UPS story: To claim or not to claim?

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Believe you’re right. Your friend is SOL on this one.

Filing an insurance claim for lost wine will mean a breach of either state liquor laws or federal contraband shipping laws, or both, especially if plane transport mode.
Stating that a vase was lost, when wine was actually lost, would also mean insurance fraud… a state felony, at least…and likely a federal felony if across state lines.

Otherwise, must be nice to be rich.

From that message, it will be interesting to hear what UPS says. It sounds like someone stole the contents, and then got rid of the packaging. So, assuming they are not claiming they purposely destroyed the package because it was wine, what evidence is there that the contents wasn’t a vase? Seems like it might be a $400 insurance claim.

Be careful. A written representation which is counterfactual and intentional can be perilous. Indeed, this thread can be discoverable.

I hope whoever got the wine really appreciates it.
UPS would undoubtedly deny the claim even if it was a vase, blaming the packaging. Probably the same if the wine were shipped legally, i.e., from a registered seller.

You cannot insure a good which does not exist. A claim is even less valid.

Nope, count it as an early gift you enjoyed virtually, then forget it!!

You never know when there might be whistleblowers around, too!

What does your moral compass say about a UPS employee stealing wine and covering his tracks, vs. an individual attempting to exist within the corruptive framework of the 21st amendment?

Not !

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Indeed, if the US Post Office were involved, the insurance claimant for lost “wine” could be chargeable with a False Claims Act violation (qui tam).
Even the cheapest person would not enjoy the taxpayer-provided housing, clothing, and food in exchange for $400.
Bonnes-Mares would turn into bon vonage on the SS Sing Sing.

Has anyone ever been sent to jail for shipping a case or less of wine via the USPS?

The paranoia is strong with this thread. UPS isn’t going after anyone beyond confiscating and destroying the wine. The state and feds are sure as hell not going to waste their time tracking down someone who shipped a bottle of wine.

Not sure about this. Just read in my local paper about the government going after and convicting someone of defrauding $1300 from welfare benefits they shouldn’t have received. To put it in perspective, that’s only 2 of these bottles!

Wholesalers would have the private economic incentive to push for “make-an-example” public enforcement. My understanding is the some delivery services have recently sent cease-and-desist letters to suspected unlicensed senders.

That’s somewhat different than “taxpayer-provided housing, clothing, and food”, wouldn’t you say?

About the worst that can happen to an individual shipping a bottle or two of wine is the shipper rejecting it before it gets very far, or destroying it later on. But frankly, once it’s left the origin drop off, my experience is that it’s smooth sailing. Worst case, I can imagine a shipper blacklisting someone if they get caught more than once or twice.

I have never shipped wine or olive oil via USPS because you cannot ship liquids. It’s either UPS or Fed Ex.

Interesting Nola. I never realized that all liquids were prohibited from shipping via USPS.