HELP: Royal Mail disposed of my smartphone

[jessymeyer]

My new Note 3 sent by the insurance with its battery inside was just disposed of by Royal Mail when my friend tried to send it to me from England to Germany.

There are so many inconsistencies with what they have done:

1. The battery inside a mobile phone *is* permitted to send internationally: "Lithium ion/polymer/metal/alloy batteries when sent contained in equipment such as a mobile phone or digital camera are allowed" as per their regulations.

2. IF it wasn't permitted internationally it IS permitted in the UK, so they could have *returned the parcel*.

3. IF the battery was the problem, they should have *only disposed of the "dangerous good"* and not the whole valuable parcel

4. The content of the parcel was *checked at the Post Office* and *cleared to be dispatched*

5. Another *exact parcel* was recently dispatched to the same address by Royal Mail *without any issue*

6. They should at least *specify* what was the "dangerous good" and the *condition* it was found

I am in shock.

Anyone has any ideas what to do or why they would have considered my parcel a dangerous item as it directly state in their website it is allowed? Does the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 battery sent inside of the smartphone - well packaged, checked by the Post Office - violate any of their specifications?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

It may be that German Customs or the Postal company responsible for delivery in Germany destroyed it as it does go against their importation regulations. Without a tracking number it is difficult to say with any certainty who did (but even then it won't be 100%). Royal Mail tracking reports all tracking not just that which is specific to their company.

http://www.royalmail.com/germany" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Prohibited items

Prohibited products are not permitted in the mail under any circumstances.

Lithium batteries and equipment containing lithium batteries

You must not send any item addressed to a country in which the item is unlawful or prohibited. When an item is restricted you must comply with the restriction. Prohibitions and restrictions vary from country to country, and can sometimes apply to items which you may think are ordinary. The information below is provided in good faith, but Royal Mail is not responsible for it, and it should be viewed as a guide only. Specific restrictions and changes may be enforced at short notice, so for clarification please contact the destination country's trade, postal, and customs authorities as appropriate.

[SpacePhoenix]

Germany doesn't allow any lithium batteries to be sent to Germany no matter how they are packed:

http://www.royalmail.com/germany" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Prohibited items

Prohibited products are not permitted in the mail under any circumstances.

Lithium batteries and equipment containing lithium batteries

[k979aaa]

Must have seen Samsung and thought it was a note 4 and would you like to be on a plane with a note 4 going off.

[jessymeyer]

I have posted the Note 2 with the battery inside from Germany to England twice without any problems. And I have previously received a Note 3 with battery in Germany from England this year without any problems (my two Note 2 needed to be sent to repair and they returned new Note 3 as they couldn't repair the Note 2).

My friend answered the Post Office questions and he obviously knew where the item was going to, clearing the item for posting.

The package had a return address. If it couldn't get out of the UK then they had to return it to the sender and not dispose of it. The item was ok to circulate in the UK, why not return it?

The package was sent to the NRC to be analised, so they could have returned it to the sender if the problem was sending it to Germany.

I even payed extra insurance, tracked and signed for. Now they don't even want to pay the insurance as they said it contained dangerous goods.

Any ideas?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

No, you were lucky before that German or UK customs didn't spot it or them.

Unfortunately with 196 Countries each with their own Customs regulations its impossible for a local, or even Crown Post Office to know the nuances of each and every one of them thats why they have that warning saying the information is provided in good faith. As with every Postal Operator in the world, its not the carrier who is responsible for checking whether the item is legal or not, that's the sender's responsibility. However, if they do detect "Dangerous Goods" they can dispose of it as they wish.

https://personal.help.royalmail.com/app ... il/a_id/96" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You are responsible for checking whether or not an item is prohibited or restricted. If you send prohibited goods or restricted goods (and you do not comply with the relevant terms and conditions), we may deal with your items as we see fit, including but not limited to, disposing of the parcels concerned (in whole or in part).

This is where I feel sorry for the Post Office workers, they get people claiming invasion of privacy when they ask questions about whats inside a parcel, but then when things go wrong like this even when they have asked the questions, somehow they are still to blame although in law the main responsibility for complying with import and export regulations is the sender. Its a case of heads you win, tails I lose.

[jessymeyer]

But the thing is: it is not dangerous goods in the UK. So or they deliver it to the next carrier or they return it. If it is not a dangerous good in the UK it is perfectly safe for them to return it to the sender.

[SpacePhoenix]

But the thing is: it is not dangerous goods in the UK. So or they deliver it to the next carrier or they return it. If it is not a dangerous good in the UK it is perfectly safe for them to return it to the sender.

Because in the UK it can be sent via road only whereas when sent abroad a litthium battery might be sent on a plane and there's the risk of the battery getting damaged and catching fire which could potentially bring a plane down

[Snaggletooth]

I've re-read all your posts again and you have covered most of the dangerous goods checklist, but there are still a couple of potential problems that would lead to your item being considered dangerous.

1. If the phone was in any way damaged (I got a bit lost in your description of phones going backwards and forwards for repair). This could include a broken glass screen as well as battery issues.

2. If a spare battery was included.

3. If the phone was not packed in a cardboard or plastic box.

4. Some manufacturers pack their mobile phones in a way which is not suitable for sending in the mail. When I got my rather basic Samsung work phone last year it came with a small plastic divider between the phone and the battery, if I sent it in the mail like that then Royal Mail would have to destroy it.

To answer a couple of other points: Post Office staff do not clear anything to go in the mail, they act in an advisory capacity but they have no say in what gets accepted and it is down to the sender to ensure that they comply with the law. This is because PO staff do not see into parcels so they can only ask questions and hope to get true & accurate answers.

And Royal Mail staff can't separate the dangerous bits from parcels. Imagine the job advert: "your role will be to put your hands into things we know to be dangerous and separate the bits that aren't dangerous". Nobody would do it.