Batteries in the post

[Tricky Dicky]

This morning I received a parcel that contains a battery powered device with batteries fitted. The package came with a sticker saying it contained batteries and it was delivered by Royal Mail. Yet if I tried to send batteries in the post and declared them I would be refused. So why can suppliers send batteries by post or courier and Joe Public cannot?

Previously I had some LiPo batteries sent from China which were eventually delivered by RM. Yet when I bought a Powerbank as a present for someone in NI the Amazon market dealer would not deliver there so I had it delivered to home but could not find a carrier to deliver it from home? It eventually got there by air as passenger luggage without any questions at security. It seems totally illogical.

Richard

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Tricky Dicky explained on 27/07/2021 :

When I tried to return a faulty battery, like you I was unable to get any courier to accept it, the recipient then advised me to call it an 'accumulator' and it was accepted. What's in a name!

[Dave Plowman (News]

RM certainly offer a service to all to deliver a mobile phone.

[JNugent]

Ordered a pack of a large number of AA cells from Amazon. They were delivered next day without a fuss.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

I always buy my AA and AAA batteries from ebay. RM deliver with no problems.

[Tricky Dicky]

That?s my point businesses seem to be able to deliver batteries no problem, but try going down to your local post office, if you have one, and see how far you get if you tell them your package contains batteries.

Richard

[SH]

I ordered these from CPC last Friday

so thats 240 batteries costing a total of around £85 and delivered without fuss only on Monday by Royal Mail.

There was a UN sticker on the outside of the cardboard box too....

[Max Demian]

Lie.

It's none of their business what is in the parcel.

Whose bright idea was it that you have to tell the clerk what is in the parcel? You might not even know if you are taking it for someone else.

(They used to just have a notice saying what you weren't allowed to post. And it makes no sense to allow you to post a phone containing a li-ion battery but not the battery on its own. Another recent life degradation.)

[Andy Burns]

Royal Mail rules for businesses sending batteries seem identical to personal customers sending batteries ...

So presumably businesses just lie? Perhaps by omission since they don't get asked?

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

Max Demian submitted this idea :

Exactly, or use a descriptive term which doesn't trigger the filter.

[Animal]

that's one lousy deal. The well advertised brands are no better, it's all been studied.

[Animal]

How hard is it to check Royal Mail's prohibited items list?

[SH]

well it was the cheapest deal at 35p per battery......

If it hand't been for the buy 6 packs get six packs free, it would have been 70p per battery.

I challenge you to find me batteries with equivalent spec for less than

35p per cell......

[Robin]

I don't know if it is the answer to your particular case but the Royal Mail distinctions between (broadly) batteries alone and batteries contained in equipment are (horribly complex).

[Scott]

This seems open to interpretation: 'Batteries including those sent with/without or connected to an electronic device' I thought batteries were permitted if fully contained within a device, which is not the same as 'with' or 'connected to'. Full containment reduces the risk I assume.

[Andy Burns]

You need to expnd the sub-links underneath batteries for more detail.

[Scott]

If your first language is Cantonese, it could be very hard.

[Scott]

See Robin's post, which clarifies the point.

[Scott]

Sorry, I missed that.

[Animal]

I see you're right. They've gone up a lot since I last bought.