To ask you to check Royal Mails Dangerous Goods list before you post anything!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Comprehensive list is here:

www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/Tell-me-about-Restricted-Goods

If you send something in their Restricted Goods list, and Royal Mail notices it, they will confiscate, and sell at auction.

Case in point: £300 suspension unit for bicycle. "Disposed" of by Royal Mail, was confirmed to have been sent for auction. Full thread here:

singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/royal-mail-have-binned-my-rear-shock

I can't see what the problem is.

It's a gas canister, pressurised or not that are still dangerous to carry around - especially when they will be chucked here there and everywhere while being loaded and unloaded, the sorting machines etc.

I really don't blame Royal Mail at all. The company who sent the item should have read up on the restrictions and sent the parcel via another company who knows how to handle these things.

Are two AA batteries in a toy really that dangerous???

They can leak and batteries are easy enough to get hold of. There's not really any need to send them.

I really don't blame Royal Mail at all. The company who sent the item should have read up on the restrictions and sent the parcel via another company who knows how to handle these things

It wasn't a company, it was a private individual.

Ie Royal Mail accepted parcel from private individual (contents which are allowed to be flown). At some point in the parcels journey Royal Mail decided the parcel was not permitted so they sold it.

Then the individual sending should have checked.

It's clear in the restrictions list.

But they didn't do anything about there being 2 AA batteries in a brand new toy (think leakage rather unlikely in that situation). Just seemed to fill in a form. Even if they had leaked everywhere it wouldn't have escaped the packaging anyway.

Personally I'd feel pretty tight sending a present and telling the recipient to buy their own batteries.

Ooh, I wondered why I was asked this question when I handed over a package that was going to Kenya.

The PO employee was MOST embarrassed when I told him it was a box of sanitary protection.

I don't agree with the selling of items though - surely they should return to sender?

I agree with Farrow

Stick with the rules and there is no problems, Break the rules and you are aware of what will happen.

It is not brain science really.

And I say this as someone who posts out 200+ parcels with RM on a daily basis.

3. All non-flammable compressed gases are prohibited e.g. air bags; scuba tanks, carbon dioxide; fire extinguishers; neon and nitrogen

The relevant section. There was no compressed by as being sent - the shock had been emptied. The potential to carry compressed gas would also apply to things like footballs.

ProsandCons
Yes, but surely there has to be some kind of warning if the regulations have been tightened? The guy on that thread linked to had no idea of the restrictions or he wouldn't have sent it.

That's interesting; I was wondering why I was suddenly being asked what I was posting.

By your logic then you should be able to send empty calor gas canister - but you can't WHY? BECAUSE IT'S DANGEROUS.

A football isn't going to do nearly as much damage as a gas canister.

Yes, but surely there has to be some kind of warning if the regulations have been tightened? The guy on that thread linked to had no idea of the restrictions or he wouldn't have sent it

Exactly, you can't be expected to just know what the restrictions are. Surely RM has got some obligation to make sure the customer has seen the TS and Cs. In my post office the restrictions leaflet is not available unless you ask for it, there are no posters up like at an airport check in. If I had posted a shock and the teller had asked me what I was sending I would have said bicycle parts. Is the teller trained to determine if goods not specifically listed are prohibited/restricted?

And if something is found later down the line is it right that RM simply auctions those items that they have deemed dangerous?

But a football is a gas canister! It is a container that is capable of holding compressed gas.

Calor gas canisters contain/ed flammable gas.

I cannot see how an empty container with the potential to hold non flammable gas could possibly be dangerous.

It's called research and planning ahead.

The fact of the matter is they deemed it safe enough to transport 400miles to the auction house, instead of the 300 miles back to it's owner.

The supplier isn't to blame seasick. Mojo (the supplier) send via courier, so there isn't this issue. The customer sent the item back via royal mail.

Farrow
But surely most people would know that sending an empty gas canister would be problematic/dangerous/not allowed, but few would think there would be an issue sending bicycle parts.

That is the problem, not that people aren't sticking to the rules. How are you supposed to know what they will term as 'dangerous'?

The guy at PO waved a laminated sheet at me and asked, 'You are not sending anything on this list, are you?'

Would someone sending this bicycle part be aware that it might fall under one of the restricted items? I doubt it.

It's called research and planning ahead

No. When you pay for RM to deliver a parcel you are entering into a contract with them. The contract is only valid if the contract is fair and if both parties agree to the contract.

You can't have an contract in which the other party is completely unaware of the terms!

ER...Thats where the reasearch and planning ahead comes in. YOU look at everything before you sign up to anything.

You enter a contract with RM and they assume that you have read the restrictions list.

You enter a contract with RM and they assume that you have read the restrictions list

They can't just assume. They need to make sure you have read it. I assume that you realise that by replying to my last post you have agreed to give me your first born? No? I assumed you had read my terms and conditions which are readily available.

You can't just assume these things. Ever noticed that when you check in at an airport they specifically ask you/ make you read list in front of them.

Ever noticed that when you buy online/checkout you need to tick the wee box that says you have read and agree to the terms and conditions.

You can't just randomly create some terms and conditions and assume that a person is fully aware of them.

Oh for christs sake.

The rules are there to be read - it's up to the person posting checking that what it is they are posting can be allowed.

The part was a gas canister - it's not allowed. It really is that simple.

farrow

I used to work in shipping (the bike shop). After reading this I contacted an old colleague who stills works at said shop, they had NO idea the rules had changed and were not notified of any changes.

Is one to look at the rules and regs every single day just in case RM have changed them without making people aware?

If they're going to make changes that lead to a loss of property, they have to be sure to make people aware otherwise they're on very shaky ground.

Yes, of course that is true, but does the company not bear any responsibility for changing terms without informing their customers?

I have no idea what a rear shock is, but it seems that Royal Mail have been happily sending them around the country for years before they decided to change the rules. Not unreasonable to expect some kind of warning.

What if they decide tomorrow that no one is allowed to send knives in the post, but don't bother to warn anyone. Would it be acceptable to then say, 'Knives not allowed according to our restrictions'?

Also the rules are there ONLINE, I'm regularly in the post office and have never seen a list of prohibited items.