Batteries in the post

[Theo]

Agreed, it would be much better to have one of those lists like at airport check-in. Does your luggage contain any guns, explosives, etc? Rather than rely on the staff at the local Spar to interpret the rules.

The argument is that loose batteries are more likely to be packaged incorrectly and so short. I'm thinking particularly of unprotected lithium cells with tabs or wires. Lithium batteries integrated into equipment typically have a BMS that cuts them off if they get too hot or drain too fast, which loose cells don't. Also LiPos as used for model aircraft etc can be quite a bit more volatile than cells used in phones.

Theo

[Peter Burke]

Tricky Dicky [e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

From your o/p you received equipment with batteries fitted which is not a prohibited item whether sent by a business or an individual.

This is different from sending certain batteries with potential for dangerous failure in the courier chain when packed loose and so subject to different rules.

If the battery for your equipment fails then you should return it with the equipment supplied.

Links for Royal Mail rules already provided in-thread.

Misdescription of batteries as something else as suggested in-thread does not release the sender from liability to prosecution for sending a prohibited item in the event of some serious catastrophic failure but describing a return as electronic/electrical equipment or drill (complete) where a battery is part of the equipment does not make it a prohibited item.

However, I would view eg. a Makita drill power pack as an item of equipment and not, in itself, a battery as it does not meet the criteria for being a prohibited item. Similarly with a rechargeable usb powerpack.

For info, cpc send all orders containing lithium batteries/cells by UPS so I would expect them to accept consumer returns via the same chain although they may rely on knowledge of safe internal packaging practices to be a precondition of acceptance.

[Martin Brown]

It is the lithium batteries that they are wary of. Shipped by a trusted business supplier some carriers will accept for delivery to consumers but almost no-one trusts consumers to pack them safely for returns.

If you have ever seen how well a lithium cell goes up in flames you would understand why they are cautious about accepting packages with such batteries in fro members of the public!

Youtube is full of exploding e-cigs videos left on charge for too long.

[Martin Brown]

Businesses are expected to pack things correctly. Consumers are not. I think the Post Office have a valid point here. Modern lithium batteries have a high energy density, somewhat volatile chemistry and are capable of starting spectacular fires.

They won't accept it if you don't tell them something.

They don't want you posting nitroglycerine or other dangerous materials either. Lithium ion batteries are much more exciting than most consumers would ever dream of. ISTR way back you used to be able to post a salmon with a label around its tail provided it did not ooze noxious liquids. (or words to that effect - is it still the case?)

The phone *containing* a battery ensures that it cannot short out.

A loose battery packed by a careless consumer is an accident waiting to happen. I think their precautions are entirely reasonable.

You don't want badly packed parcels catching fire in the post!

[Martin Brown]

ARe we reading the same document. What I see if that they can be shipped provided the amount of batteries doesn't exceed 5kg, they are in original retail packaging and protected from damage in transit.

Expand the heading to see what can and cannot be sent.

Used, damaged or defective batteries are not permitted to be sent by Royal Mail.

[SH]

A fishy story!

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

Yes it does since I'd expect battery shavers for instance to be refused, but I got one from Amazon with no issues and the case is not what one would call substantial, just thin plastic coated in a rubberised layer. If a battery caught fire,I'd imagine it would stay on fire.

Brian

[The Natural Philosopher]

Flashback to Johannesburg, and a call from the customs agent at the airport. At a time of deep embargo and also many attempts to foster local industry by slapping massive import taxes on imported items...

"Ach man, I have these 'capacitors' here for you, but I need to know what type they are"

"I think they are probably Mylar capacitors"

"Neer man, what I mean is I have, capacitors, grid, power correction, capacitors, general automotive usage, capacitors, generalised electronic components, and capacitors, spare parts, radio"...

"which category carries the lowest tax?"

"Capacitors, spare parts, radio"

"Wow! That's exactly what they are!"

"Ja man that's lekker, now I can complete the paper work"

"Have a nice day"

"You too Minjeer"

The 2000 transistors arrived stuffed into a Teddy bear. 'Toy, stuffed, gift' ...

[Max Demian]

You certainly used to be able to post keys by attaching a stamped parcel label. And hotels attached their keys to a wooden fob with their address and space to stick a stamp in case you forgot to return them when you checked out.

I once posted a ping pong ball home by sticking a stamp to it and writing on the address. (Fortunately they are made of a plastic that you could write on with a ball point pen.) It arrived the next day, even though it only had a second class stamp on it.

[charles]

during WWII, my father posted (from West Africa) a coconut with a stamp on it and our address painted on.

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

I sold a 'green thing that made an FT817 work' recently on ebay ...

[SH]

The ping pong ball would be too small to hold both a stamp and a legible address....

Was Royal Mail using a magnifying glass and how did they frank the stamp to mark it as used when its not on a flat surface?

[SH]

That is nuts!

[Max Demian]

No it isn't. The area of a sphere is quite large. 4piR^2 to be exact.

I don't know. Maybe they used a hand stamp. Or maybe they didn't cancel the stamp.

[bert]

The rules on declaring contents came in when Royal Mail switched from train to plane for inland post.

[charles]

That was a very long time ago. When postcodes first appeared the Western Isles had a PA (Paisley) post code since the mail was routed through Glasgow Airport.

[Robin]

But then the air industry requirements changed and (as RM make clear in the link I posted) they are following ICAO's Technical Instructions for Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods. Plus an awful lot more travels by air.