I paid a $40 hazmat fee once and the item came in a completely non-hazmat marked box. The dude obviously just pocketed the extra 40 bucks. That was during the primer shortage, when I bought two tins on gunbroker for almost $50 + hazmat, because I had no other choice if I wanted to hunt with my cap gun that year.Hazmat labeling during transportation is required by law. The charge for Hazmat is determined by the individual shipping company. The shipper can charge whatever fee they want or none at all. As long as it's labeled Hazmat, it's legal. ...
I'm all for people making a dollar, but screw that guy. I reported him to USPS and GB. USPS actually seemed surprisingly interested to find out that somebody was shipping impact sensitive "explosives" with no proper documentation.