Getting a PO box to order seeds

[darkstar12]

Ok, so there is no one I can ask to take delivery of seeds, and I am sure as hell not having them sent directly to my grow.

That leaves a PO box as my only other choice..

The question is, do I get a PO box at my local rural post office, or get a PO box in another state that is an hour away from me but close to where I work ? My rationale is that the one that is farther away is in a more populated area and a package of seeds may more easily go undetected there.

Its not much, but at least its some kind of buffer between my grow location .

 

[olddays]

You do realize that since 9/11 getting a P.O. box requires you to provide two forms of id, one must be photo id. Kinda takes the safety out of it. Now, if you had fake id with photo you could have some measure of security, unless they grab you as you access your box. I am assuming you are in USA.

 

[D-RingBinder]

Same goes for Australia. Need ID for a PO box. So that's really your worst option imo. You really have NO ONE who you can get your seeds sent to?

 

[darkstar12]

Same goes for Australia. Need ID for a PO box. So that's really your worst option imo. You really have NO ONE who you can get your seeds sent to?

yes...i realize that about the ID...but its still better than having them sent directly to my grow...

As far as asking others to recieve seeds, Im really not too keen on asking others to do my dirty work for me

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

Just get a box by where you live. I was nervous about this too when I first started at this crazyness.. I've gotten to the point that I don't think about it too much. A couple times a year, I do a small order and I don't opt for any 'stealth' shipping or guaranteed shipping.. I did the first couple orders, but those are almost more conspicuous than just going with normal shipping. I'm not saying that some day, I might have a package get intercepted, but that's not that big of a deal from what I understand. I just got an order last week.. postmaster knows me by name.. handed me the package and said thanks.. that's it.. I had one order that took about 2 1/2 weeks to get here and I was kinda nervous about that one, but most get here within a week of the order being placed..

mgk

 

[ninfan77]

Don't use a fake ID to obtain a PO Box. Remember the old adage, only break one law at a time.....

 

[fatherearth2011]

2nd that motion

2nd that motion

Don't use a fake ID to obtain a PO Box. Remember the old adage, only break one law at a time.....

the number one rule, if YOU FEEL a certain way about something, then you have to follow your feelings, they are your instincts brah.
you FEEL you have to drive 45 miles away and get a po box. then YOU do that. if YOU FEEL you need to send it to a "friends" then YOU do that.

whether you get clones or seed you can always order from where folks ordered before is one way to ease those nerves.

more importantly, know the laws in your area. crossing state lines tends to add on penalties to activities that are grey. kinda like the multiplier in pinball games.

 

[Crusader Rabbit]

In the states it seems that if customs plucks your package out of the stream then you will eventually receive the thing minus contents, with the outside wrapped up in colored tape announcing that it originally contained contraband. Once this happens maybe you're on a list but seems nothing comes of it afterwards. To the US Customs we're very tiny fish in a very big pond.

In my situation I wouldn't want the people in my local post office speculating on what was once contained in the letter. Renting a delivery box from a commercial operation doesn't provide total anonymity, but if you get the dreaded green/yellow tape it won't be passing through the hands of community members you see most every day.

 

[igrowone]

^^^ I'll second that thought, higher population areas tend to have more real crime
and less time for piddling things such as someone's small seed order
not that is very likely, and will depend a lot on your local situation

 

[qupee]

So here's my opinion on PO boxes. If customs takes your seeds or whatever (let's assume you're not ordering large amounts of controlled substances), it's highly unlikely anyone is going to follow up, it's not going to garner a knock-and-talk or surveillance or whatever, a cop isn't going to be waiting there for you to pick up your mail. This is true if it's going to a house or a PO box or wherever.

What can happen though, is your address gets flagged and in the future your mail might come under more scrutiny.

If it's a PO box, simple, dump it and get another and then at least that address likely isn't flagged like the old one might be. Harder to do that when you're ordering to a house address.

 

[iwannaretire]

So here's my opinion on PO boxes. If customs takes your seeds or whatever (let's assume you're not ordering large amounts of controlled substances), it's highly unlikely anyone is going to follow up, it's not going to garner a knock-and-talk or surveillance or whatever, a cop isn't going to be waiting there for you to pick up your mail. This is true if it's going to a house or a PO box or wherever.

What can happen though, is your address gets flagged and in the future your mail might come under more scrutiny.

If it's a PO box, simple, dump it and get another and then at least that address likely isn't flagged like the old one might be. Harder to do that when you're ordering to a house address.

This.

There are a million ways that a highly-motivated LEO in a post-Patriot Act world can track you down via seed order, whether you order your shit to a PO Box or your home address.

PO Boxes require much more work for your average two bit shit head NARCO. Instead of just looking up your name via address, the cop has to drive to the post office, convince a clerk he doesn't need a warrant to see your info, document the procedure, etc.

It's a matter of paying 15 bucks or whatever it is to increase the odds in your favor ever so slightly. Worth it.

 

[D-RingBinder]

yes...i realize that about the ID...but its still better than having them sent directly to my grow...

As far as asking others to recieve seeds, Im really not too keen on asking others to do my dirty work for me

I don't see what the difference is really. I mean, if they get seized and they choose to take action (which is really just not gonna happen if you're just ordering a few seeds) then they can just get your name as you have to have registered for the PO box, and now they've got your details its not hard for them to get your address. So you end up in the same position as you would be if you just got it sent to your grow, but with the added hassle of getting and dealing with the PO Box.

 

[hup234]

rent mail bx ect type comercial box,use business address,joe shmoes fishing supplies,get free trade mags sent their,along w/your seeds,enough junk mail traffic but not to much to make the clerk work hard...

 

[MaynardG_Krebs]

Where I live, the UPS store charges $40.00 per MONTH for those boxes! I'm sorry, the rate that the USPS charges is bad enough.. this is really being blown out of proportion... It's really not that big of a deal.. get a box for everyday use, use it and get ur stuff when you want.. don't go nuts and do it every week, but a couple times a year take care of most of us.. relax.. order beans.. be careful, but relax..

mgk

 

[Jhhnn]

The best PO boxes are those belonging to dead people or people who have moved away. I recently learned that somebody I know has one- it belonged to a close friend of theirs who died of cancer, & they were picking up that person's home business mail for them at the time. They were given the account information, kept the box & the key, renew annually by mail. Stuff they order goes in the back, comes out the front, & nobody ever asks any questions because they have the key.

They offered to share & pickup, if I'd share & help pay the fee, $40/yr.

 

[Painfull]

If you have a clean record and ordering a small amount of seeds once a year I would just send it to your house. I been doing this for over 10 years and feel it is safe. Customs and the ups has bigger fish to fry.


Good Luck,
Pain

 

[DDR]

I think it's a good idea. That additional buffer certainly can't hurt.

Way back when I was younger I would pay strangers to walk in and open mail box accounts. That was for other things. Too old and middle class looking to get anyone to do it anymore, additionally, the laws and news have everyone "terrorist" paranoid.

I like the ideas others have posted, particularly getting some junk mail with ACME Supply etc first then do the seed order. That's what I'm going to do. I will probably go with the UPS store box even though it's more expensive that way I don't need to see the people I know at the post office.

I think the benefit of having the seeds going to a PO box/rental mail box is that if the cops follow up they have to go through the hassle (possible legal issue) of getting your home address.
Also, a big factor, they can't show up to investigate and claim they smelled "fresh marijuana emitting from the residence". All the forum posters that push people to "just do it" don't seem to think things out. The cops lie and break the law all the time.

Another benefit about having the rented mail box is peace of mind. I mentally envisioned a seed order to my home getting confiscated by customs as if it were real, the following thoughts were to trash my current crop.

It's a felony almost everywhere to take possession of the seeds, any additional hassle for law enforcement is worth it.

Many forum posters claim "it's too much for them to deal with". That may be true right this moment but as a professional software developer I can tell you that a system could easily be put in place that would route all the intercepted contraband reports (seeds, illegal gun parts, child porn etc) to the local law enforcement department within the package destinations zip code. This could be don't without much manual input at the customs department and serve up a fresh web page automatically to the cop shop every morning with all the new reports.

Good luck and be safe.

 

[pappy masonjar]

Many forum posters claim "it's too much for them to deal with". That may be true right this moment but as a professional software developer I can tell you that a system could easily be put in place that would route all the intercepted contraband reports (seeds, illegal gun parts, child porn etc) to the local law enforcement department within the package destinations zip code. This could be don't without much manual input at the customs department and serve up a fresh web page automatically to the cop shop every morning with all the new reports.

Good luck and be safe.

dont give them bastards any ideas. If that shit happens im blaming you

I always assume they could be watching

 

[DDR]

dont give them bastards any ideas. If that shit happens im blaming you

I always assume they could be watching

LOL

Honestly, I'm shocked they don't currently have anything put in place right now. You would think the seed banks would more creative in the shipping stealth, some of them are just horrible and it's no shocker why they discovered and seized.

 

[igrowone]

LOL

Honestly, I'm shocked they don't currently have anything put in place right now. You would think the seed banks would more creative in the shipping stealth, some of them are just horrible and it's no shocker why they discovered and seized.

they used to do seed follow ups some years ago, didn't get much for their trouble
busting a kid living at his parent's who has a couple of half dead closet plants doesn't feed the drug dog very long