Electric Toothbrush destroyed as DG

[Mikew1971]

Hi,
My brother recently posted two normal Oral B toothbrushes to me in N.Ireland via RM. They were showing as being held at East Mids as possible DG and on ringing today we have been told they have indeed been sent to N.Ireland but have been destroyed as Dangerous Goods!.

Why would this be, the battery is part of the toothbrush and not loose, does this mean you cannot send items like this as present to relatives etc. I can take it in my carry on airplane luggage but can't post it seemingly.

Have I any recourse in this, seems unfair that they can destroy over £300 of my property without giving me the chance to have them returned or picked up.

Any help or advice appreciated

[Snaggletooth]

The rules vary by type of battery. But if you post, say, a mobile phone within the UK you need to follow a lot of rules. For instance, the parcel must carry the sender’s name and address on the outside, the parcel must carry the special sticker identifying what is inside etc. Failure to follow these rules is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence in theory.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I think its possible, though you made no mention of it that your brother either did not declare it, or did not declare it properly. In these cases Royal Mail in their TOS state they can dispose of or destroy it without notifying the sender/receiver.



Why Electric Toothbrushes are Considered Dangerous Goods for Shipping
The core issue lies with the lithium-ion batteries that power most electric toothbrushes. While they are safe in normal use, lithium-ion batteries pose a flammability and explosion risk under certain conditions, especially during transport. International and national postal regulations have become increasingly strict about shipping these batteries due to safety concerns.

Royal Mail, like many other carriers, classifies items containing lithium batteries as "dangerous goods" or "restricted items." Even if the battery is "part of the toothbrush and not loose," it still falls under these regulations.

Here's why:

Lithium-ion battery regulations: There are specific rules about the Watt-hour (WH) rating of the batteries, the number of batteries per parcel, and how they must be packaged to prevent short circuits and accidental activation.

Air transport: Goods being sent to Northern Ireland from Great Britain often travel by air, even if it's within the UK postal network. Air cargo regulations (like those from the International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO) are particularly stringent for batteries. An item that might be allowed by ground transport could be prohibited by air.

Lack of clear declaration/packaging: If the sender didn't explicitly declare the item as containing a lithium battery and follow all the specific packaging and labelling guidelines (which can be quite complex), the item would be flagged and potentially destroyed. Even if the sender was unaware of the rules, the responsibility for compliance generally rests with the sender.

"If you send prohibited goods or restricted goods (and you do not comply with the relevant terms and conditions), we may deal with the goods as we see fit, including but not limited to, disposing of the parcels concerned (in whole or in part).
https://help.royalmail.com/personal/s/a ... guidelines"