a few days ago, i sold a bottle of perfume on ebay. i went to the post office today to ship it and the lady told me that usps will not ship perfume because liquids are prohibited. i had no idea because i have bought perfume before that was shipped via usps! i should mention that i was trying to send it to brazil so maybe its just prohibited for international shipments? does anyone know for sure? is there any way for me to send the perfume to the buyer in brazil or should i just refund them their money? i dont know what to do
Perfumery Products are usually dangerous goods because the alcohol they contain is a flammable liquid. If your perfume had a warning label that said it was Flammable, you have a dangerous good.
If you have a pressurized container (aerosol), you may have additional restrictions on shipping.
USPS doesn't take dangerous goods. If you have sent/received similar items in the past, you just slipped something past them, but that doesn't make it right. They may also restrict any liquids because of concerns about leaking, and trying to identify some mysterious liquid leaking all over the shipping plant.
FedEx and UPS will take dangerous goods, but you need to satisfy all of the requirements for shipping the items, and the surcharges are probably much higher than the value of your item. They will not tell you how to ship, nor will they give you the shipping materials. It is up to the shipper (you) to know what you need for your shipment.
I would suggest that unless you know how to properly ship the perfume, and you/your buyer are prepared to pay the additional hazmat surcharges, that you refund the buyer and sell your perfume as local pickup only.
From time to time, I see the question about "Why can I take this stuff in my carry-on on the plane if it is so dangerous?" The answer is that you have an exemption in that case, but it is a bit scary to think how much improperly packed hazmat is sitting under your seat at 30,000 feet up.
