Sending power-tool batteries through the post - How?

I don't know if anyone else has come up against this problem? I need to ret urn my drill batteries (Lithium polymer type to the manufacturer for replac ement under warranty but have now discovered that no couriers will carry ba tteries unless you are a business registered for this purpose! So my warran ty is effectively worthless.

Any ideas how I could get them couriered and, most importantly, with insura nce for loss, theft and damage?

Reply to
clangers_snout
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Unless you really couldn't afford the loss, I'd recommend not bothering with insurance. On average it will work out more expensive.

Reply to
Mike Barnes

when lithium drill battery packs can cost over a hundred quid, i doubt many would be willing to risk not bothering with insurance,

seems silly that couriers will accept lithium batteries when they are in an item, but maybe you could arrange with the company for you to send both the drill and the duff battery back, that way the couriers will accept it as it's a tool with a battery in it and not a battery on it's own.

Really stupid thing is we are talking about a battery designed for rough handling, it's lithium ion cells which are clad in metal cylinders, then packed in a thick abs case which has a battery protection circuit built in,

i've bought lithium polymer batteries for my model planes a few times, they are thin plastic pouches filled with the lithium goop, a wrap of kapton tape to insulate the connector tabs, then a piece of heatshrink tube to keep the individual cells together as a pack, no protection circuit, usually just a couple of thick cables plus the balance taps poking out the end (apparently the interconnector tabs are designed to fuse if shorted, but a short can send the pack into a thermal runaway situation before the tabs open)

yet they arrive by normal post, a padded jiffy bag and a cardboard sleeve around the battery, and the package marked as 'modeling accessories'

Reply to
Gazz

That would be because many people have a poor appreciation of what's worth insuring and what isn't. Swayed by insurance companies' advertising, I'd wager.

Unless the uninsured loss would be catastrophic, self-insurance is the way to go. Especially in this group.

Reply to
Mike Barnes

The overhead of courier insurance is often about 1% (1 pound insurance for

100 pound value parcel). Given that courier companies are incentivised to throw the boxes about (the job would be quicker), the industry is very competitive (hence corners are cut) and the staff are paid low wages (so theft is attractive) it's a pretty small price to pay.

In this case, it's not just about insurance, the courier won't take them at all. If they discover that 'dangerous goods' are being shipped, they'll just confiscate them - never mind voiding the insurance. The risk of confiscation is high - and there's no insurance to protect you against it.

To the OP, I think UPS will ship lithium batteries. Perhaps you can organise shipping via one of the brokers like parcel2go which counts as a business account.

Theo

Reply to
Theo Markettos

Nope. Now Royal Mail send little by train, air is the only means of sending stuff 'a bit quicker than by lorry'. So if they need to get it from the East Midlands to Bournemouth, it might end up on a plane at some point.

Theo

PS Postal sorting 'fun':

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Reply to
Theo Markettos

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