Comments | ganimede: Bunch of numpties

ganimede

Bunch of numpties

Oct 01, 2008 20:44

I thought I would take advantage of having a day off work today and see about taking a parcel to the post office as it's been hanging around my bedroom for weeks and refuses to pay rent. It was going off to a certain boy in America and as it contained some food, I had to go and fill out the usual FDA form. This thing drives me crackers. It wants ( Read more... )

fun stuff in the post, michael, too much numpty business

Comments 8

mentalhygiene October 1 2008, 21:55:18 UTC

Have you ever tried to sent a package of food without the FDA form? Will it be rejected and sent back to you, or will the FDA not bother with random individual packages being sent over borders?

ganimede October 2 2008, 18:35:26 UTC

I believe the general practice is for the parcel to either be returned to me or destroyed. I haven't tried it, mainly because I don't have $40-50 to waste on sending a package that doesn't arrive at its destination :-/

mentalhygiene October 2 2008, 20:06:30 UTC

Would sending a smaller package be cheaper to try sending?

Mostly the FDA is probably concerned with either illegal drugs, or with food that can bring contaminants into the US, which is more likely to be things like produce or meat products as opposed to candy. I just can't imagine them expending the effort to inspect every single package that comes into the US that has any kind of food in it. The impression that I'm getting from what the postal workers said is that people lie all the time about what is (or isn't) in their packages, because a) the FDA form is a pain in the ass and b) the FDA is probably more concerned with larger shipments.

stephiev78 October 2 2008, 10:11:28 UTC

1. I like Bond - they rock. As a former violinist, I think they're awesome.

2. I was beginning to panic lol when I read this. I sent a friend some Aussie delights a while back - Milo, tim tams,etc ... and thought Crap! I never knew about these forms. Thanks for the info. I will remember that.

3. I always end up panicking at the post office when I send a package to Mr M. I keep forgetting to send one, and then of course, the original package keeps growing and growing and it's about $50 to send the wretched thing when I finally get there. He complained about the shipping container I sent him last time. ;)

ganimede October 2 2008, 18:40:46 UTC

1. Yay for someone else who has heard of bond! I was introduced to them a few years ago and I've found that very few people are aware of them. I like their whole classical with a beat and a bit of oomph style :)

2. I'm beginning to wonder what the deal is with those forms. The Royal Mail site gives the wrong information as far as I can tell and if they don't have a clue about it then I presume most of the people that send food to the US aren't told to fill out an FDA form.

3. Yeah, I do the same thing. I know that it's going to send me a fortune to send anything to Michael and it seems more cost effective to send one big parcel than lots of little ones. It probably isn't, but it seems like it is! Okay, what was the shipping container that got the complaints? I have to know now!

stephiev78 October 2 2008, 20:58:34 UTC

Heh. The parcel itself was rather large jiffy bag - it had a t-shirt and a scarf from our local soccer team, it had a cd, some pretty rocks, some nick-nack things from work ... I forget half of it lol. Apparently it was a huge parcel for him lol

lilacfaeryboy October 2 2008, 13:07:30 UTC

Thats werid, we don't have to do that here, I've sent Michael tonnes of chocolate and never filled out any forms...oops?

ganimede October 2 2008, 18:42:22 UTC

It's not just a UK thing, this is for anyone who is not in the US and wants to send food there. So that would include Ireland. I'm guessing your postal service is clueless on that aspect too and you've just been lucky that your parcels haven't been stopped at Customs.