Group: FSF:office volunteers/helping with shipping

Helping with shipping is one of the ways to help out at the FSF office. This page contains the instructions for the task.

Helping with Shipping

The FSF gets orders from its store on a regular basis. If you would like to help fill some of these orders, you can find the requests in the small printer at the back of the office, next to the closet containing stickers. Each order prints two pages, so keep the pages in pairs. Then ask someone to unlock the store closet, and get the requested items.

Please Note

• Read the listed version for books and reference cards, as the FSF sells new and old copies. If no version is listed, give the latest version. Also, some people buy books signed by rms. Those are in a box on the floor, at the back left corner of the closet. Don't give out signed copies if they were not ordered.

• If the shirt is not specified as 'Ladies', then please don't ship a ladies' shirt. Some ladies' shirts are different colors, but others look quite similar. You can check the tag to tell the difference.

• Sometimes order names include '(Package of 10)' and list another quantity. In that case, the the amount to ship is the quantity times 10.

• If someone gives a donation of $10 or more, then give them 1 or more metal 'GNU/Linux inside' stickers with their order. There is a printed guide hanging from the shelves at the shipping station.
  • $10 -- 1 sticker
  • $15 -- 2 stickers
  • $20 -- 3 stickers
  • $25 -- 4 stickers
  • $50 -- 5 stickers

Common Cryptic Names

• Book bundle: Free as in Freedom book and Free Software, Free Society book
• GNU head: shirt with a GNU head on it
• Sticker pack: pack of 15 stickers (grab the ones from the shipping center, not the store closet, since those have 50.)
• GNU Emblem Classic Pin: golden and black pin. These are in tiny plastic baggies on the sticker shelf at the shipping center.
• DD: Dynamic Duo stickers (a GNU and Penguin)
• Button grab bag: 3 different buttons in a small plastic bag. (Sometimes the amount changes. It was 3 as of May 21, 2012.)

Short Supplies

If there is short or missing stock in any item, tell Don, and he may be able to get you more.

Customs Forms

If an order is shipping with International First Class Mail, you need to fill out a customs form for the order. (Other international orders are taken care of online by Don.) The slips are on the lower right shelf above the shipping station, next to the conference room. The From: address needs to be stamped with the FSF's address. Write the shipping address for the order in the fields below. You may need to cram a line or two together to leave line open at the bottom. This is so there is room for Don to sign the form.

Finishing Up

Once you have everything, put the order items in stacks on the wooden table at the shipping station. Place the two pages and any needed customs form for that order on top of the items you have gathered. If there isn't much room, you may stack the orders, as long as the order pages and forms separate them.

Try to make sure that your order is correct. Even so, your stack will be reviewed before shipping. Thank you!