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Can't send PERFUME from Seattle to Australia???!

post #1 of 8
10/15/10 at 2:34am
Thread Starter 
Hi everyone, I have the needs to pick your brain about the rules and regulations for sending a bottle of perfume. I asked my relative in Seattle to purchase me a bottle of perfume, and got an email from them today telling me they couldn't send it from Seattle because of the law???

This doesn't make much sense to me as I bought some perfume from stores in America before and they sent it with no problems.

Who's right and who's wrong here?
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post #2 of 8
10/15/10 at 4:07am
Not sure but we cannot receive liquids from abroad here in the UAE .
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post #3 of 8
10/15/10 at 4:36am
The problem is in USPS mailing regulations-- perfume is flammable and considered hazardous material that can't go by air. In the past, USPS sent some mail by ship overseas but now it all goes by air.
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post #4 of 8
10/15/10 at 4:36am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by CorruptedSanity View Post

Not sure but we cannot receive liquids from abroad here in the UAE .

Is that just for regular people sending you liquid? What about perfume you buy online? Thanks for the info 30 Roses, what about those fragrance stores? Are they exceptions?
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post #5 of 8
10/15/10 at 4:38am
On the customs form you have to state what is in the package. I'm sure the same rules apply to stores. Anyone can just lie or fudge ("cosmetics".)

The other day I mailed 3 small samples to someone in the USA by First Class. I told the postal employee what was in the package in reply to her question "Anything liquid, hazardous or fragile?". She replied, "Then there is nothing liquid or hazardous" (because of the small volume.) But for a full bottle, she makes me send it by surface.
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post #6 of 8
10/15/10 at 4:51am
Here is the list of hazardous materials from USPS website:

http://www.usps.com/aviationsecurity/ (Has more information than what I included below)

What is a Hazardous Material?
Hazardous materials come in a wide variety of forms and can be chemical, biological, radioactive, or a combination thereof. If a material or substance can cause harm to someone or something, it can be considered a hazardous material.

The Postal Service’s definition of a hazardous material includes many common household and consumer products. These items may not be hazardous during normal use or storage in your home but can present a significant hazard when placed in the mail due to vibration, temperature changes, and variations in atmospheric pressure.

Some examples of commonly-used items restricted or considered hazardous under USPS regulations include:

Perfumes
Nail polish
Flea collars or flea sprays
Aerosols
Bleach
Pool chemicals
Paints
Matches
Batteries
Fuels or gasoline
Airbags
Dry ice
Mercury thermometers
Cleaning supplies
Items previously containing fuel
Glues
Fireworks

Other items, such as alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, liquor), are not considered hazardous but are prohibited and boxes displaying such markings are also prohibited.

If you are unsure whether a material is considered hazardous or is prohibited, please contact 1-800-ASK-USPS or your local Business Mail Entry Unit
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post #7 of 8
10/15/10 at 9:12am
Perfume can be sent internationally (else there wouldn't be any perfume in Australia!), but it has to go by special carrier and with specific packaging, etc. FedEx and UPS can both ship perfumes from the U.S. to Australia, but it's not cheap, and I don't know what stipulations they put on the packaging, etc. (have never sent perfume from the U.S. to Australia, but I have received perfume from the U.S. via FedEx and/or UPS).

Just as a note of interest, you can't send alcohol based perfume by air within Australia, either. You need a special Dangerous Goods contract with Australia Post, and the package has to have a special sticker on it denoting that it's ground-only, plus it has to be packaged with appropriate padding, and in a box.

The regulation about hazardous (i.e., highly flammable) liquids going by air is international, by the way, not just limited to the U.S. or Australia. This doesn't stop people from breaking that law, of course, and some unscrupulous wholesalers and retailers will ship improperly, but it is international regulation and has to do with the low flash point of alcohol and some other technical issues.
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post #8 of 8
11/5/10 at 5:04pm
Not regarding those areas in specific.
It's pretty funny how airlines passengers can carry a pile of perfumes in luggage, and even funnier, smugglers can carry pretty much anything.
Indeed I've just received two bottles I believe were shipped by air given their posting location and the short time it took.
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