Silk Road forums

Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: Professor Oak on May 27, 2013, 09:51 am

Title: Shipping address question
Post by: Professor Oak on May 27, 2013, 09:51 am
Hello all,

a customer has asked me if i can ship his item to him only including his first name and not surname. I asked him for his full name. He explained that he is not comfortable giving his full name which is kind of understandable. I then explained that making the package look as similar to normal mail is essential to remaining stealthy and strongly urged him to send his full name. I'm hoping he decides to give his full name, however I'm unsure about sending it with his first name only. This is a domestic order btw.
any friendly advice would be useful in this case!

Thanks

Prof. Oak
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: Toska on May 27, 2013, 10:26 am
I think no surname on a letter / parcel would be pretty strange and suspicious.  I personally wouldn't ship it and wouldn't order without a surname either. 
Not sure what country it is in so that may impact what the post service is like, could he not use a fake name? In the UK do they compare who lives at the address to who is getting mail?
I guess some other options are using only surname so Mr S Smith, using a fake name, posting to a non home address, fake surname, or very slightly misspelled surname.  Also could do something like "Dear Resident" or "to the homeowner", or a fake business name. Frankly theses are things the buyer needs to think about and decide.  I cant imagine many people would ship to someone who isn't using a surname. I think its a risk and higher chance of it not showing up or getting a second look.

Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: jackofspades on May 27, 2013, 03:44 pm
I thought it was pretty much common knowledge that fake names fuck shit up.
If youre an established vendor, he doesnt have to worry about you being LE (if thats his main concern)
and there are many many precautions for us in place in case of a 'code red'
(i.e. dont ever sign, deny, use spouses name?, find dif drop house etc.)

It IS most certainly understandable but his concerns have already been answered.
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: Jenso on May 27, 2013, 03:57 pm
Having just a first name on something would definitely looks suspicious. I've heard of people using a first initial and then the last name, but never just a first name. Domestic or not, I could see a parcel with only a first name being inspected more than normal IF noticed. Just my thoughts on it...
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: Jenso on May 27, 2013, 04:12 pm
I guess some other options are using only surname so Mr S Smith, using a fake name, posting to a non home address, fake surname, or very slightly misspelled surname.  Also could do something like "Dear Resident" or "to the homeowner", or a fake business name. Frankly theses are things the buyer needs to think about and decide.  I cant imagine many people would ship to someone who isn't using a surname. I think its a risk and higher chance of it not showing up or getting a second look.

All very viable options.

Fake shipping information tends to be hit and miss. You could send it as such, I would just make sure the customer knows he/she is ruining any refund type of option in case it gets picked up (well, with most vendors anyways... not sure how you handle that friend).
--- I.e., I'll mail something to you saying its for 'Snoopy' if you really want, but if it gets picked up don't come complaining to me. ;)
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: Professor Oak on May 27, 2013, 04:38 pm
Thanks everyone for your advice!

I made him fully aware that it was more risky and he accepted this fact and didn't change his mind so i sent it as asked. I'm sure it will be fine though!
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: jameslink2 on May 27, 2013, 04:41 pm
Let me put forward a few suggestions that I have sent to some customers.

If you want to use a fake name or a fake business name, then establish the name before you use it. To do this you simply sign up for free magazines and other things that are mailed and use the fake name. Use it for a month or two before you order. This gets the postman accustom to seeing the name on mail. If you are asked by your postman, I have had it happen once, just tell him it is a friend that is staying with you.

Misspelling the last name is always good and you can track vendors shipments by the misspelling. If you order more than one item at a time.

Add a box or apartment number to the address. If you have a physical address such as a house, you can always add "#119" or any other number after the street name. For example

Joe Smith
111 Crap St. #119
Podunk, Ca 90210

The postman will still deliver it to you.

The following gets spotty results but do work.

You can also put in a forwarding address card for any name on a vacant house then order a week later. The postman will normally forward the mail to the address on the card. This slows down delivery and may or may not get it to you as it is not always reliable.
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: The-Truth on May 27, 2013, 06:08 pm
I see a profile violation -    Lists sender's and/or receiver's names of common type (e.g., John Smith) that are not connected to either address   ------    One surname is way foolish

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Profiling postal packages represents a challenging and exciting aspect of drug enforcement. In the future, law enforcement agencies might expand the use of this technique to detect packages transported by private carriers and parcel services.

The expertise gained by working with postal inspectors to detect controlled substances sent by mail could be applied to private carriers in an attempt to choke off other conduits for transporting controlled substances. By employing every method available, U.S. Postal Inspectors can work with local law enforcement agencies to keep the Postal Service from being an unwitting and unwilling drug courier.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Profile

Postal inspectors use these criteria to identify packages that might contain drugs.

Package Criteria
* Emits odors of marijuana or or a masking agent (e.g., coffee, perfume, fabric-softener sheets)

* Is heavily taped along seams

* Is poorly prepared for mailing

* Appears to have been re-used

* Has an uneven weight distribution

Label Criteria
* Is handwritten

* Contains misspelled names, streets, or cities

* Originates from a drug source State

* Has been sent from an individual to an individual

* Contains return address ZIP code that does not match accepting post office ZIP code

* Shows a fictitious return address

* Lists sender's and/or receiver's names of common type (e.g., John Smith) that are not connected to either address

Endnotes

(1) United States v. Hill, 701 F. Supp. 1522 (D.C.Kan. 1988). (2) The U.S. Postal Service's Administrative Support Manual (ASM), Section 274.31, disallows any mail sealed against inspection (i.e., First-Class, Express Mail) to be detained, even for a dog sniff, with very few exceptions. ASM 274.31 (a) notes that "a Postal Inspector acting diligently and without avoidable delay, upon reasonable suspicion, for a brief period of time [may detain a piece of mail] to assemble sufficient evidence to satisfy the probable-cause requirement for a search warrant, and to apply for, obtain, and execute the warrant." Therefore, reasonable suspicion must exist before the mail can be detained.
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: DoctorFate on May 27, 2013, 06:40 pm
What?
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: Jack N Hoff on May 27, 2013, 07:01 pm
I've mailed lots of international and domestic packages to fake names.  I've received many international packages to legitimate initials like "B Brown" or "Bobby B."  I've mailed domestic packages with a single name.  I'm not saying it's good, but I've never had a problem.
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: 420SLINGER on May 29, 2013, 03:41 pm
I thought it was pretty much common knowledge that fake names fuck shit up.
If youre an established vendor, he doesnt have to worry about you being LE (if thats his main concern)
and there are many many precautions for us in place in case of a 'code red'
(i.e. dont ever sign, deny, use spouses name?, find dif drop house etc.)

It IS most certainly understandable but his concerns have already been answered.

ship over 300 this year all with fake names lost 2 packages No CD

I have the buyer send me a name very similar to his but not his.

ex: Larry potter  change to Larry Poller
Title: Re: Shipping address question
Post by: heatcheck on May 29, 2013, 06:38 pm
I've mailed lots of international and domestic packages to fake names.  I've received many international packages to legitimate initials like "B Brown" or "Bobby B."  I've mailed domestic packages with a single name.  I'm not saying it's good, but I've never had a problem.

I too have used fake names for shipments. Though, the fake name had already been established at this address for quite some time. It was a boarding house sort of situation and a tenant from a few years back was still receiving all sorts of junk mail almost every single day. Adding a couple more pieces of mail to this name was not out of the ordinary at all.

There also were a few other old tenants still receiving mail there too, so really there was already an abundance of junk mail to the address. Perfect situation in my opinion.