Merry Christmas and happy new year to all of you.

I have been hesitant to approach anyone regarding the possibility that some of the packages our family has sent to service Men and Women in Iraq and Afghanistan have not reached the intended destinations.

 My hesitancy is based on the recognition that the Men and Women  we sent them to are extremely busy and we are very grateful for the e-mail and letters they have taken the time to send us. We have no way of knowing if the packages we sent to the other soldiers marines and airmen were received.

 Our first concern was that we may have violated some restriction on liquids or aerosols as we sent packages with shaving cream, shampoo, hand sanitizers and other sundries. Did we violate any protocols?  Our other concern relates to the possibility of misplacement , confiscation or worse.

We typically send the flat rate box provided by the USPS and have found them to be very helpful and accomodating on our end here in Tampa. What happens in between here and the destination is a bit mysterious. For example; we sent three boxes to CWO2 James Malone on 12/12/07. We received an e-mail from him on 12/21 telling us he had received the first package. We wondered why all three did not get there at roughly the same time.

The purpose of this message is to solicit advice from the pros out there who may have already dealt with and resolved this uncertainty. We ask nothing in return for this effort and want to show our support in the tangible way a care package loaded with goodies can.

Is there a way of insuring the packages will get where we send them? Registered mail perhaps?

Thank you,

Jeff Aziz

Jeff,

Hi, and welcome to the forums.  You can do some searching through the posts in How to Send and also What to Send and learn a little from all the discussions there.

 There are regulations published by USPS, and you should find them in that section - things like no aerosols (air fresheners, shave creams, hair spray, etc.), alcohol (hand sanitizers, mouth wash, etc.), certain lithium batteries, and other items are discussed. 

Shave cream/gel in tubes are fine, and shampoos are too, but we are encouraged to double bag them with one bag opposite from the other.  The same thing applies to pop-top cans of food/drinks.

One thing that might affect the delivery of mail other than getting stuck in customs is having liquids or aerosols that leak all over the box.  Even putting the liquids/gels in two plastic bags, it is good to line the box with one or two shopping bags before filling it.

Registered mail isn't always a good idea since sometimes the contacts can't get to the post office to sign for it. 

I'm sure others will step up with better advice than I have given.

Gran

Jeff,

I just thought of another thing I like to always to to lessen the leaking of shampoos, shave creams, etc.  I always put strapping tape across the lid and part-way down the sides to secure the lid a little better before putting them in the ziploc baggies.

Gran

Jeff,

Welcome to the forums. 

I have just had a similar situation happen.  There is nothing in the package I sent that would have caused any problems at customs.  Of all the packages I've sent, only now has one still not arrived a month past its mailing date.  Although the other package I also sent to the same soldier did arrive.  As well as other packages from different people in different locations around the states  that were mailed after I mailed the ones I sent.  Theirs arrived within 7 days of being mailed. 

This package was even insured, but not for actual value, so as to not draw undue attention to it.  I've even went to the post office and all they can tell me is that it definitely left the states.  I still have another week to wait before I can even ask for a tracer to be put on it.  However, I was told that since the military postal system doesn't "pull custom forms" the way they do in the USPS that the package won't be able to be traced and to get ready to fill out for a return of the value I insured it for.  So I am thinking that maybe insuring may not see that it gets there, and that next time I will insure any package for the full value.  That way if it doesn't make it, I can repurchase everything in the package.  But insuring the package does help keep from you and your soldier losing everything you wanted them to have because at least that way you can get the insured value and repurchase and resend.  (that make sense?...I sure hope so)

Hopefully though, looking for an optimistic ray of light, maybe, just maybe, with all the heavy mail loads from the holidays, that has prevented the package from arriving yet.  Maybe it is the same with your packages.  Not sure if this helped you in any way or not, but hang in there and give it a bit more time.  I sent this package out the last week of November and the post office is still telling me to wait until the first week of January to see if it arrives. 

Hugs,

G.I.O.BARBIE

  When I mail a package that is going out of the US, I NEVER insure it. And please know this is just my opinion. To me, when a package is insured, that is like sending up a red flag that says, "This box has something nice and expensive in it", and I think the temptation to take what is inside by anyone handling the packages is greater. I hate to seem negative, but unfortunately, there are dishonest people in this world.

Happy New Year to All

Karen

KCatsimanes:

  When I mail a package that is going out of the US, I NEVER insure it. And please know this is just my opinion. To me, when a package is insured, that is like sending up a red flag that says, "This box has something nice and expensive in it", and I think the temptation to take what is inside by anyone handling the packages is greater. I hate to seem negative, but unfortunately, there are dishonest people in this world.

Happy New Year to All

Karen 

Dead wrong.

It is the customs form that is the red flag.  Insuring the box causes a paper trail, which I can tell you that mail clerks are not about to mess with.  Break the trail, and knowing who messed with a package is very easy.  Cops love it.

We post this stuff on the web site, and strongly suggest folks read it.  Of course, you do as you wish, but if you want it to work...  ;)

Jeff - we send insured & trck and confirm - you can check track and confirm online yourself - if notheing shows on that after 30 days the PO can check the insured number for you, a supervisor has to do it and find out what is going on with the package.  We sent - among others - a package on 11/23 - it finally arrived on 12/26 per the insured slip - our other packages got there in a wek ore so!?!?!  INsured and track and confirm only add 2.30 to the cost of a package and are well worth the cost - my ipinion only.  Sick puter gotta run.

Good Luck.

Ann

To all of you,

Thank you for your advice. We have insured several of the packages and will follow up after another couple weeks have passed as that seems appropriate given the volume of mail that flows this time of year.

I have to say that I feel that it is likely that our packages were merely a drop in the ocean given the respones I have received from those of you who have written back as well as those who's postings I have read these last few days!

It is truly gratifying to see so many people are participating in this effort. I worry that our men and women feel forgotten or have to carry such an unfair and disproportionate burden while fighting to protect us here at home. While are safe  in our homes, they may feel we take our security for granted and forget the sacrifice they make so far from their own family and friends.

I once read that in war if you can't fight than you have to spend your money to help the fight.  I paraphrase here but my intent is to demonstrate that this effort, AnySoldier, is a tangible way for large numbers of people to stand behind the warriors and let them know we'll be there when they get home as well.

Marty, you have given us an excellent tool for us to do something concrete to thank our protectors.

Thank you and Happy New Year,

Jeff, Ceci, Jennifer and Lauren Aziz

Ann,

Thanks. We'll follow up on your advice and will ship all future packages in this manner.

Good luck with your machine,

Jeff

Hello Jeff,

I had a situation similar to this back in august. I had sent 3 packages of things for a whole unit and only 2 arrived. My contact and I both wondered how that could be. so we forgot about it and chalked it up to being stolen. Low and behold 3 months later he was called over to pick up a pkg. and it was the one from August!!! He said the mail personnel explained to him ( he is on a huge fob) that when they get so many pkgs in like that, there are many that just get shoved to the back and not rotated. At least in his case that is what happened.

  Thanks Marty ...:)

Sorry to say but I think we all know some things do get stolen.  I have started insuring alot of packages.  Just be sure to get the right kind, I thought I was after telling the clerk I wanted to insure them, but it turns out it wasn't the kind that I got something back showing who/when it arrived etc.

Last year I sent a microwave ordered online, and there didn't appear to be a way to insure it.  Got there fine and quickly, so I ordered two more.  They never arrived!  A few other boxes have gone missing, and of course at the KOP I haven't a clue how many arrived as they aren't able to communicate much.  So I just send them off with a hope and a prayer,

Jeff - Sorry to be confusing on this one - but sometimes if a contact is on an FOB and doesn't get back to his base for a long time you might want to skip insurance and trust it to the angels - they may have to sign for it and the package may sit at the base til they get back.  Yeah - I know it's confusing.  Didn't have time to include this in last post as computer was saying bye, bye.

Ann