Mailorder...how safe? and how to make safer?

[blackosprey]

I have a friend out there that is contemplating a small personal setup, and was thinking about ordering some gear. I think he's kinda sketched out about the process, since he has a lovely family and would hate to wind up in trouble over something like this. I guess the questions he has are:
*how safe is having stock sent to a US address? I told him many companies have stealth shipping, but does it increase success rates?
*How can he make it safer? He's kinda a socially inept guy (ie, most people consider him an asshole, but I don't think he tries to be), not a lot of friends, and doesn't have a "safe" address he can send to. Any recommendations? He doesn't want to seem obvious in opening a box a the post office and then have international mail sent there.
This friend will probably be awesome at this, very attentive to detail, does a ton of gardening with heirlooms, and not likely to be arrogant or overtly obvious (he is even wary of starting an account here, which leads to me asking all the questions). This phase of the process is the one he is most frightened of. I also know that he is mostly interested in working with AF's for their short cycles. Any info or suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[McGuyver'sDick]

Be a bro and order them for him. Money order to seed boutique and fake name. Discrete looking piece of mail in a sea of mail. I used to get all kinds of mail for different folks at an apartment, the mailman just wants to be rid of it and doesn't care who's name is on it.

 

[vonforne]

Don´t be talking about shipping methods in open forum.

V

 

[blackosprey]

Don´t be talking about shipping methods in open forum.

V

sorry, I wasn't trying to break the rules. Please delete if this is no good.

 

[VirginHarvester]

Get a PO Box for six months, probably $25.

 

[ronbo51]

Get your genetics first, before anything else. That way you have nothing to lose if that part of the equation goes bad. Get enough so that you have some variety to play with. Between a good variety and crosses and hybrids you can do yourself you might never need seeds again. If your seeds come through then you can advance. Other companies are good, no doubt, but my experience is with HTG and their boxes come pretty much looking like any other box. If your guy is already a gardener he should do well if he spends a while looking through threads here and chooses a style of grow. He just needs to know how much risk he is taking. Make him buy a 6" vortex with a good quality carbon filter so that it never, ever smells. Tell him to shut his fucking mouth about this. No one, ever, no matter how proud he is and wants to show his work, or when he is showing off what dank shit he has, can ever know he grows. Keep shit real tight; nothing grow related in the trash, no light leaks, no smell, no sketchy people hangin. Don't go to growshops. Arrange the flowering schedule so that you can safely tend to things when no one will be around( for me its 6 AM). Anything else. I'm sure others will say so. Good luck.

 

[powerrobbie]

Dude whats the problem of purchasing a mail box at the post office...you think there gonna think your a criminal because you have a box and are receiving international mail? A little paranoia can be a good thing but your friend sounds a little excessive.

I had a P.O box when I was an 18 year old scruffy haired stoner kid and would receive mail from all around the world on a very regular basis and would also send money order's from the same place all the time... Do you know how many customer's that aren't doing anything illegal do the same thing every single day?

There is no reason to worry about things like that....I was receiving things a lot worse then some seeds and grow equipment and had a couple things intercepted. You receive a "love letter" from custom's and thats all. If its a large amount of illegal contraband and I mean a LARGE amount they would do a controlled delievery but there is no reason to worry about ordering some seeds and grow gear.

Although I obviously would not get it sent to the grow address and for seeds I would use a false name. Everytime I have opened a P.O. box I receive mail from previous owners of the box and I have used there names on my seed orders before...but it really is not even nessacary.

When I lived with my mom and didnt grow indoors just did gurilla style I would order seeds right to the house using my real name and without getting into detail of packaging methods my mom never once suspected there was anything unusal or illegal about the items I was ordering. Most people use very good shipping methods and I personally have never had a seed order intercepted from any of the companies I have used...and I have used several different ones.

 

[Still Invisible]

Use a false name, and if you are worried then when the letter arrives write on it "not at this address, return to sender" and put in on the fridge or wherether with all the other mail that arrives for previous tenants. Then if leo hasn't paid you a visit after a week then open it.

I have heard of one guy getting busted after his seeds were intercepted, he was growing in his house at the same time he ordered seeds, not a good thing to order seeds when there are plants in the house.
Another guy posted on here that leo came to his door after intercepting the seeds, but they just asked if anyone there had ordered then, never came inside or anything.

Your friend will be right, just remember Who Dares Wins.

 

[GP73LPC]

Cash at local hydro stores for grow equipment, preferably in a friends car who doesn't grow or a rent car.

Cash with no return address for seeds with a fake name for the return shipment. when i got my PO Box i was receiving mail for the previous tenant, so now that is my name when i order seeds

 

[Wise]

Yeah there is no way you would go to a hydro store in your own vehicle.

 

[HighPlainsToker]

Oh well, I just order it all direct to home, with my name on it, including seeds.

Don't sell, don't smell, don't tell; seems to keep the small personal grower off the radar.

 

[powerrobbie]

Cash at local hydro stores for grow equipment, preferably in a friends car who doesn't grow or a rent car.

Cash with no return address for seeds with a fake name for the return shipment. when i got my PO Box i was receiving mail for the previous tenant, so now that is my name when i order seeds

Most of your advice is spot on but sending money in with NO return address is just foolish. I used to have a link (cant find it now) describing how the USPS profiles suspicious packages and having no return address was one of the red flags. You want your mail to blend in and look like everyone else's mail...what kind of letter has no return address on it other then someone hiding something or someone that was stupid and forgot to write it down?

I'm sure you have done it your way with no problems but if all the other letters have return address's you should too espically if your mailing cash you NEED your letter to blend in. You just mentioned you use the previous tenant of your P.O. box's name to order seeds. Why not just write down that info for the return address? Or use some other random but REAL address...thats what everyone else does.

 

[Still Invisible]

when i got my PO Box i was receiving mail for the previous tenant, so now that is my name when i order seeds

Just watch they don't put in a mail redirection form at the post office so their mail gets sent on to their new address. But if they have'n done this by now they probably wont.

 

[GP73LPC]

Just watch they don't put in a mail redirection form at the post office so their mail gets sent on to their new address. But if they have'n done this by now they probably wont.

i considered this and waited for a month or so and then start using the name since i was still receiving mail. i still receive something in that persons name every once in a while...

 

[GP73LPC]

Most of your advice is spot on but sending money in with NO return address is just foolish. I used to have a link (cant find it now) describing how the USPS profiles suspicious packages and having no return address was one of the red flags. You want your mail to blend in and look like everyone else's mail...what kind of letter has no return address on it other then someone hiding something or someone that was stupid and forgot to write it down?

I'm sure you have done it your way with no problems but if all the other letters have return address's you should too espically if your mailing cash you NEED your letter to blend in. You just mentioned you use the previous tenant of your P.O. box's name to order seeds. Why not just write down that info for the return address? Or use some other random but REAL address...thats what everyone else does.

i send cash, if it is intercepted i lost cash, but i am safe and snug...

using some other real address does sound like a decent plan however so it doesn't stand out. so far i've had no probs...

 

[Still Invisible]

If sending cash send International Express, it costs a bit more but because it's express it has to be there by a certain date, and they have to rush it through, less time for the postal workers or customs to look through it.

 

[Iron_Lion]

 

[nukklehead]

probably not the best advice but have ordered to "the house" for over 6 years now with no problems..... Im not that big, Im very ordinary,( if leo was watching me it would be one hell of a boring day along with a waste of taxpayers money.. not too mention no odor/extreme environmental controls) But.........................I only order during xmas/holiday season ........I may be wrong but volume of mail = less conspicuous ??????????????) I will knock on wood and pray

 

[blackosprey]

thanks to everyone for their advice and experiences. I'm glad to get real answers, as opposed to harsh comments I've seen on other boards when approaching this (and other) security questions. As far as buying from growshops amd the like, he's definitely keen on staying far far away. Since he has been an active heirloom gardener for years now, he's got enough contacts through real farmers and horticulture stores to get those supplies without raising alarm. And with his green thumb, he's really going to do this right.

On the post about the carbon scrubber, is it really necessary to buy one? There seem to be lots of good constructed models in the DIY threads. Again, this guy is definitely not looking at doing a large scale setup, probably something close to size as the IKEA cab setups...

Thanks again.

 

[BrnCow]

Don't send cash...send a Walmart or convenience store money order. If it is lost in the mail, you can get you money back with the receipt...takes a while but I have gotten my money back for other stuff like socks, underwear that m.o. got lost in the mail...