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Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: calcium on December 05, 2011, 09:33 pm

Title: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: calcium on December 05, 2011, 09:33 pm
Having seen at least a couple vendors' shipping methods for pot, a few things stand out about better shippers that I noticed and appreciated as a buyer.

I'm not going to name vendors for their privacy, but they can comment on their own practices if they want. ;-)

I hope vendors continue to innovate with different and/or better ways of doing the two things that packing needs to accomplish: a) not raise suspicion, and b) protect the product. This is meant as a bit of inspiration, not a suggestion that vendors copy each others' practices exactly. Also, obviously some of the things that might be nicer for customers need to be balanced with our security need for unpredictability by variety; I'm just commenting on what I liked seeing.

1. Within the envelope,  an opaque, tamper-evident outer bag (eg the kind used for electronics) - protects contents from identification even if envelope is opened by postal inspectors or customs (unless of course they x-ray'd it), and adds to vapor layers.

Some vendors only put paper around clear vacuum bags - zero protection from visual search of envelope contents.

2. Vacuum sealing of innermost bag - possibly a tradeoff of compressing the bud vs having a slimmer package (= less suspicious / able to be felt by hand if opened) and less potential contamination of other layers. Not sure which is better.

3. # of vapor-tight layers. One is unacceptable - smell particles in the packing room will contaminate the outside, resulting in at least some smell. Two is minimum, and depends on how the first layer is handled. Removing all smell would require taking it to a staging area, cleaning thoroughly (eg with rubbing alcohol), then putting in second bag. Otherwise some particulates that had stuck to the outside of the first bag can get on the outside of the second one. Three+ is probably gold standard, especially if inner bags are wiped first.

(Alcohol wipes + gloves also probably a good idea for sellers to prevent fingerprints.)

4. At least some hard-sided containment layer to prevent crushing during processing. One vendor used a very small box (like a jewelry or small-electronics box) around the buds for this, within other layers. Theirs was completely unsmushed, just naturally dense.

5. Outer envelope: All have exact postage and are very boring / unremarkable overall. Better ones look like random but legit businesses in other industries that plausibly match their contents in look & feel if opened by one or two layers. Return addresses hopefully are legit (to the postal computers) but undeliverable and routinely randomized for seller's protection; I haven't checked this.

6. Innermost packaging includes ziplock mini-baggie, with minimal but sufficient labeling (eg initials of strain). Not a security issue, just makes storing it at home easier / nicer. (Lets me easily keep track of which strain is which if I want to mix it up, doesn't require me to find a separate baggie or container for it.)
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: souledout on December 05, 2011, 10:17 pm
great post !


+1 on the making it look like legit, boring business mail., I however am not to fussy about the condition the stuff is in necessarily if its an aid to keeping it stealthy, Flat weed and hash still does the trick :) 
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: Rehash on December 05, 2011, 11:43 pm
I'm loving this post. Good job!
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: sunnyaura on January 25, 2012, 07:44 am
Nice one Calcium  ;)
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: PlusPlus on January 25, 2012, 06:32 pm
Good post. Stealth is what keeps the authorities away, hopefully this encourages vendors. ;)

I had a thought about the "opaque, tamper-evident outer bag (eg the kind used for electronics)":
Usually, the antistatic bags that ARE used for electronics are either metal coated or have a metal cage (with conductive metal to form a Faraday cage), and this can show up on X-ray detectors (with low energy X-rays).

If they are using low-energy detectors, wouldn't this arouse MORE suspicion (if they saw an opaque cage or sheet pop up on the detector screen)?
An opaque, outer bag is a great idea but the bags designed for electronics might show up on such detectors.
I don't know too much about postal inspectors so maybe somebody with some inside knowledge can add to this.

Figured I'd add that in anyway.
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: tordemon on January 25, 2012, 07:08 pm
Yea, I wouldn't recommend using the electronics packaging, but an opaque bag is nice. I also appreciate it when things are labeled surreptitiously; a number that I can look up later is nice (ie CAS number or random SKU number looking thing), but something that directly identifies what I'm receiving makes me feel kinda sketched out. As OP said, initial would work fine for bud strains.
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: GaltRR on January 26, 2012, 02:44 am
What the inside looks like doesn't matter. If it comes to the point where they are opening your package they are going to find whats in there. Its all about containing smells and outer appearance.
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: DiipaDaapa on January 26, 2012, 05:16 am
Yeah I have to agree with not using the anti-static bags - they light up like a Christmas tree in the x-rays.
I had to empty my laptop bag in airport security thanks to a couple of SSDs inside those bags.

I've also noticed that when shipping powders/crystals, it's not a great idea to have them inside a small ziplock bag inside the vacuum bag. You can clearly feel the ziplock bag of drugs inside the envelope when you're feeling up the package. I've had a shipment where the crystals were just vacuum sealed without a ziplock inside and the vacuum bag wasn't much thicker than the width of the biggest crystals and the crystals were uniformly distributed. It was impossible to tell there was anything else than just paper inside the letter.
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: bozangles on January 26, 2012, 07:38 pm
Yeah I have to agree with not using the anti-static bags - they light up like a Christmas tree in the x-rays.
I had to empty my laptop bag in airport security thanks to a couple of SSDs inside those bags.

I've also noticed that when shipping powders/crystals, it's not a great idea to have them inside a small ziplock bag inside the vacuum bag. You can clearly feel the ziplock bag of drugs inside the envelope when you're feeling up the package. I've had a shipment where the crystals were just vacuum sealed without a ziplock inside and the vacuum bag wasn't much thicker than the width of the biggest crystals and the crystals were uniformly distributed. It was impossible to tell there was anything else than just paper inside the letter.

Done right this isn't a problem. Use a very, very thin/lightweight baggie and then think creatively about how to assemble it into the package. I know at least one top vendor who does something along these lines and the result is among the most innocuous looking packages I've ever seen.
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: tordemon on January 26, 2012, 09:46 pm
Yeah I have to agree with not using the anti-static bags - they light up like a Christmas tree in the x-rays.
I had to empty my laptop bag in airport security thanks to a couple of SSDs inside those bags.

I've also noticed that when shipping powders/crystals, it's not a great idea to have them inside a small ziplock bag inside the vacuum bag. You can clearly feel the ziplock bag of drugs inside the envelope when you're feeling up the package. I've had a shipment where the crystals were just vacuum sealed without a ziplock inside and the vacuum bag wasn't much thicker than the width of the biggest crystals and the crystals were uniformly distributed. It was impossible to tell there was anything else than just paper inside the letter.

Done right this isn't a problem. Use a very, very thin/lightweight baggie and then think creatively about how to assemble it into the package. I know at least one top vendor who does something along these lines and the result is among the most innocuous looking packages I've ever seen.
A vendor I used previously folded up 5 sheets of paper, and cut a hole in the middle 3 exactly the size of the baggie that was enclosed; this made identification outside absolutely impossible.

But, still, if it gets intercepted I want them to have to test it for themselves to figure out what it is; I don't want them to already have proof it's illegal. What if (small chance) the envelope breaks and shit falls out? This actually happened to me on a previous order; the envelope ripped and it fell out, but because the baggie was covered by paper that looked like a letter, a postal employee taped it back up for me.
Title: Re: Better packing practices (from buyer / customer service POV)
Post by: A. Dubois on January 30, 2012, 09:49 pm
I've shipped cannabis prob 10-15 times in the US, and I always used those cheap "Glad" brand food containers, like for sandwiches. You can get about an oz and a half of premium buds in there and when you vacuum seal they don't crush if you've done it right. 4 of them fit into one of those boxes in the PO and there you go. You can get bigger sizes too for larger quantities. Plus an extra layer of smell protection. I've never had an issue. I ALWAYS overnight those packages and 3 X vacuum seal RIGHT BEFORE I ship. Even with a vacuum seal the longer it sits the more the smell will permeate through. After a week it will smell as tho there is no vacuum seal, but if the package is freshly done even a dog won't be able to hit it.