Post restrictions on Lithium batteries

[stevegaskin]

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Has anyone found a resolution to this issue?   I changed my M240 for an M10 and as I had a spare battery I placed it on eBay at good price and sold it.  This morning when attempting to ship it I was informed at the Post Office that I'm not allowed to send Lithium batteries by post unless they are within a device.  As the shipping Companies scan packages the likelihood is that they will identify the contents which they will then destroy, so not disclosing the contents isn't an option as any insurance cover would be invalid.    I've no idea how retailers sell and ship such items and the people at the Post Office couldn't explain either.  I recently bought a spare battery for the M10 and that came by post from a Leica retailer.  I have researched the Internet and every provider and people on forums seem to be saying the same thing.

 

Any ideas?  I now have a perfectly good Leica battery worth £125 new or in my case £65 used which I don't need and would have to rely on a 'collection' sale only.

[silverchrome]

4 hours ago, stevegaskin said:

Has anyone found a resolution to this issue?   I changed my M240 for an M10 and as I had a spare battery I placed it on eBay at good price and sold it.  This morning when attempting to ship it I was informed at the Post Office that I'm not allowed to send Lithium batteries by post unless they are within a device.  As the shipping Companies scan packages the likelihood is that they will identify the contents which they will then destroy, so not disclosing the contents isn't an option as any insurance cover would be invalid.    I've no idea how retailers sell and ship such items and the people at the Post Office couldn't explain either.  I recently bought a spare battery for the M10 and that came by post from a Leica retailer.  I have researched the Internet and every provider and people on forums seem to be saying the same thing.

 

Any ideas?  I now have a perfectly good Leica battery worth £125 new or in my case £65 used which I don't need and would have to rely on a 'collection' sale only.

Use a courier like DHL or UPS.

[84bravo]

In the US I haven't had a problem with domestic post office shipping camera batteries. I told them it was in the original package when asked.

[stevegaskin]

I contacted a couple of Leica Retailers (UK), who said they always DPD as a Courier without problem. Just been on their website and looked at their restrictions: https://www.dpdlocal-online.co.uk/prohibited-items. Not sure how anything gets sent!  Hermes are similar. They include Laptops, coupons, stamps. SIM cards in restricted items.  Very odd.

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by stevegaskin

[pedaes]

14 minutes ago, stevegaskin said:

I contacted a couple of Leica Retailers (UK), who said they always DPD as a Courier without problem. Just been on their website and looked at their restrictions: https://www.dpdlocal-online.co.uk/prohibited-items. Not sure how anything gets sent!  Hermes are similar. They include Laptops, coupons, stamps. SIM cards in restricted items.  Very odd.

 

I think new in original packaging is not a problem. Used is a issue. Every time I post any package I get asked "Is there a battery?" so it is fairly common knowledge there is a constraint

Sorry don't have a solution. 

[stevegaskin]

2 minutes ago, pedaes said:

I think new in original packaging is not a problem. Used is a issue. Every time I post any package I get asked "Is there a battery?" so it is fairly common knowledge there is a constraint

Sorry don't have a solution. 

No worries. I'm just baffled as to how these items are regularly shipped by retailers but not allowed as a consumer.  Even new in packaging only constitutes a small cardboard box, which is easily achieved with a used item.   It seems like a very good battery is going to go to waste!!   Thanks for responding.

[mmx_2]

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14 minutes ago, stevegaskin said:

No worries. I'm just baffled as to how these items are regularly shipped by retailers but not allowed as a consumer.  Even new in packaging only constitutes a small cardboard box, which is easily achieved with a used item.   It seems like a very good battery is going to go to waste!!   Thanks for responding.

Used (and depleted) batteries are much more likely to catch fire than new (and partially charged) batteries. This is due to the properties of the batteries and likely the reason for these restrictions. For R/C planes we use a special fire proof bag to store the batteries, but not sure if they would accept that solution for shipping.

[Richardgb]

On 12/12/2019 at 10:13 AM, pedaes said:

I think new in original packaging is not a problem. Used is a issue. Every time I post any package I get asked "Is there a battery?" so it is fairly common knowledge there is a constraint

Sorry don't have a solution. 

Yes, in the manufacturer's original packaging is what the UK Post Office told me or, IIRC, fitted into the item the battery was designed for (otherwise how would anyone be able to send, for example, a mobile phone?). The PO and other organisations' worries stem from the cases where a battery's contact have somehow been short-circuited and caused fires. You can imagine the mess this would cause in a busy parcels office, or in the hold of a freight aircraft that's just about the fly over your house... (In a passenger aircraft battery-operated devices have to be carried in the passenger cabin where, presumably, any smoke / fire could quickly be dealt with - remember the Samsung phone debacle a few years ago?).

[Peter Kilmister]

@Richardgb: This is not just a problem with posting batteries. It is a problem with Li-Ion batteries in general. 

If you have an electric vehicle and it is involved in a fire as a result of an accident, the fire service will cordon off a huge area and do nothing more. Apparently Li-ion batteries may cause a rather large explosion and nothing is available to help prevention.

The "original packaging" clause in postal regulations allows you to send without restrictions. Original packaging inside a cardboard box was good enough for Leica, so just make sure it is in a cardboard box.

[Richardgb]

On 12/23/2019 at 11:31 PM, Peter Kilmister said:

@Richardgb: This is not just a problem with posting batteries. It is a problem with Li-Ion batteries in general. 

If you have an electric vehicle and it is involved in a fire as a result of an accident, the fire service will cordon off a huge area and do nothing more. Apparently Li-ion batteries may cause a rather large explosion and nothing is available to help prevention.

The "original packaging" clause in postal regulations allows you to send without restrictions. Original packaging inside a cardboard box was good enough for Leica, so just make sure it is in a cardboard box.

Peter - Yes, but I was replying to the OP's query.