Courier to send laptop battery

Schizophonic · 15 Jan 2017 at 21:58

Royal mail are being a bit of an arse, 2 post office rejected the item, checked the prohibited item and it says that lithium batteries are allowed if they are in their original packaging and etc. I even gone as far as calling their customer support line to check and they said it was fine.

So I'm turning onto the fine species of the forum members to let me know which couriers have you used where I can send a Laptop battery for cheap rate.

Thanks.

Feek · 15 Jan 2017 at 22:04

It's a difficult one. Through work, we send stuff using Parcel2Go and although the individual couriers say they will carry them (DPD for example), if you try and book through P2G, they list batteries as prohibited items.

What I now do is pack the battery in bubble and then put it in a box so it looks nothing like a battery and simply declare it as "IT equipment". I've shipped a few recently with no problems.

You could just lie at the Post Office when they ask you what it is.

Schizophonic · 15 Jan 2017 at 22:09

Feek said:
It's a difficult one. Through work, we send stuff using Parcel2Go and although the individual couriers say they will carry them (DPD for example), if you try and book through P2G, they list batteries as prohibited items.

What I now do is pack the battery in bubble and then put it in a box so it looks nothing like a battery and simply declare it as "IT equipment". I've shipped a few recently with no problems.

You could just lie at the Post Office when they ask you what it is.

Thanks for the heads up, i was considering to lie at the post office but they it will be scanned and if found to be batteries it will be disposed off.

Hodders · 15 Jan 2017 at 22:15

So why will they transport batteries of packaged in the laptop? What's the difference?

Narj · 15 Jan 2017 at 22:21

Schizophonic said:
Thanks for the heads up, i was considering to lie at the post office but they it will be scanned and if found to be batteries it will be disposed off.

I'd say that's BS if it's in country seeing as people are quite happily receiving all sorts of stuff from the dark web without it being scanned and dumped/confiscated.

Malevolence · 15 Jan 2017 at 22:27

I've never understood all this palaver surrounding sending batteries via courier. I mean, what's the difference between sending a laptop (including battery) and sending just the battery?

NoobCannon · 15 Jan 2017 at 22:37

They dont scan parcells. Theyve freely admited they cant stop drugs and illegal items coming thru thier systems as its cost prohibitive to check the parcells

Just tell them its a electrical item and be done with it. Technically your not even Lying

MonsterMoshi · 15 Jan 2017 at 23:24

Took a parcel to send to a Doddle shop who insisting on scanning it and said there was some 'organic material' inside the stuffed bear I was sending so he couldn't send it. He said to take it to the post office as they don't check. Did that and it arrived the next day no issues.
Post office don't give one

bobbyspangles · 15 Jan 2017 at 23:44

Post Office staff rarely understand their own rules so there's no point arguing with them about it. Just tell them it's a box of CDs or something and be done with it.

Courier is an option if you don't mind paying minimum £7. And you will have to go to the courier directly which will cost you more, as most resellers will have their own ridiculous rules restricting lithium batteries.

Ironic Namesake · 16 Jan 2017 at 04:54

As far as I know, DPD should accept them in the UK as long as it's in the mainland and doesn't involve air transport. Same with other carriers that send them by road - UPS, TNT etc.

Problem with the majority of the couriers is that the staff don't understand the differences in classification of UN numbers etc. themselves and often just reject them completely as it's easier.

This is all due to the strict IATA rules on Li-ion that further tightened shipped rules in April 2016.

From all the couriers I've dealt with TNT Dangerous Goods team seem the most knowledgeable

Tefal · 16 Jan 2017 at 05:43

just put it in a box and send it.,

Tefal · 16 Jan 2017 at 05:44

NoobCannon said:
They dont scan parcells. Theyve freely admited they cant stop drugs and illegal items coming thru thier systems as its cost prohibitive to check the parcells

Just tell them its a electrical item and be done with it. Technically your not even Lying

this you can order pretty much anything through uk post.

ci_newman · 16 Jan 2017 at 08:28

Malevolence said:
I've never understood all this palaver surrounding sending batteries via courier. I mean, what's the difference between sending a laptop (including battery) and sending just the battery?

The issue with Li-ion batteries comes when their positive and negative terminals are short-circuited. If a battery is inside a device, this is very unlikely to happen. If it is floating around in a box with exposed terminals, the likelihood is much higher.

Rroff · 16 Jan 2017 at 13:02

While highly unlikely to either occur or be traced back if it did be aware that lying about and sending a Li-ion battery when its a prohibited item could potentially result in you bring liable if something did happen.

aardvark · 16 Jan 2017 at 13:07

put some electrical tape over the connects if it bothers you and then lie to the post office.
i never tell the post office what's in any of the parcels i send.

neil_g · 16 Jan 2017 at 13:09

Malevolence said:
I've never understood all this palaver surrounding sending batteries via courier. I mean, what's the difference between sending a laptop (including battery) and sending just the battery?

The issue is with the shorting of the terminals resulting in fire or explosion. There have been a few incidents on aircraft as a result.

But as said they should just require it packaged in the original materials or within a device. And with the battery warning label affixed and they should transport it by road.

I have read of items being returned to sender or being destroyed for not declaring the package contains batteries. Not really worth the risk.

Stealthploit · 16 Jan 2017 at 20:20

thats the way it is now days

koooowweeee · 17 Jan 2017 at 07:48

Feek said:
You could just lie at the Post Office when they ask you what it is.

I said this on the last thread. Had loads of people having a cry about my comment.

If it's wrapped up so no damage could be caused I don't see the problem. 1000's will be in the. Post everyday.

Lopéz · 17 Jan 2017 at 14:54

Ironic Namesake said:
From all the couriers I've dealt with TNT Dangerous Goods team seem the most knowledgeable

I am sat a few metres from them right now, and you are right - they are a good bunch and do know their stuff.

Hope all's well!

Werewolf · 17 Jan 2017 at 15:47

Malevolence said:
I've never understood all this palaver surrounding sending batteries via courier. I mean, what's the difference between sending a laptop (including battery) and sending just the battery?

Because a battery fitted in equipment has the protection offered by the equipment.

A battery packaged by Joe Bloggs might be wrapped in tinfoil in a large unpadded envelope.

You just have to have seen some of ways people have received things like hard drives, video cards, monitors, phones etc from ebay in the past to see how poorly packaged goods can be, and whilst it's not a big issue with the courier if some idiot sends a hard drive wrapped in brown paper tied up with string, it is a big issue if someone sends a lithium ion battery like that and it gets damaged.