I have a question on proper procedure for wine delivery

[UPS Lifer]

I would have opened each of them to see if it was alcohol or non-alcohol.


I don't know if this is such a good idea; would never expect it from you, but I could be wrong.

I always go back to using common sense. If you suspect a problem with a shipment - let the center know (message them). Don't deliver (or open) until you get an answer back. UPS can open any box and inspect it but most employees need permission to open a package for security reasons. Over demonstrated a good reason why he would not deliver.

To go one step further... if I dropped those packages off at the clerk station and they came back unopened which means they were not inspected I would probably get a supervisor involved before I left in the AM.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I always go back to using common sense. If you suspect a problem with a shipment - let the center know (message them). Don't deliver (or open) until you get an answer back. UPS can open any box and inspect it but most employees need permission to open a package for security reasons. Over demonstrated a good reason why he would not deliver.

To go one step further... if I dropped those packages off at the clerk station and they came back unopened which means they were not inspected I would probably get a supervisor involved before I left in the AM.

Good point(s). Thanks.

 

[over9five]

OK, I hate posting bad info, so I have to clear up a few things...

Massachusetts is one of a few states that does not allow alcohol delivery. If we have a box of wine or beer, we cannot deliver it and must enter it as "non-delivery. Security".

Our clerk will call the customer and try to address correct to a friend in NH.

A clerk DID tell me that. Problem is that it may have been 10 years ago!

Is this official UPS policy here in Massachusetts, or just the clerk trying to be helpful?

I think the Massachusetts authorities would probably regard such re-routing of wine as a crime of some sort. Rightly or wrongly, Massachusetts has a law, and this re-routing is designed to circumvent that law.

Probably correct.
I got to work this morning, and the 3 packages were in my EDD. Great, I thought, Steve was right. It was kool-aid...
I went into the office and tracked it. They came up "Destroyed". It was wine, and it cannot re-enter the system once discovered here in Massachusetts. It gets dumped.

Over, if you could PM me that picture or just the shipper number and return label information I will get with our BD people here so that they can get with the BD people that services that shipper so that we can educate them. Dave.

I'll PM it to you if you think you can blow it up and read it. I honestly believe the lack of sigreq stickers or an A8 barcode means the shipper knew it was illegal to ship to Mass. Pop me your email and I'll send you the 3 I took.


Now my next question is:

Do we pay a claim for $1000 worth of wine we intentionally destroyed when the shipment was illegal in the first place?
If we don't pay, do we lose a big shipper?

 

[stevetheupsguy]

OK--fair enough.

Would you have delivered them based on the fact that it was not A8 and not marked as wine? Or would you have gone by the return label and did as Over did, which I am not saying is wrong based upon the info that he had?

Over, if you could PM me that picture or just the shipper number and return label information I will get with our BD people here so that they can get with the BD people that services that shipper so that we can educate them. Dave.

I would have delivered as I normally do, because I NEVER read the return address, so if it doesn't say "Alcoholic"/"Controlled Substance" or prompt for a signature, I would deliver as the situation calls for, i.e., DR for safe DR areas and signature for unsafe or business. Of course we don't have the non-alcohol laws in this state.

 

[upsgrunt]

OK, I hate posting bad info, so I have to clear up a few things...




A clerk DID tell me that. Problem is that it may have been 10 years ago!




Probably correct.
I got to work this morning, and the 3 packages were in my EDD. Great, I thought, Steve was right. It was kool-aid...
I went into the office and tracked it. They came up "Destroyed". It was wine, and it cannot re-enter the system once discovered here in Massachusetts. It gets dumped.





I'll PM it to you if you think you can blow it up and read it. I honestly believe the lack of sigreq stickers or an A8 barcode means the shipper knew it was illegal to ship to Mass. Pop me your email and I'll send you the 3 I took.


Now my next question is:

Do we pay a claim for $1000 worth of wine we intentionally destroyed when the shipment was illegal in the first place?
If we don't pay, do we lose a big shipper?

My big question is:
Since they were not tagged as A8 or signature required, were driver released, and say a kid got a hold of it and there was liability issues; who would be liable, UPS for delivering, or the shipper for improper labeling?

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

My big question is:
Since they were not tagged as A8 or signature required, were driver released, and say a kid got a hold of it and there was liability issues; who would be liable, UPS for delivering, or the shipper for improper labeling?

Which brings me back to my point where I said that I would open one of them to see what was in them.

Over, how did you sheet the packages? The reason I ask is that if you did not sheet them as Hold then PAS does not take them out of the system and they will be in your EDD the following day even though they are not re-PALed.

 

[brownmonster]

Which brings me back to my point where I said that I would open one of them to see what was in them.

Over, how did you sheet the packages? The reason I ask is that if you did not sheet them as Hold then PAS does not take them out of the system and they will be in your EDD the following day even though they are not re-PALed.

Shouldn't the clerk who destroyed the pkgs enter something into the system as an exception for tracking purposes. They shouldn't end up back in EDD as tracking would show out for delivery.

 

[Big Babooba]

Proper delivery procedure for alcoholic beverages found in the UPS system in Massachusetts.

1. Open the package.
2. Open the container(s).
3. Drink the contents.
4. Return the container(s) to the package.
5. Retape the package.
6. Deliver the package.

There is no law against delivering empty containers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
​

 

[moreluck]

Gee, I thought the correct procedure might be to deliver everything to Babooba Enterprises to have it inspected!

 

[stevetheupsguy]

Gee, I thought the correct procedure might be to deliver everything to Babooba Enterprises to have it inspected!

Another good idea.

 

[UPS Lifer]

OK, I hate posting bad info, so I have to clear up a few things...

Now my next question is:

Do we pay a claim for $1000 worth of wine we intentionally destroyed when the shipment was illegal in the first place?
If we don't pay, do we lose a big shipper?

For UPS to pay a claim, the contents of the box would have had to be declared. How do you declare a value on an item that is illegal to ship? I would equate that to illegal drugs.

Question from UPS Grunt - Since they were not tagged as A8 or signature required, were driver released, and say a kid got a hold of it and there was liability issues; who would be liable, UPS for delivering, or the shipper for improper labeling?

The liability would be on the shipper. This is assuming that an investigation resulted in UPS and the driver following prescribed methods and policies and the shipper did not declare the contents. The investigative authority would go to the shipper's location unannounced and check the facility, packages and the documentation of the parcels shipped. UPS could be held to some culpability if the documentation shows that the contents is in fact wine. Take it one step further, if it could be proved that the driver knew what was in the box and Driver Released it anyway the driver could be held liable also. This could be civil or criminal depending on the circumstances.

 

[Big Babooba]

Gee, I thought the correct procedure might be to deliver everything to Babooba Enterprises to have it inspected!

That would be against the law in Massachusetts! Big Babooba Enterprises is not involved in any less than legal or shady business dealings. After all, we do have a reputation to maintain.

 

[Big Babooba]

Proper delivery procedure for alcoholic beverages found in the UPS system in Massachusetts.

1. Open the package.
2. Open the container(s).
3. Drink the contents.
4. Return the container(s) to the package.
5. Retape the package.
6. Deliver the package.

There is no law against delivering empty containers in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
​

One day I discovered a box of marijuana. I ate 40 lbs of brownies that day!

 

[RustyPMcG]

For UPS to pay a claim, the contents of the box would have had to be declared. How do you declare a value on an item that is illegal to ship? I would equate that to illegal drugs.

Actually, it wouldn't just be equal. That would be the exact scenario.

The fact that the "drugs" (in this case, wine) may be legal in some places under some conditions is irrelevant if they are illegal to deliver in that state and/or under those conditions.

And I wouldn't worry about UPS losing the customer to a competitor. Once they lose their license(s) to produce and distribute alcholic beverages, they won't be anyone's customer.

 

[over9five]

Over, how did you sheet the packages? The reason I ask is that if you did not sheet them as Hold then PAS does not take them out of the system and they will be in your EDD the following day even though they are not re-PALed.

Non Delivery - Security. And in remarks "Alcohol".

 

[over9five]

Shouldn't the clerk who destroyed the pkgs enter something into the system as an exception for tracking purposes. They shouldn't end up back in EDD as tracking would show out for delivery.

Yeah, I thought it was strange they were in EDD but at the same time showed "Destroyed" when tracked.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

Non Delivery - Security. And in remarks "Alcohol".

That would not take them out of the system which is why they were in your EDD the following day.

 

[over9five]

That would not take them out of the system which is why they were in your EDD the following day.

Maybe they have us sheet it that way in case it IS kool-aid!