Who can I use to post laptop batteries?

Draeger · 13 Jan 2015 at 08:00

Recently bought a couple of laptop batteries from an eBay seller for my sons laptop. They are refusing to hold a charge for any longer than 5 mins despite showing as fully charged. Once they show 100% charge if you unplug the charger after about 5 mins the laptop tells you to plug it back in and it shows 5% charge remaining then drops like a stone.

I intend returning them to the seller but apparently Royal Mail will not ship lithium laptop batteries, listing them as prohibited goods. I checked a few other carriers and most seem to be the same. Can anyone recommend or suggest a company who will ship them back to the seller? I can't recall who the seller used to send them as I've chucked the packaging they came in.

hughtrimble · 13 Jan 2015 at 09:59

Tried this? http://www.interlinkexpress.com/lithiumbatteries/

tom_e · 13 Jan 2015 at 10:02

Even RM will accept them as long as they display the warning notice on the outside of the package as far as I know, or at least they did when I needed to return some to Amazon and selected their RM return option.

hughtrimble · 13 Jan 2015 at 13:53

tom_e said:
Even RM will accept them as long as they display the warning notice on the outside of the package as far as I know, or at least they did when I needed to return some to Amazon and selected their RM return option.

If this is correct, go armed with the relevant paperwork to show that they are not prohibited items, as the Post Office staff often have no idea what RM actually allow.

tom_e · 13 Jan 2015 at 13:57

It may have changed, this was the middle of last year but I definitely sent them with a big lithium ion notice on.

DrBombcrater · 13 Jan 2015 at 19:27

RM definitely do allow Li-Ion batteries. At work I regularly get deliveries from Samsung of items containing batteries and they come via RM special delivery with nice big warning stickers on the package.

Draeger · 13 Jan 2015 at 20:06

DrBombcrater said:
RM definitely do allow Li-Ion batteries. At work I regularly get deliveries from Samsung of items containing batteries and they come via RM special delivery with nice big warning stickers on the package.

As far as I can tell RM will allow business post users to send Lithium batts but not 'normal' customers (can't see the point in that tbh, makes no difference to the perceived risk/hazard whether its business post or not :rolleyes:

) I'm trying to dig around for current regs which are up to date, must be on the RM site somewhere.

tom_e · 14 Jan 2015 at 10:30

There is always the option of lying when asked and just saying they're contained within a device which is fine even for us mere mortals to post.

Draeger · 17 Jan 2015 at 16:49

tom_e said:
There is always the option of lying when asked and just saying they're contained within a device which is fine even for us mere mortals to post.

Sneaky, I know - but that's exactly what I've done using eBay Managed Returns. Bunged them in a strong jiffy bag, fixed the managed return label to it and toddled off down the post office with it. Girl didn't even ask what was inside. I'm pretty sure my lack of honesty isn't going to cause Postman Pats van to explode.