Selling batteries on e-bay

If you got caught you would lose the battery and the refund, you've just kept yourself right.

Everyone and their granny will now be along to tell you how they've sent dive bottles, PCP rifles and camping gas through the post forever and it's all a myth.

Yep against Royal mail rules, post office should reject the parcel - but could be sent via courier.

but could be sent via courier.

It's against their T&C's as well and they're even bigger arses about it, they'll destroy it then tell you after the fact.

My concern was not so much that they'd destroy the battery - it's no use to me anyway as I no longer have that camera - it was that they'd send me a bill for burning down a sorting office. I sent a few parcels today and they didn't ask what was in them!

but could be sent via courier.

That's a bit of a grey area. They tend to be more accepting if it's sent by a business, but individuals might send batteries in any old damaged state and/or poorly packaged so personal restrictions are a bit more stringent.

My concern was not so much that they’d destroy the battery – it’s no use to me anyway as I no longer have that camera – it was that they’d send me a bill for burning down a sorting office.

Royal Mail send some post by air, which is why the restrictions are so onerous.

I just returned* a couple of lithium camera batteries to Amazon. They (Amazon) provided postage labels which turned out to be Royal Mail parcels (48hr tracked). The parcel, complete with its large UN3840 Exploding Battery warning label were accepted at the PO without a murmur.

I'm sure that if I had tried to post the same thing on my own behalf, it would have been rejected.

(* The batteries were much lower capacity than claimed. No, I shouldn't be surprised...)

That’s a bit of a grey area. They tend to be more accepting if it’s sent by a business

It's more that someone responsible has declared the goods and has a contract to send dangerous goods.

I recently tried to return to Amazon a faulty drill battery. They eventually told me to keep it as they couldn't find a courier who would accept it.

It ended up in the battery bin at the tip.

RM wont send disc brakes either.

Royal Mail send some post by air, which is why the restrictions are so onerous.

Restrictions are also to protect postmen - they don't want batteries exploding in the back of a van or post bag.

I just returned* a couple of lithium camera batteries to Amazon. They (Amazon) provided postage labels which turned out to be Royal Mail parcels (48hr tracked). The parcel, complete with its large UN3840 Exploding Battery warning label were accepted at the PO without a murmur.

You can post batteries in the UK using royal mail as a domestic customer if either it's contained within its original device or if it's contained within its original packaging. In both circumstances the correct battery label should be applied.

Some couriers such as FedEx do ship batteries in the UK, but have their own strict packaging and regulations. DHL I think are the same as royal mail (They're just the German version after all),  there are a bunch of 'specialist shipping' courier companies that will ship bare batteries in the UK for domestic customers, but expect to pay a significant amount and they probably sub the work out to ups/FedEx etc within a specialist contract.

You can post batteries in the UK using royal mail as a domestic customer if either it’s contained within its original device or if it’s contained within its original packaging.

I knew about the former (and have been quizzed in the past when posting stuff with lithium batteries inside), but didn't know about the latter - does that also apply to lithium batteries?