Why not use a fake name and/or ship to an office or alternate address for customs reasons?

[clayd]

Been hearing more about the main risk of customs seizure for US citizens is getting global entry/nexus revoked and never being able to get it back. It's not the biggest deal to me now but it could be in the future, never know.

Just wondering if you just put a fake name on the shipment, even if it goes to your mailing address, certainly customs couldn't know exactly who the package was intended for and probably wouldn't do much investigation to find out, would that save you from getting blacklisted? Would they blacklist your entire household?

And for people who work in an office, why not have your package sent to your office under a fake name, and tell the office staff you're waiting on a package for that person. I work at home but there's a co-working space I use sometimes where I can have packages shipped. Or maybe you could send it to your granny's house under your fake name because granny ain't ever need global entry anyway...

Are any of you doing any of these things or something else to avoid getting a CBP blacklist?

 

[brentm]

Eh... it just means it takes a little longer to get through customs right?

Where are you seeing the seizure leading to a revocation of global entry? A quick google showed one person saying it didn't affect his renewal. But that's only one person.

Don't respond to any letters from customs if you get one. China is well-known for unsolicited shipping. Remember the random packages of seeds people were getting?

But with the worst case of it being a longer wait in customs lines... vs.. improving your health, life, and possibly life expectancy by gray market shipments.... I'll take longer lines in customs.

 

[clayd]

Eh... it just means it takes a little longer to get through customs right?

Where are you seeing the seizure leading to a revocation of global entry? A quick google showed one person saying it didn't affect his renewal. But that's only one person.

Don't respond to any letters from customs if you get one. China is well-known for unsolicited shipping. Remember the random packages of seeds people were getting?

But with the worst case of it being a longer wait in customs lines... vs.. improving your health, life, and possibly life expectancy by gray market shipments.... I'll take longer lines in customs.

many accounts online of people who got their GE revoked after customs seized a package.
i don't do much int'l travel but i guess GE is a pretty big difference for people who do a lot of it.

 

[GimmeABreak]

Been hearing more about the main risk of customs seizure for US citizens is getting global entry/nexus revoked and never being able to get it back. It's not the biggest deal to me now but it could be in the future, never know.

Just wondering if you just put a fake name on the shipment, even if it goes to your mailing address, certainly customs couldn't know exactly who the package was intended for and probably wouldn't do much investigation to find out, would that save you from getting blacklisted? Would they blacklist your entire household?

And for people who work in an office, why not have your package sent to your office under a fake name, and tell the office staff you're waiting on a package for that person. I work at home but there's a co-working space I use sometimes where I can have packages shipped. Or maybe you could send it to your granny's house under your fake name because granny ain't ever need global entry anyway...

Are any of you doing any of these things or something else to avoid getting a CBP blacklist?

I asked this same question on another forum and did not get many responses. I am going to try an alternate name the next time I order to see if the package arrives as expected. Probably won't be ordering for a while though. I don't want to lose my GE and it would be even worse if it impacted my wife's GE.

 

[clayd]

I asked this same question on another forum and did not get many responses. I am going to try an alternate name the next time I order to see if the package arrives as expected. Probably won't be ordering for a while though. I don't want to lose my GE and it would be even worse if it impacted my wife's GE.

would be best to just send it to a trusted friend or other address that doesn't need GE. make sure none of your contact info is on the parcel or the tracking details, name, email, phone number, home address.

 

[brentm]

would be best to just send it to a trusted friend or other address that doesn't need GE. make sure none of your contact info is on the parcel or the tracking details, name, email, phone number, home address.

"hey friend. Want to be my illegal drug pack mule? All you have to do is hike this stuff the last mile"

That'll go over like a turd in a punchbowl.

 

[hexagonal]

Specifically, 18 U.S.C. 1342 makes it a federal crime to do either of the following to carry out a fraudulent scheme or "other unlawful business":

• Use or assume any "fictitious, false, or assumed title, name, or address" in conjunction with sending or receiving mail; or
• Receive and collect any mail or packages sent to said false name or address via the USPS or other depositories.

To convict you of this crime, federal prosecutors must establish the following elements:

• You knowingly and willfully used a fictitious name, address, or title;
• You did so in connection with mail communication; and
• You did so for the purpose of carrying out a fraudulent scheme or other unlawful business.

Not a risk I would take.

 

[clevesand]

many accounts online of people who got their GE revoked after customs seized a package.
i don't do much int'l travel but i guess GE is a pretty big difference for people who do a lot of it.

I travel all the time internationally, and I have never had GE. Maybe I'm spoiled here in Atlanta, but the line for GE the last 10 times I've traveled would not have saved me but 5 or 10 minutes. I've never found the cost/benefit worth it. Are we really in that big of a hurry? Precheck with digital ID is a different story, though.

 

[GimmeABreak]

I travel all the time internationally, and I have never had GE. Maybe I'm spoiled here in Atlanta, but the line for GE the last 10 times I've traveled would not have saved me but 5 or 10 minutes. I've never found the cost/benefit worth it. Are we really in that big of a hurry? Precheck with digital ID is a different story, though.

Go through customs/immigration during a summer Sunday in Miami and you would wish you had GE especially if you have a tight (<2 hours) connection.

 

[glpfun]

I travel all the time internationally, and I have never had GE. Maybe I'm spoiled here in Atlanta, but the line for GE the last 10 times I've traveled would not have saved me but 5 or 10 minutes. I've never found the cost/benefit worth it. Are we really in that big of a hurry? Precheck with digital ID is a different story, though.

This, I don’t see how GE is faster most of the time, I swear people spend more time talking about it then they save from it

 

[rkl123]

This, I don’t see how GE is faster most of the time, I swear people spend more time talking about it then they save from it

You're dead wrong then. In Chicago or some CA airports, difference between 2 hours in line or instantly through.

 

[clayd]

You're dead wrong then. In Chicago or some CA airports, difference between 2 hours in line or instantly through.

it's just not for us to judge overall. for some people, global entry might be more important than the ability to buy peptides from china, for other people it might be the opposite.

i just think it's important to get the info out there - namely that getting a package seized might cost you your GE/nexus, and then people can decide if they need to take any particular measures such as those i suggested up top, which i'm surprised more people don't just take by default

 

[mopo89]

i guess it's a good thing i've always been too lazy to apply for nexus.

 

[chmuse]

You're dead wrong then. In Chicago or some CA airports, difference between 2 hours in line or instantly through.

Pretty much any international airport in NY sucks. Lots of people with GE in the city.

 

[SmokeySquid]

Go through customs/immigration during a summer Sunday in Miami and you would wish you had GE especially if you have a tight (<2 hours) connection.

I hate MIA with the burning passion of a thousand suns. I briefly considered using one of those anonymous mail forwarding services, but it just didn't seem worth it to me but if you do travel internationally a lot, I can see how global entry would be something desired.

 

[clayd]

Not a risk I would take.

ok i guess that's fair, but it is greater than the risk of having your package intercepted because it had improperly declared substances? you don't go to jail but you have lifelong consequences from customs...ie global entry.

i looked up the federal code and it says you could go to jail for 5 years max. i guess that's a bit of a greater risk but federal prosecutors would have to figure out it's you, take you to court, try the case, all this seems unlikely....unless you're buying thousands of vials to redistribute maybe. but for a 10 pack for personal use, seems like they'd offer you a slap on the wrist or just ignore it.

it says

• You did so for the purpose of carrying out a fraudulent scheme or other unlawful business.

this one might be hard to prove in court

 

[Vicki]

I think the bigger risk is that its still going to your home address. If you're going to be investigated now you look even more guilty for using a fake name in the first place. Technically using a fake name to get a package in is fraud. Its also proof you did it intentionally to commit whatever crime they're accusing you of.

 

[cldfront]

We keep getting (sometimes certified) mail from the IRS addressed to a person I've never heard of before at my work. It's been months and no one on the mailing end has thought to put a stop to it even though every piece gets sent back. I think it would be a simple process and relatively bulletproof to have something shipped to a business address with a fake name.

Edited to add: we have a couple of people who think their packages left at home are getting stolen or are otherwise at risk, so they have their stuff sent to the work address - a solid reason, IMO, if someone needs an idea.

 

[exploitedworkerbee]

it's just not for us to judge overall. for some people, global entry might be more important than the ability to buy peptides from china, for other people it might be the opposite.

i just think it's important to get the info out there - namely that getting a package seized might cost you your GE/nexus, and then people can decide if they need to take any particular measures such as those i suggested up top, which i'm surprised more people don't just take by default

This exactly. If losing GE would be a huge loss then buy some insurance by ordering from domestic sources (a few Chinese suppliers have domestic warehouses so it’s not like you’re going to have to pay through the nose). If not, then don’t. It’s not that complicated and honestly weird that this has been so controversial