posted on March 2, 2005 11:58:26 AM
About three months ago I tried to send a Zippo lighter through the USPS and had a great deal of difficulty. I had to go to the top guy at the local post office. He even had me take the lighter apart to see if he could smell lighter fluid. Now I read that cigarette lighters will soon be on the prohibited list for airline passengers as of sometime in April. Does anyone know how this will relate to the US Postal Service. Knowing how beaurocracy can be I have a bad feeling in my gut. They make it tough enough when it is legal.
posted on March 2, 2005 02:50:10 PM
That is interesting. A friend of mine sold a lighter to a bidder in Japan. Had no problem at all & he had to fill out custom forms. How did the PO know you were sending a lighter?
posted on March 2, 2005 03:02:09 PM
Next time, getalife, maybe you could try putting it in a jewelry box with some cotton? Might weigh a little more. And dont mention it to them, !! Oh did they ask you that: "is there anything flammable,liquid, etc, etc", and you said, yeah maybe? Most of those zippo's sell fairly well, I imagine those sellers got it down with wrapping them so they dont have to say potentially flammable if its not moving around alot.
342.21 Nonmailable Gases
When any gas that is nonmailable is discovered in the mailstream, the procedures in POM 139.117 must be followed if the materials present an immediate threat to persons or property. The procedures in POM 139.118 are followed when there is no immediate threat to persons or property.
The following are some specific types of nonmailable gases:
a. Cigarette Lighters (NA1226). Generally, lighters charged with fuel and having an ignition system or any similar heating, lighting, or ignition device are a Class 3 flammable liquid and are nonmailable. However, if an approval number is obtained from DOT, consideration for mailing may be requested from the RCSC manager under the provisions in 343.24 and DMM C023.4.4.
posted on March 2, 2005 10:56:11 PM
There is an area in the customs form that asks what the item is. The first time I sold a Zippo the buyer who was from Japan told me the procedure he used and said it had worked over a thousand times. That one went off beautifully. The last time was a lot of trouble. And yes sthoemke, I did have to take the flint out on the second go round. If you'll check the closed Zippo auctions on Ebay you'll find a tremendous amount of them are bought by Asians. I've sold two Zippos, one to Japan and one to China and did well on both.
Here's a link to the form. Click on "view sample image" after following the link.
!! Oh did they ask you that: "is there anything flammable,liquid, etc, etc", and you said, yeah maybe? Most of those zippo's sell fairly well, I imagine those sellers got it down with wrapping them so they dont have to say potentially flammable if its not moving around alot.