening your box or what?

USPS is a federal entity. If you don't follow their regulations it's not like breaking the rules of a private company.

I would like to know how they proceeded to 'bust' Paul. Are they going to be lenient with charges? Were feds waiting at the post office?

Exo said:
So if FedEx lets you ship inverts legaly, why does everybody seem to only use the USPS?

I have a scorp to ship someone.....I guess I'll have to use FedEx and eat any additional shipping cost. (the guy paid for USPS priority)

Price. Nobody wants to pay $30+ on shipping for less than $100 bucks worth of T's.

Xian · Dec 6, 2009

Exo said:
So if FedEx lets you ship inverts legaly, why does everybody seem to only use the USPS?

I have a scorp to ship someone.....I guess I'll have to use FedEx and eat any additional shipping cost. (the guy paid for USPS priority)

I believe that FedEx and UPS also have cheaper three day rates as well.

Exo · Dec 6, 2009

Xian said:
I believe that FedEx and UPS also have cheaper three day rates as well.

How does FedEx's "ground" shipping compare to USPS's priority shipping price and time wise?

I am not feeling lucky enough to use the priority as planned.

Redbrandy00 · Dec 6, 2009

Here's the sad point, aside from the obvious:

The USPS is only screwing themselves out of money. The hobby may only be a small portion of the pet industry trade, but still-- there's a market here. I would think it fantastic if some kind of deal could be struck with a Fed Ex or a like company and dealers, something mutually beneficial.

Then the USPS could stick it.

codykrr · Dec 6, 2009

ok so let me get this straight.

while the usps is NOT a government owned thing(this i knew) they have the right to make there own laws?:?

i always thought the usps was regulated by the government but not run by. still im not clear as to how the usps can deem there regulations as "law".

nikinizor · Dec 6, 2009

If the other 'dangerous' critters are being shipped for medicl purposes can't we include a bill of lading or something that declars them for the same...venom studies or antivenin development etc etc??? what they don't know(which is a lot obviously) won't hurt them...

Tindalos · Dec 6, 2009

so it is legal
to send them through Fedex?

jayefbe · Dec 6, 2009

Exo said:
How does FedEx's "ground" shipping compare to USPS's priority shipping price and time wise?

I am not feeling lucky enough to use the priority as planned.

FedEx prices from CA to NY:
overnight - $50
2 day - $25
express saver (3 days) - $18
Ground (4 business days) - $9

People use USPS cuz FedEx prices for transit times suck in comparison.

Redbrandy00 said:
Here's the sad point, aside from the obvious:

The USPS is only screwing themselves out of money. The hobby may only be a small portion of the pet industry trade, but still-- there's a market here. I would think it fantastic if some kind of deal could be struck with a Fed Ex or a like company and dealers, something mutually beneficial.

Then the USPS could stick it.

USPS doesn't care about the money they are losing. They're federally subsidized, which is why their prices are better than a profit-motivated company like UPS or FedEx. There already are deals with FedEx for shipping reptiles (shipyourreptiles.com) but even with those discounts shipping is still exorbitantly more expensive than USPS.

Sadly, the only outcome of USPS cracking down on invert shipping is going to be a sharp decline in online sales. The higher shipping prices are going to cut into actual sales.

paulatpetshop · Dec 6, 2009

What happened was... I was given an order to cease and desist. They cited the postal code and told me i was in violation of a felony and could be prosecuted accordingly.and that i would be recieving paperwork in the mail.. if you look it up on the usps website.. it is right there.. in black and white. " No spiders shall be shipped at any time" postal code and everything.. I wasnt gonna argue with them. I just told them i got permission in 1995 to ship them from my local office and havent had a problem since.. until someone reported on me anonymously. They also stated that my packages were subject to search and seizure. I told them about nthe scorpions being legal and stuff..
Fed ex offers rates that are only 3-5 bucks more.. with better service..
Call it what you will .. if we as a group are going to make this hobby grow into a viable industry.. then we have to do things legally.. we have to be willing to follow the laws .. weather we agree with them or not.. Or try to change them..
thanks,
Paul becker

Heads Up - US Postal Service is enforcing the law

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