Posting Li-ion batteries

allanm

allanm

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Allan
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I understand RM will no longer accept these batteries for postage, but, other carriers do. I know Interlink Express do, but their charges are too high. Collect+ seem to be ok with carrying them, or, I should say, they don't specifically list batteries as prohibited. Any body know if this is correct? I can't contact them because if you want to email them, they need a consignment number or the message won't go.
Or, are there any other couriers that specifically state they will carry batteries?
Allan
 
We sell laptop batteries and have a hazadous goods agreement with DHL for outbound stuff, but if a customer needs to return a battery we always recommend Collect+. We've never had a problem with them.

Somewhere on there website it does state that batteries are not allowed, but nobody checks.

Unfortunately as with everything elf and safety wise, everybody jumps on the bandwagon and bans everything just because it seems the right thing to do.

The reason why RM is very strict about them is because a lot of their post travels by air and the restrictions are a CAA restriction, not RM
 
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Thanks for the info, I have searched Collect+ website and read their prohibited items list as well as their T&C's, I can't see batteries listed anywhere. I also looked at My Hermes, they specifically list batteries as prohibited. Interlink allow you to ship 2 batteries at a time as long as they are within certain limits of power ( which most camera batteries are) but they don't do longer than 1 day service and the postage is nearly £10.
Allan
 
Your right, I can't see batteries listed anymore. They definitely used to be so maybe they've had a change of heart.

Maybe they realised that everyone was doing it anyway and none of their vans had exploded yet :)
 
Thats good enough for me, now to put a few batteries in the classifieds!
Allan
 
We had a Li-on battery delivered by RM last week for the OH's mobile.
 
If they are packaged correctly inline with Royal Mails guidelines then you can send batteries through Royal Mail

You may get the odd counter assistant that is not aware of the above but I just stand my ground when that happens and insist they check or talk with there supervisor
 
The odd thing i brought quite a few thought Amazon,and most of them have been deliver by RM :)
 
RM will deliver batteries fitted to equipment and new sealed batteries. It's used ones sent on their own that they won't take!
Allan
 
RM will not take batteries that are not connected to equipment. Andy700 you were lucky it got through. No doubt it never had to travel by air. I can assure you that if it was sent from somewhere requiring air freight it would have been scanned, found and destroyed. All you would have got in the mail would have been a nice letter telling you that they destroyed it.

Keith w, it doesn't matter how well you package them, if they are not connected to equipment they are not allowed.

What is very annoying and contradictory is that you can sent a battery connected to a device and one spare in the same package. Somehow this is okay, because batteries that travel in pairs are more stable than single ones. #worldgonemad
 
ecoleman said:
Keith w, it doesn't matter how well you package them, if they are not connected to equipment they are not allowed.

What is very annoying and contradictory is that you can sent a battery connected to a device and one spare in the same package. Somehow this is okay, because batteries that travel in pairs are more stable than single ones. #worldgonemad
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Do you not see the contradiction in your own words here?

Again, if they are packaged correctly you can send them
 
Keith W said:
Do you not see the contradiction in your own words here?

Again, if they are packaged correctly you can send them
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I'm afraid you are wrong Keith W. I have not contradicted myself. RM will allow a battery to be shipped if connected to a device ie a camera or laptop. They will also allow one spare battery to accompany that.

You may NOT send batteries alone, new or used unless they are Alkaline, Nickel Metal Hydride or Nickel Cadmium and then only if new and in original packaging. This rules out pretty much all batteries for modern technology as these tend to be Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer.

Do you really think I would pay DHL over the odds for shipping laptop batteries if I could send them via RM (bearing in mind they are new and sealed in original packaging)?

Quote from RM website page on prohibited goods and a link to the original source
http://www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/Tell-me-about-Prohibited-Goods

Batteries

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. Please seewww.royalmail.com/restrictedgoods.

For more information on lithium batteries please see the IATA Lithium Battery Guidance Document .

Sealed lead acid batteries are allowed in the UK, but are also subject to packaging, volume, quantity and labelling restrictions. Please seewww.royalmail.com/restrictedgoods

Alkaline metal, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and nickel cadmium (NiCd) batteries may only be sent when new and in their original packaging. Please see www.royalmail.com/restrictedgoods
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Also further down

Electronic items containing any batteries exceeding 100Wh

Including some high performance laptops and power tools
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So that rules a number of large Dell laptops that very often have batteries more than 100Wh.


Again, if they are packaged correctly you can send them
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Maybe you would like to explain that to the number of customers that have ignored our warnings of returning batteries to us via RM and have received a nice letter telling them that their £80 battery was destroyed courtesy of RM.
 
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Although in spite of their rules every spare battery I have ordered has been delivered by Royal Mail without issue.

I was told that it needs to be in an original box, not sure how that makes it safe to post though, probably just badly thought out and badly written rules.

They don't xray internal mail so just tell them its an electronic item, they will never know and if it burst into flames all the evidence will be destroyed as well so its a win, win situation ;):exit:
 
Paul-H said:
Although in spite of their rules every spare battery I have ordered has been delivered by Royal Mail without issue.

I was told that it needs to be in an original box, not sure how that makes it safe to post though, probably just badly thought out and badly written rules.

They don't xray internal mail so just tell them its an electronic item, they will never know and if it burst into flames all the evidence will be destroyed as well so its a win, win situation ;):exit:
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Unless the parcel has to travel via Air at some point you will probably be okay. Posting something from Bristol to London will probably never get picked up, but post something from London to Edinburgh will travel by air and will be scanned / x-rayed at some point.

I agree the rules are badly written and the fact that you can send a battery whilst connected to a device and also a spare, but not a battery on it's own is just crazy.

The fact is RM do scan parcels if travelling by air and we have a number of customers that have ignored our warnings and have had batteries destroyed.
It's up to you as to whether or not you want to take that chance.

We ship batteries all over Europe via DHL and have NEVER had an issue.
This is all down to the fact that some bad batteries on a flight caught fire once, so the CAA stepped in and proposed these rules. The batteries that caught fire belonged to the plane and where in use at the time o_O
 
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I think I read that RM will accept 2 spare batteries as long as they accompany one in new equipment, but I have never received any Li-ion battery powered equipment with a battery already fitted. I know a lot of toys and games have the battery fitted but with a pull out strip that keeps the battery disconnected.
Interlink Express will transport batteries in pairs under a certain power output, Hermes won't transport any batteries and Collect+ don't list batteries as prohibited. So, I just packed up 3 batteries and have sent them using Collect+
Allan
 
Like I first said up there in post #7

Keith W said:
If they are packaged correctly inline with Royal Mails guidelines then you can send batteries through Royal Mail
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Keith W said:
If they are packaged correctly inline with Royal Mails guidelines then you can send batteries through Royal Mail

You may get the odd counter assistant that is not aware of the above but I just stand my ground when that happens and insist they check or talk with there supervisor
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I took a radio scanner in to the post office and got the third degree about how I couldn't post it because I'd left the AA batteries in it, shocking really how many Royal Mail vans are burnt out at the side of the road because somebody left a battery in a radio.

She went and spoke to her supervisor and returned with "it's a grey area so we'll allow it, she then went on to tell me about 9v batteries shorting out when the terminals get touched by something metal and catching fire.

When I think of the risks I've taken over the years by having 9v batteries in the house, some even close to my children it sends a shudder down my spine.
 
Paul-H said:
And as a bonus using Collect plus is often much cheaper than RM
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Often is an understatement

I took a large box to the PO which weighed just under 2kg, 2nd class was a very reasonable £2.80

A week or so later I sent a parcel to my dad in a much smaller box but it was slightly over 2kg , I was stunned when she said £13 odd

1999g £2.80
2001g £13.50
 
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