Just wanted to fish for some opinions on how to overcome two pretty solid pieces of advice. /u/BankofQuark words one pearl of wisdom better than I in a recent thread, so I'll just quote him. In relation to getting 'sus' deliveries: 'Old schoolers that haven't done time do this: Get a sharpie. Write, "RETURN TO SENDER NOT AT THIS ADDRESS," on the package before opening it. Set it just inside your door or wherever you put your other unopened mail. Wait. How long should you wait? Answer: How much does it matter? Usually controlled deliveries include a no-knock or a visit inside of an hour. I'd recommend forgetting about that package until your wife/sister/etc's next menstrual cycle. If the package is "heavy" you might want to forget about it a bit longer. I hope all goes well.'
Great advice, but we actually run into some issues here (I believe - if there's legal complications I don't know about, please correct me. I'm in Australia, so local knowledge is fantastic, but very keen to hear from all corners) when the general consensus is that having packages delivered to yourself under your own name is the way to go, as it doesn't raise the ire/suspicion of postal staff etc.
Two bits of what appear to be solid advice. Never the twain shall meet. Sure, it's easy to explain the idea of PO boxes, uninhabited dwellings etc as 'safe' options, but for the minor punter who likes to stock up on enough for personal use and entertain a few friends, what's a better approach to it all?
I personally don't have a problem or think it's bad if someone wants to go to the trouble of po boxes or empty houses but to me it's overkill at best for 99% of buyers and at worst a higher risk of arrest or higher risk of losing your product. I know it's a thing that frightens many, having the product sent to your actual house with your actual name because it seems to go against every ounce of you wanting to be anonymous, but I believe it's nearly always the safer thing to do. Picking up a drop at an abandoned will draw more suspicion if seen by nosy neighbors who know no one lives there, as well as by the regular postman who's now suddenly delivering a package to a house he knows the residents moved out from months ago. Nothing big once or twice but too often and it could be viewed as odd enough to be suspicious and worth looking into.
PO boxes sound good in theory but only if you've used fake id to create one, which I doubt most do, so with your real name pinned to it what's the point? And at the point it's put in the box they already know what's in it then it's no harder for them to stake out the post office waiting for someone to pick it up just like they could wait outside your house for you to pick it up. Unless used with a fake id (but again who cares about your fake name on the box when arrest the real you in person picking it up) I don't really see the point. It's just like your mailbox at home but far away that you had to make a point of going to instead of walking right outside your house. To me just an extended mailbox.
And I guess I might be in the minority, since I've seen the whole "write return to sender on the envelope" thing forever now and I just think it's a rediculous waste of time and zero protection. It's always seemed to me to be one of those tv or movie "tricks" that's a supposed loophole to get you out of trouble, but in real life wouldn't do anything at all. Like the whole "just ask the undercover cop if he's a cop and he has to tell you yes" bs, I highly doubt doing this would do anything to save you. They've spent time and resources doing a controlled drop and I don't care what you do with it or write on it once it enters your house you are responsible for it's contents. Anyone had a friend in their car that hid some drugs in your car just for a bit without you knowing when you get pulled over? If they do a search of your car good luck telling the cop who finds the drugs that it's not yours, as much as they might even believe you or feel bad the fact is anything in your car is your responsibility. I'm sure the same applies to your house. And don't say don't bring it inside, stay on the porch or driveway then. C'mon guys! You think this is their first rodeo? You're going to trip them up with some special technicality only you know? They've gone to all this bother at this point I think they've probably done a little research and found that anywhere on your property, in your house or not, is unacceptable to be found with illegal materials. Not to mention it looks absolutely completely unnatural of a thing for someone to do with a package they receive. Who of you not expecting anything illegal in the mail would do that? Package has correct name and address, keep and open wondering what it was you ordered and don't remember. Wrong name wrong address, just leave it in mailbox for postman to pick back up tomorrow. Wrong name right address who knows, be puzzled and probably open it I don't know. But writing stuff in big letters on it to me is trying so hard to tell the world, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS IS!! Little too desperate if you ask me but hey, if it makes you happy and feel safer by all means be my guest. Just don't expect it to help at all in my opinion.
"Pack 'er up fellas, call off the swat, ground the helicopters, this boy's got him a sharpie!"
EDIT: Oh, okay, I guess if you get 100 grams of Netherlands molly shipped weekly then your house wouldn't be the best bet, but I'm guessing if that's your situation you're probably not on here and probably also got this whole "drug dealing" thing figured out pretty well without any of our helpful advice on how to order 10 tabs of acid without getting caught. Thanks for the "return to sender" idea, Scarface.