So..I want to get some lights

[Keep goin]

So, I'm wondering what is the "best" way to order some LED lights that are not available at my hydro store.

I'm a big fan of paranoia...I'd rather be paranoid than in a cage.

I know people have all sorts of views on how to get materials for growing. After reading through some long posts on here, it makes me want to sit in my house and "imagine" growing.

The funniest concept I have seen commonly mentioned is involving friends in your shit, ie: borrowing cars to travel to hydro stores, because the cops are watching the stores...how quick do you think your "friend" will flip on you when the cops are knocking on the door and asking why their car was at a hydro store??

I know I'm taking a chance going to the store...I attempt to be as safe as I can (without involving others). I've even been in a store when a detective came in and spoke to the owner about a customer who had been busted and I guess had some receipts from his store on hand. This was over 10 years ago...so if they were watching the store, I'd be in jail already!!

That said, I have a hydro store that just opened 5 min from my house...I still will drive the hour or two to the stores I have been using. I only go once every month or two. I'm more worried about my "neighbors" seeing my car than cops taking down my plate #....not to say it doesn't, or won't happen. Like I said you are definitely taking chances...if you grow, you know about taking chances!! right!??

So...rant over...back to my original question.

I am wondering about ordering lights? There is obviously a HUGE mail order business surrounding the grow industry. Places openly claiming "discrete billing, discrete shipping"...how much is that to be believed??

I have not ordered anything through the mail since Operation Green Merchant went down. That made my ass pucker, since I had ordered stuff right before that. I'm just wondering how these places are booming in business if no one is ordering?? Someones doing it right?

I'm thinking prepaid CC # and very small order..ie: 2 small panels. Maybe to the UPS store for pickup?? Instead of to my house?

Really don't want to involve "friends"...for the same reason I went into about the car thing...don't think that's too safe. I trust myself to keep my mouth shut if the cops come...not to sure about a friend who doesn't really know what I'm involving them in!?

I personally think that is the MOST dangerous thing you could possibly do!! I don't tell anyone what I'm up to...silence is golden.

Any feedback would be appreciated...

Thanks in advance.
Stay safe!

 

[Cali MedPatient]

I would just go to whatever store you feel comfortable going to and asking them to order them for you. They might charge a bit more, but it's worth it to be safe.

Before medical I was so paranoid that my friend and I, if we couldn't borrow a car from someone, would drive to the mall, park, and walk through the mall and out the other side where there was a bus stop. We'd take the bus to the grow store and back, carry our unmarked boxes through the mall and back to our car.

 

[rives]

Well, I've been recommending eHydroponics so much lately that I should be a stockholder, but their shipping is very discrete - I've used others that were as good, but none better. They overbox everything that they send out, and the return address has either been "Shipping Department" or "HGW". Their prices kill the competition, too.

I know exactly what you mean about Green Merchant. I had just set up my first grow room, via mail order, when that went down. Pucker power, indeed. However, it is about a 180 mile round trip for me to get to a grow store, and I am "legal" these days. Good luck.

 

[qupee]

Much safer to order online than to go to a local store if it is not legal in your area.

Local LEO can just park across from the store - or even throw up a camera. You are in wide-open public view. They can see you and who you are.

Online, you are no one. A needle in the biggest haystack in the history of humanity. LEO cannot simply look at who's ordering what. There are so many layers of obfuscation you are quite safe imho.

LEO would need a warrant or subpeona to get the records of an online merchant, and that just isn't happening. They have no reason. They can't simply go fishing like they can by staking out a local hydro shop.

And then there are thousands of online merchants selling grow equipment. Beyond that, each merchant may have thousand or tens of thousands of customers. How many hydro shops in your area compared to that? One. Maybe two.

Shipping companies aren't just letting LEO look at any record of a package from here to there. Again, they would need to already have an idea of what shipper or what receiver they're after.

Companies that advertise discrete shippping in my experience follow through. Most you would never have any idea from the packing label what they sell, and it is always in a plain cardboard box.

 

[DTFuqua]

Somewhere, there are LEOs "fishing" for information. How they can use that information is what the courts have control over but they have not intervened in LEOs gathering as much information as they want. The person is right to be paranoid. How much someone lets their paranoia rule their lives is dependent on how badly they want to stay out of prison. Life's a gamble. there are high risk things and low risk things. You just have to decide your comfort level.

 

[LeeROI]

[. . .]
Companies that advertise discrete shippping in my experience follow through. Most you would never have any idea from the packing label what they sell, and it is always in a plain cardboard box.

Not my experience at all. Unless you call and talk to somebody, stuff gets drop shipped all the time. Examples of drop shipped stuff to me, some with small labels, some with big identifying labels: Lumigrow, Sunlight Supply, California Lightworks.

 

[Keep goin]

Hey all,

Thanks for the quick replies...

CaliM...WOW now that's paranoid...holy crap! I woulda been nervous carrying boxes through the mall looking like a freak and drawing attention to myself...but to each his own. I am a fan of staying safe! I am in one of those "semi legal" states at this point...but I'm registered with no gov't agency.

Rives..Thanks for checking in, I will check out eHydro..thanks. Actually it's Cali Lightworks that I'm looking at and they want to ship direct..(say they can give me the best price!?) I'm hesitant because they directly market to weed growers...that's why I may go with your suggestion, or growerhouse.com has some insane prices also...

qupee...you are making me want to just do it!! I get plenty of "regular shit" delivered to my house...UPS/ Fed X are around my house enough, it wouldn't seem odd to be getting a box delivered. It more depends on the way it's sent...HYDRO LIGHTS TO GROW WEED INSIDE on the box...lol, not like that's what I would expect...but I wanted to see others ideas...so far, for the most part..seems like I should stop driving to the store altogether!! Even though I've been doing it for over 20 years!!

Yeah DT... that's kinda why I started this thread...to see what the general consciences is..as I said there is risk involved in all this activity (as you said as well)

Thanks all so far...keep goin!

 

[qupee]

Not my experience at all. Unless you call and talk to somebody, stuff gets drop shipped all the time. Examples of drop shipped stuff to me, some with small labels, some with big identifying labels: Lumigrow, Sunlight Supply, California Lightworks.

I've only experienced that once with a single item. It was clear that it was going to be drop shipped, but the return label did list Sunlight Supply as the shipper. The label was small and it was a plain brown box.

Even then it is only the delivery person to that address who could pick up on it, and a majority of them won't and I'd bet even a majority who would wouldn't care. I'll take that risk over going anywhere near a local hydro store. LEO uses facial recognition there's been nationwide "homeland security" grants to increase the use of video surveillance and facial recognition.

I firmly believe ordering supplies off the internet is the lowest risk way to get them, and you can vary the ratio of effort and risk - for example buying on your own cc and shipped to your house is the easiest but highest risk. Ordering on pre-paids or another person's card or with money order is less risk more work, same with shipping to a safe address.

I've had great experience with Horticulture Source online as well as a variety of Ebay vendors. In my opinion the key is to look to make sure they have a statement about discrete shipping. Some places you may need to add an extra $5 for overwrap boxes on large items like filters and hoods. Some places you need to put it in the comments on each order to ensure they don't drop ship. Read the site's/seller's policies carefully and absolutely ask if you are unsure first.

Hey all,

Thanks for the quick replies...

CaliM...WOW now that's paranoid...holy crap! I woulda been nervous carrying boxes through the mall looking like a freak and drawing attention to myself...but to each his own. I am a fan of staying safe! I am in one of those "semi legal" states at this point...but I'm registered with no gov't agency.

Rives..Thanks for checking in, I will check out eHydro..thanks. Actually it's Cali Lightworks that I'm looking at and they want to ship direct..(say they can give me the best price!?) I'm hesitant because they directly market to weed growers...that's why I may go with your suggestion, or growerhouse.com has some insane prices also...

qupee...you are making me want to just do it!! I get plenty of "regular shit" delivered to my house...UPS/ Fed X are around my house enough, it wouldn't seem odd to be getting a box delivered. It more depends on the way it's sent...HYDRO LIGHTS TO GROW WEED INSIDE on the box...lol, not like that's what I would expect...but I wanted to see others ideas...so far, for the most part..seems like I should stop driving to the store altogether!! Even though I've been doing it for over 20 years!!

Yeah DT... that's kinda why I started this thread...to see what the general consciences is..as I said there is risk involved in all this activity (as you said as well)

Thanks all so far...keep goin!

My vote is obviously for just do it. I've ordered plenty of supplies right to my <10 person office even and no one is the wiser. I do order a LOT of stuff online from grow supplies to computer equipment, to consumer electronics, to car parts, to whatever. I see the UPS guy 3-5 times a week and I am confident exactly 0 fucks are given to what I'm ordering.

How many bust stories can you find that start with we surveillance him at the grow store? Now how many bust stories can you find that start with the UPS/Fedex driver tippped us off that this guy got a package from Sunlight Supply.

One caveat. If you're ordering more than 5kw worth of big stuff like hoods I'd put some more care into where it gets shipped than home or office.

 

[Keep goin]

Thanks all,

Lee...thanks for that list...Cali Lightworks is who I was thinking about...

yeah qup...I haven't heard stories like that since Operation Green Merchant...which pretty much kept me from mail order for a while...what was that 20 years ago..lol

So, pre paid cc or money order...and not to the grow house...and should be good.

Thanks for the input all..

BE SAFE...I'm gonna stop driving 2 hours to the store..!!