3/31/2021 Update: 

With the comment period closed we all expected USPS to begin to enforce shipping restrictions on March 27, 2021. However, USPS has decided to take 30 days to implement the rules, and as a result they will not enforce them until April 26, 2021. This means we can once again resume shipping packages until April 25, 2021. It is possible that USPS chooses to enforce sooner, but I don’t expect that to be the case. As of this posting shipping is turned back on. If you have any questions you can email me directly at jamie@bluediamondvapors.com, or call our store during business hours at (702) 998-0625. 

-Jamie

Posted 3/10/20221:

As most of you know Congress passed the omnibus spending bill in late December 2020. The spending bill was 5,000 pages, and it included items like the coronavirus relief bill. Unfortunately for the vaping community it included a bill known as Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act.

The new law impacts vaping in two ways:

1) Instructs the United States Postal Service to create regulations that prohibit the shipment of all vapor products to residential addresses.
2) Adds vaping products to the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act commonly known as the PACT Act.

USPS is currently taking public comment before posting the final rule, and CASAA has already created a call to action. Public comment closes on March 22, 2021, and the rules are expected to be published shortly after. Currently we are expecting the rules to be published on March 27, 2021, hence we are going to stop shipping on March 26, 2021. If something happens that allows us to ship past this date, we will continue to do so until we cannot. While this bill only affects USPS, the other major carries (Fed Ex, UPS, and DHL) have all established that they will no longer be carrying vapor products as well.

I am going to attempt to briefly summarize the PACT Act requirements.

• Verify customer age via commercial database. (You already do this now with Blue Check.)
• Use a private shipping service that requires a signature at the point of delivery. The person signing needs to be the person the package was shipped to.
• Register with the ATF and the United States Attorney General.
• Register with all state and local tax administrators where business is done.
• Collect and pay all applicable local and state taxes. If a tax stamp is required, then you must attach the stamp to the appropriate products.
• Report monthly to all tax administrators a list of all transactions. This includes all personal information like name, address, phone number etc. The products, quantities, and types of products sold. Must also include the information of who is delivering the shipment.

I have been in communication with several regional carries over the last two months discussing options. Unfortunately, none of the options are good. Based on what I am being told it looks like it will cost around $15-$25 to ship a package weighing less than 10lbs. As logistics companies tackle the challenge of sending vapor mail a company may emerge with a solution. Currently I have not seen one.

In addition to everything that affects customers. Shipments going business to business will also be impacted. USPS is requiring an exemption from businesses shipping to other businesses and restricting them to only using certain package sizes. This means the cost of most things will increase. As I learn more about how this will impact Blue Diamond Vapors I will share it with you.

As it stands right now, we will stop shipping March 26, 2021. We will pack packages all the way up until we close, and then we will turn off the shipping options from there. Our webpage will continue to offer local in store pick up. Our delivery option will continue to remain live, but our counsel is currently exploring if that too is subject to the PACT Act. If it is, then will likely have to shut that off as well.

I know that for many of our customers outside of Las Vegas this is not what you wanted to read. I want you to know that I am committed to finding a reasonable solution to continue to ship products to our customers, and I am grateful for your business. I am confident that a solution will be found, but I do not have a timeline. I am going to continue making live videos on Facebook updating customers as I get more information, and if something happens that changes the March 26 deadline, I will do an update.

-Jamie