how to post battery?

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madmardle

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I have a Nikon EN-EL14 battery which I will be advertising when I can find out a fair price to ask, but in the meantime, does anyone know who, other than Royal Mail will deliver batteries? I can lie in the post office but I don't really like to.
 
You can lie to Royal Mail but if they scan your parcel and find it, they will destroy it and post you a nice letter.

Collect plus shouldn't be a problem. We recommend them to customers wanting to return laptop batteries to us. Never had a problem.
 
You can post it Royal Mail as long as it has a label on it stating batteries inside - plenty of advice on their website about it.
Edit - got that wrong - can't send if in isolation - need to be with equipment - ignore me ;)
 
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Hermes?
 
I get why the PO have an issue with batteries, but they take a very simple approach to it. In short they are trying to stop the things shorting out and catching fire. Not really an issue with old skool AA's and the like, but new LiPo's contain a lot of energy, and given the terminals can be shorted quite easily.

As I said, some batteries contain a significant amount of energy, hence why the PO would rather not carry them.

So, the view I take is that as long as I cover the terminals in such a way that shorting can not happen, then these things are as safe as being in my house. Only you can decide if you wish to declare this to the people at the PO.

As an aside, my wife was posting a watch for me for service ( it was a mechanical watch from the 1950's, in a gold case ( not that that matters). When the lady in the PO found out it was a watch, she refused to accept it, as it contained a battery !

She was wrong because 1) the watch of course contained no battery and 2) if it was a quartz, then the battery would have been contained inside the watch and unlikely to short and 3) The energy in a button cell is 3/5's of %^&* all.

I understand why the PO take the line they do, as most people will be unable to differentiate between likelihood of the risk, and it's consequences. I take a more risk based approach!
 
Oops, just realised you'd only send the battery alone, without being connected to a camera. Everything is explained there anyway.
 
This is a question that pops up every now and again. It's not RM rules, it's the ICAO (aviation authority) rules, RM has to adhere to them as they send a lot of post by air within the UK. how else do they get something dropped off in the last post at 5pm on the south coast to Orkney by 1pm the next day.

This thread from 2014 may still have relevant info.

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/t...re-sending-batteries-through-the-post.527468/

Collect Plus seems to be the name that crops up most of the time so it's worth checking their T&Cs. The basic answer is any courier service that doesn't use air transport.
 
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It's it mostly to do with CAA regulations and not the couriers or RM themselves. We do have customers returning batteries to us via RM and many get through no problems. Generally if the mail is never transported by air, the tend to get here, if it ends up going by plane they are normally weeded out and destroyed.
 
People often quote ADR, IATA and ICAO but fail to mention that as long as it is being sent as a 'Limited Quantity' then it will be Ok.
 
How come any Lithium ion batteries I buy are usually delivered by Royal Mail ? What would happen if I refused delivery ?
 
ecoleman said:
Not Royal Mail. A battery on its own is not allowed.
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Yes it is. Royal Mail actually take the time and trouble to publish the IATA guidelines on their own website. As I said in my previous post "People often quote ADR, IATA and ICAO but fail to mention that as long as it is being sent as a 'Limited Quantity' then it will be Ok" I've had no issues in sending lithium-ion batteries via Royal Mail in the past just stick to the guidelines. Any problems from any Post Office officials just refer them to their own web site.

http://www.royalmail.com/business/help/sending/prohibited-goods
 
Blank_Canvas said:
Yes it is. Royal Mail actually take the time and trouble to publish the IATA guidelines on their own website. As I said in my previous post "People often quote ADR, IATA and ICAO but fail to mention that as long as it is being sent as a 'Limited Quantity' then it will be Ok" I've had no issues in sending lithium-ion batteries via Royal Mail in the past just stick to the guidelines. Any problems from any Post Office officials just refer them to their own web site.

http://www.royalmail.com/business/help/sending/prohibited-goods
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The OP is talking about sending a single battery on its own without a camera.

Below is from the link to RMs rules you posted:

Lithium ion/polymer/metal/alloy batteries when not sent with, or contained in/connected to an electronic device, are prohibited. Lithium ion/polymer/metal/alloy batteries are allowed when sent with or contained in/connected to an electronic device, but are subject to packaging, volume and quantity restrictions.

RM rules are dependant on whether you send the battery with/in an electronic device. With RM the 'limited quantity' rule only applies to batteries sent with or contained in/connected to an electronic device not on their own. The OP is talking about sending an individual battery on its own without a camera hence RM won't take it. If the battery was sent with a camera it would be fine and RM would delivery it.

Link to RMs rules on restricted goods:

http://www.royalmail.com/business/help/sending/restricted-goods

The IATA rules are published on the RM website but anyone working for RM has to follow RMs own procedures for Lithium Batteries even if these are slightly different to the IATA rules. RM have simplified the IATA rules into an easier to understand procedure for their staff to ensure they keep within the boundaries of the IATA rules. It's the same at many places of work, procedures have a safety marginal built in so if they are broken it doesn't necessarily mean an offence has been committed. By using RM you agree to meeting their rules on restricted or prohibited goods not the IATA rules. If you don't agree with RMs rules don't use them.
 
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jimgallaher said:
How come any Lithium ion batteries I buy are usually delivered by Royal Mail ? What would happen if I refused delivery ?
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Looking at the IATA rules there is a point about manufacturers of new batteries being able to show testing has been completed to ensure they are safe to travel by air. Some businesses may be able to agree to meet special tighter RM controls than the general public hence the blanket ban on personal/general business customers, either that or they just send them and not say what it is. It's interesting to note that defective batteries that are being sent back for safety/defect recalls cannot be sent by air and are prohibited. That's probably the reason why Nikon got people to dispose of defective unsafe batteries themslves and just sent a new one out, similar to Amazon just refunding people who bought hover boards and asked the to dispose of them rather than return them.
 
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Blank_Canvas said:
Yes it is. Royal Mail actually take the time and trouble to publish the IATA guidelines on their own website. As I said in my previous post "People often quote ADR, IATA and ICAO but fail to mention that as long as it is being sent as a 'Limited Quantity' then it will be Ok" I've had no issues in sending lithium-ion batteries via Royal Mail in the past just stick to the guidelines. Any problems from any Post Office officials just refer them to their own web site.

http://www.royalmail.com/business/help/sending/prohibited-goods
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So what part of this don't you understand then?

Batteries that are classed as dangerous goods by the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Technical Instructions are prohibited. This includes wet spillable lead acid/lead alkaline batteries (such as car batteries), used alkaline metal, nickel metal hydride (NiMH), nickel cadmium (NiCd), zinc-air batteries, and damaged batteries of any type. Lithium ion/polymer/metal/alloy batteries when not sent with, or contained in/connected to an electronic device, are prohibited. Lithium ion/polymer/metal/alloy batteries are allowed when sent with or contained in/connected to an electronic device, but are subject to packaging, volume and quantity restrictions.

It doesn't matter what the ADR, IATA and ICAO rules are. Royal Mail, and many other carriers outright ban them when shipped alone.
 
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Exemptions: Small lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are not subject to all of the provisions of the Dangerous Goods Regulations provided that they comply with all of the requirements set out in Section II of Packing Instructions 965, 966 and 967 for lithium ion batteries and Section II of Packing Instructions 968, 969 and 970 for lithium metal batteries in the 54th Edition of the IATA DGR.
 
Blank_Canvas said:
Exemptions: Small lithium metal and lithium ion batteries are not subject to all of the provisions of the Dangerous Goods Regulations provided that they comply with all of the requirements set out in Section II of Packing Instructions 965, 966 and 967 for lithium ion batteries and Section II of Packing Instructions 968, 969 and 970 for lithium metal batteries in the 54th Edition of the IATA DGR.
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Which you have taken from an IATA document.
They have nothing to do with RM and can not override RMs decision to prohibit the shipping of batteries on their own.
 
ecoleman said:
Which you have taken from an IATA document.
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I did it was in response to you stating that Lithium batteries were Dangerous Goods (or should I say you cutting and pasting from the RM website), They are but I merely pointed out that are not subject to all of the provisions of the Dangerous Goods Regulations provided that they comply with all of the requirements.

I misunderstood the original question I didn't realise we were talking about a battery in isolation. Small iPhone, long hours, tiredness - not a good combination !
 
ecoleman said:
It's it mostly to do with CAA regulations and not the couriers or RM themselves. We do have customers returning batteries to us via RM and many get through no problems. Generally if the mail is never transported by air, the tend to get here, if it ends up going by plane they are normally weeded out and destroyed.
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I had 4 batteries confiscated by them and was sent a warning letter, and mine were just inland post.
 
I've had about twenty batteries sent to me by RM this year by many sellers, all on own, all here with no questions... they obviously don't scan for that many. For the record I buy laptop batteries to refurbish Li-Ion tool batteries.
 
arthurbikemad said:
they obviously don't scan for that many.
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And you have deduced this because they haven't scanned 20 of your parcels, out of around 1.2 billion parcels a year. (2011-2012 figures)

As I've said before this may depend on where you supplier is. Batteries that aren't shipped by air seem to go un-noticed.
 
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I have just received last week a batch of batteries from 7dayshop, they were sent in a cardboard box via DPD with an explicit warning on the front that said Warning, package contents Lithium batteries. (or words to that effect)
I suppose that is why they were a little extra in P & P from 7dayshop as the other stuff I have had from them are usually sent via RM.
 
1......today --- had a box delivered by Hermes from England
1 digital camera c/w Li battery
1 spare (in its plastic box)

no declaration or warning label attached
luck of the draw i guess.............:)


2..Hermes picked up my box OK - a D5000
the Sales Office said ''battery is integral to camera = NO problem

BUT - not covered by ANY compensation cos its an electronic device .......go figure.....:(
 
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ecoleman said:
And you have deduced this because they haven't scanned 20 of your parcels, out of around 1.2 billion parcels a year. (2011-2012 figures)

As I've said before this may depend on where you supplier is. Batteries that aren't shipped by air seem to go un-noticed.
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I don't care about the 1.2 billion parcels, I am just saying that 20+ have been sent and 20+ have been received, make of it what you will but it proves whatever system RM have in place for the detection of them is random at best. I don't condone braking any rules I am just posting my experiences.
 
ecoleman said:
And you have deduced this because they haven't scanned 20 of your parcels, out of around 1.2 billion parcels a year. (2011-2012 figures)

As I've said before this may depend on where you supplier is. Batteries that aren't shipped by air seem to go un-noticed.
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Blimey you've been talking about this subject for a while haha

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/ban-on-posting-li-ion-batteries.461686/

Great Flickr pics Mr Ecoleman :)


edit: it's got me thinking, installed or not? what presents most risk? I'd guess installed, but then given most packs have the charge regulator circuit installed and most (not all) have short circuit protection built in too you have to wonder why the rules often isolate loose batteries. I've never really thought about it but given if the device fails in transit such as these cheap unregulated hover boards for example surly the risk is higher when the cells are installed into the device, a loose cell is far safer IMO than those installed into devices, if you think of the electronics involved in a laptop pack for example with power level indicators and so on you have to question the definition loose? Or is it they are just concerned with the shipping of batteries with exposed terminals.
 
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arthurbikemad said:
Blimey you've been talking about this subject for a while haha

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/ban-on-posting-li-ion-batteries.461686/

Great Flickr pics Mr Ecoleman :)


edit: it's got me thinking, installed or not? what presents most risk? I'd guess installed, but then given most packs have the charge regulator circuit installed and most (not all) have short circuit protection built in too you have to wonder why the rules often isolate loose batteries. I've never really thought about it but given if the device fails in transit such as these cheap unregulated hover boards for example surly the risk is higher when the cells are installed into the device, a loose cell is far safer IMO than those installed into devices, if you think of the electronics involved in a laptop pack for example with power level indicators and so on you have to question the definition loose? Or is it they are just concerned with the shipping of batteries with exposed terminals.
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I agree, the rules are crazy. Not only can you send a device with a battery installed, but you can send up to two spare batteries with it. I guess the thinking is that being installed there is little chance of short circuit, but then they allow two spares and yet we can't ship brand new batteries, correctly packaged and sealed.

I guess it's the usual case of the people making the rules really don't have a clue and just have to be seen doing something.
 
From what I understood business accounts were allowed to send batteries with RM and it was more a case of private customers not being allowed as they weren't so trusted to secure and isolate them properly.
 
studioworks said:
From what I understood business accounts were allowed to send batteries with RM and it was more a case of private customers not being allowed as they weren't so trusted to secure and isolate them properly.
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No. We have a business account and not allowed to post batteries. We have to use DHL for them.
 
ecoleman said:
No. We have a business account and not allowed to post batteries. We have to use DHL for them.
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Oh I'm surprised at that, pretty much all the batteries whether normal, phone or camera ones I've ordered off eBay have come by RM, must of been lucky none have been confiscated.
 
Classic eBay add from today haha (just by chance I thought of you guys)

360.jpg
 
18650 3.7V Li-Ion batteries commonly used in most packs for nearly anything, I use the solder-tab ver frequently to refurbish dead packs. Think the seller is adding random keywords.

Just like this:-
360.jpg
 
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