Dear Uncle Marty,
Am I allowed to send anonymous packages when people don’t want their name to show on the return address?
Under an assumed name,
Incongnito Ignacio
Dear Ignacio,
I’ve asked a few store owners and my fellow AMBC board members about this since receiving your question. The general consensus is that it’s OK to block out someone’s name or ship under a pseudonym for someone as long as you keep record of the actual shipper’s real name and contact information.
Some stores make it a policy that they will ship anonymously, but if the recipient calls them asking who sent the package they will tell the recipient who the sender was.
My policy at my store has been that the transaction must be under someone’s real name for security, safety, and accurate records. Then the shipment may be generated under a pseudonym as long as records connect it to an invoice reflecting the real shipper’s genuine information.
But now that I’ve thought about this more, thanks to your question, I’m going to change my policy. From now on, my official policy is that I don’t ship anonymously. But here’s the catch: I’ll unofficially make an exception for known, trusted customers who I know are only removing their name because they’re nervous about the eBay buyer, want to surprise someone with a secret Santa gift, or are playing a harmless practical joke on their sister.
Remember, you as the account holder are ultimately responsible for every package sent from your store. So don’t ship anonymously willy-nilly. And always, always, always make sure your records can trace every shipment back to a real person.
This is my real name,
Marty
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Marty Johnson, AMBC Director of Marketing | askunclemarty.com
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The original version of this Ask Uncle Marty letter was published in MBC Today Volume 19, Issue 2 (March/April 2017).
Source: AMBC Blog