8 Things You Shouldn’t Include in Email
During the winter holidays, even staunch texters and mailers turn to the US Postal Service to deliver greetings and packages. The Postal Service can process 77 million packages a day, and on average, it takes just 2.6 days to deliver those countries to their destination.
But you can’t send anything by post. Certain items are dangerous or not allowed to be shipped, put the sender at financial risk, are allowed only with certain restrictions, or are just a bad idea.
Some of them are obvious, but others may surprise you. Here’s a look at some of them.
1. Checks
It’s one of the oldest jokes out there – “the check is in the mail.” But in reality, that assessment should not be.
According to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, part of the Treasury Department, check fraud is estimated to cost $21 billion by 2023. A significant part of that is due to stolen mail.
Some thieves steal bills from mailboxes and use chemicals to erase the payee and amount, rewriting them to get a new payee and a larger amount. A cybersecurity expert told the New York Times that instead of checking email, he recommends using electronic payment methods.
2. Cash and gift cards
Sending cash and gift cards through the mail is more risky than sending checks. Theft of mail, including the people who deliver it, has become a growing problem. If someone snags a birthday card you send to Cousin Annie with a hidden $50 bill or Target gift card inside, it’s almost impossible to trace the stolen goods.
One tip: Most gift cards can now be sent by email.
3. Letters
While you can send guns under certain circumstances, the same is not true for ammunition.
Small arms ammunition is classified as explosives by the US Department of Transportation and poses a danger to postal workers, equipment and customers. It is a federal offense to send it via US Mail.
4. Alcohol
Alcohol can be a gift to celebrate – a fine wine from France, a regional craft beer, a bottle of Champagne in honor of the big day. But you’ll need to deliver it to your friend in person because alcoholic beverages with 0.5% or more alcohol content are not shippable, according to the USPS.
5. Pets
I’m not sure why anyone would think it’s safe to send Fluffy or Fido in the mail – or where they’d need to go – but think again. Cats, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, rats, mice and squirrels are on the “do not ship” list, and for that, your furry friends are grateful.
Birds and bees, however, can be shipped under certain conditions. Now, go imagine a porch thief stealing a pack of live bees.
6. Marijuana
Dude, don’t. Even if marijuana is legal in your state, even if it is for medical reasons, it cannot be legally sent through the mail. However, it is OK to ship hemp products with a THC content of 0.3% or less.
7. Fireworks
Fireworks can be an explosion – literally. They light up the sky on July 4, New Years and other celebrations. But you can’t pick up a box of dazzlers at your local fireworks store and send it to a friend.
As a video from the US Postal Inspection Service explains, it’s easy to imagine the damage caused and the danger to postal workers if such explosives detonate at any time during the mailing process. If fireworks are legal to buy and use where you live, enjoy them closer to home.
8. Traditional thermometers
Ear and forehead thermometers, which use infrared scanners, are much easier to use than the old, glass, hold-this-under-your-tongue version. But if you have one of those old temps, it can’t be legally mailed.
Old-style thermometers, as well as blood pressure scales and barometers, often contain liquid mercury, a hazardous substance that produces toxic vapors when exposed to air and can cause mercury poisoning if the vapors are inhaled. The risk of opening in a certain area through the postal process is very high, so they are not allowed.
