Ship anyway?

[amshih]

Someone I know asked me about solicitations that he gets from wine-of-the-month clubs and other places who ship directly, regardless of the laws. He feels that as long as the stores ship, who cares whether it's technically illegal or not? I wasn't really sure how to answer that because I've wondered the same thing -- why do some sellers ship wine so freely despite what the laws say? Does their "buyer takes responsibility for knowing shipping laws" clause (often in their catalogs) really mean anything? What are the true risks of direct shipping, both to the seller and the customer?