Note the zen-like nature of the package. The clear plastic packaging tape in quadrature over the edges of the plastic bin allows the red biohazard label and address to hover in space over the US Postal polypro bin, while the originally packed round tube can roam unhindered within.

Before you decide that we are all slackers who just haven't gotten around to sending out your kit yet, ask yourself this question: Did I fill out the form right? You would be surprised to see the number of people who neglect to give us a street address, a zip code, a state, etc. Sometimes we can track you down, sometimes we can't. If you gave us your email, we will usually write and let you know we don't have your full address. If you thought you'd be clever and enter Blackstone's email address in the email field, and you didn't fill out the form correctly, well my friend, there are probably no kits coming your way.

If you did fill out the form correctly, then we will send you a kit as soon as possible. We do our best to send out your kits in a timely fashion. But we are sometimes thwarted by well-meaning but perhaps overprotective post offices around the country. Roger Irwin sent us this picture, which shows how his sample containers arrived at his house. Keep in mind, these are empty plastic containers. If this is how empty containers are treated, you can understand why it sometimes takes a month for your oil sample to arrive at our lab! (If it's been more than a month, please give us a call and we'll send another kit out right away.)

Part of the reason the post office can take a while to ship a kit is that our container, like most labs', is round. To help avoid the delay encountered when the post office sees a round package, you might consider putting your sample container in a box. Postage will cost a little more, but it might be worth it. Or send it via a traceable method, like UPS or FedEx.