Teganv Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I got an offer on Ebay for my KM stem, but the guy lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I was looking at the legality of shipping it to Brazil and noticed that on the USPS site, you cannot send commercial smoking pipes. Sorry for my naivety, but would that count for my stem, since it is technically a part of a smoking pipe? I wouldn't imagine that it would count as a commercial item though since I am not a company, so anyone know if this is in fact legal to send? Also something slightly off topic, did you know that it's illegal to send educational books to Brazil, if they are not published in Portuguese? Just something I found odd. Thanks ahead of time for any info anyone can provide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang67n Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 i have no idea.. but the educational books thing is rather interesting!! fun fact of the day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I would say it is illegal. This law is probably actually aimed AT hookahs. If you are going to ship it tell the bidder you take NO responsibility once the pipe leaves your hands and if it gets nailed they will NOT get a refund. Get it as part of an official ebay message exchange so there can be no question later. After an unpleasant international sale i stopped taking international bids. Make sure the funds are in a form they can't take back. Tell them pipe will ship when payment has CLEARED Ebay and MF, not when it shows up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teganv Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 Thanks Mush. If it's illegal though, as much as i would like to make the sale, I doubt I am going to go through with sending it to Brazil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuie Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Tegan, PM the persons name. I have sold almost 90% of all the hookah stuff I have put on eBay to Brazil. I didn't realize Commercial Pipes were illegal to mail via USPS to Brazil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rani Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I would also check with USPS..... They're prohibited from transporting tobacco related products in any form now thanks to Congress, but it's perfectly okay to send them UPS and Fed-EX. It is mostly likely an agency thing rather than a blanket law that bans export/import altogether. Remember back when they were working on the law guys? We had a big discussion about it and the fact that in the future we'd have to ship UPS or Fed-Ex to each other, remember? 'Rani Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name='Rani' timestamp='1342193542' post='551652'] I would also check with USPS..... [b]They're prohibited from transporting tobacco related products in any form now thanks to Congress, but it's perfectly okay to send them UPS and Fed-EX.[/b] It is mostly likely an agency thing rather than a blanket law that bans export/import altogether. Remember back when they were working on the law guys? We had a big discussion about it and the fact that in the future we'd have to ship UPS or Fed-Ex to each other, remember? 'Rani [/quote] I'm pretty sure that was only in regards to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Pipe tobacco (what hookah tobacco falls under) and cigars are still okay to send. I use USPS to ship hookah tobacco all the time and it's never an issue. Vendors wouldn't use USPS to send us our hookah tobacco if it wasn't legal. I've had several vendors after the law went into effect send me hookah tobacco in the Priority Small Flat Rate box for $5 to save on postage (fits three to four Tangiers bricks perfectly!). [url="https://www.usps.com/ship/international-tobacco-restrictions.htm"]https://www.usps.com...estrictions.htm[/url] Tegan, if it's defined simply as "commercial smoking pipe," I would try sending it, labeling it simply as a "pipe" on the customs form, and inform the buyer that you are NOT responsible if customs in Brazil holds/destroys the package (also make sure you collect sufficient payment for the heavy cost of sending it there). I've sent things to Canada this way, labeling hookahs as "pipes" and hookah tobacco as "molasses," and have never had an issue. I'm not sure how Brazil is about it. The "commercial" part is what's weird about it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teganv Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name='Stuie' timestamp='1342188630' post='551642'] Tegan, PM the persons name. I have sold almost 90% of all the hookah stuff I have put on eBay to Brazil. I didn't realize Commercial Pipes were illegal to mail via USPS to Brazil. [/quote] Yeah, I did message the guy to tell him that I wasn't going to be able to send it his way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teganv Posted July 13, 2012 Author Share Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name='Chreees' timestamp='1342220254' post='551704'] [quote name='Rani' timestamp='1342193542' post='551652'] I would also check with USPS..... [b]They're prohibited from transporting tobacco related products in any form now thanks to Congress, but it's perfectly okay to send them UPS and Fed-EX.[/b] It is mostly likely an agency thing rather than a blanket law that bans export/import altogether. Remember back when they were working on the law guys? We had a big discussion about it and the fact that in the future we'd have to ship UPS or Fed-Ex to each other, remember? 'Rani [/quote] I'm pretty sure that was only in regards to cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Pipe tobacco (what hookah tobacco falls under) and cigars are still okay to send. I use USPS to ship hookah tobacco all the time and it's never an issue. Vendors wouldn't use USPS to send us our hookah tobacco if it wasn't legal. I've had several vendors after the law went into effect send me hookah tobacco in the Priority Small Flat Rate box for $5 to save on postage (fits three to four Tangiers bricks perfectly!). [url="https://www.usps.com/ship/international-tobacco-restrictions.htm"]https://www.usps.com...estrictions.htm[/url] Tegan, if it's defined simply as "commercial smoking pipe," I would try sending it, labeling it simply as a "pipe" on the customs form, and inform the buyer that you are NOT responsible if customs in Brazil holds/destroys the package (also make sure you collect sufficient payment for the heavy cost of sending it there). I've sent things to Canada this way, labeling hookahs as "pipes" and hookah tobacco as "molasses," and have never had an issue. I'm not sure how Brazil is about it. The "commercial" part is what's weird about it... [/quote] This is the page I am looking at from USPS. It's the fifth line down. It states "Commercial shipments that contain cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, loose and packaged tobacco, pipes, and other smoking devices." [url="http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ab_028.htm#ep7147669"]http://pe.usps.com/text/Imm/ab_028.htm#ep7147669[/url] I would imagine sending the stem of a hookah would still count as a "smoking device". If it was just saying no to tobacco then I wouldn't give it a second thought. I guess I will do as Mush and you say, and just tell him that it's not my fault if Brazil doesn't allow it in. The problem I have though is that when I go to the post office they usually ask what's in the box and by saying a "pipe" that could still cause some issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chreees Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 My USPS people never ask me what's in the box, rather just if it's fragile, liquid, or perishable. When it's international and I write down the contents on the customs form, they never ask me to elaborate. I think when it says "Commercial shipments that contain cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars, loose and packaged tobacco, pipes, and other smoking devices," that means a commercial business cannot send that stuff. You sending it should be okay, I think. I may be wrong, though. Sounds like you decided not to, though. Avoids the extra hassle of figuring out shipping internationally, but you still gotta sell the thing now. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 What everyone has said is good advice, BUT ... no matter how you receive funds, eBay can still charge your card or whatever method you have for payment on eBay if the buyer were to open a claim for whatever reason. No matter WHAT, eBay will find a way to take money from you and give it to the buyer if you were to lose a case. With that said, you should be fine shipping it there, but if customs checks it and flags it you could very well be screwed. About 15% of our business is international and I will say this, of all foreign countries, Brazil's postal service is one of the WORST. Almost no orders of ours get lost internationally, about half get lost going to Brazil. So at the least if you decide to take his offer, insure that puppy when you ship it at least that way if they send it back, and you get it, then no harm done, if they ditch it or send it back and you don't get it, you can open a claim and get a refund from the insurance. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushrat Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 Hmm commercial shipment. Business to business or business to consumer. Wonder if that covers just person to person? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattarios2 Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 What the insurance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teganv Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 (edited) [quote name='mushrat' timestamp='1342232260' post='551723'] Hmm commercial shipment. Business to business or business to consumer. Wonder if that covers just person to person? [/quote] [size=4][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]See that is what I am questioning. I sent the person whom is interested in the stem, a message earlier today saying that I probably wouldn't be able to ship it because of the prohibition on it and me being unsure. I got a message back a couple minutes ago from him saying that "[color=#000000]It isn´t prohibited, I always buy hookahs on ebay, hookah-shisha, 5starhookah, hookahcompany and others. They send it by USPS, and don´t have a problem. [/color] [color=#000000]So I guess I am going to see if he has any "tips" on how to send it to him, and have the best chances of getting it through customs. I know I will have to say what is in the box on the shipping label, so I have to figure out what to call this.[/color][/font][/size] Edited July 14, 2012 by Teganv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teganv Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 I just sent him a message telling him exactly what you guys told me, about not getting refunded if Brazil's customs takes the package, and that I will not be held responsible for the package once it leaves my hands. Tomorrow I will be going to the post office to see how much shipping will cost. I really really want to sell this stem, so hopefully this will work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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