Royal Mail online and restricted items

PeterOHanrahanrahan

Apologies if this in the wrong section.

For both returns labels and click and drop on Royal Mail's site, there is a requirement to tick a box stating that I'm not sending any prohibited or restricted items before a returns label or postage label can be processed.

I've had a few different answers from RM, however what I'd like to know is if sending something like a mobile phone with a battery, is it not possible to use either the click and drop/returns label service to send an item which is 'restricted', but otherwise allowed to be posted, without falling foul of guidelines and thus affecting insurance cover?

RM have provided different answers, ranging from all-out 'yes that's fine [and ability to claim unaffected]', to 'yes, but it wouldn't be covered at all', to 'no, it'd be destroyed if x-rayed'. They also differed on the definition of 'restricted', saying that a mobile phone sent with a battery inside is allowed and not restricted, and others saying it's restricted and that 'allowed' is a different term altogether.

I appreciate that the company should be best placed to answer but the differing answers from them don't help.

Thanks.

KeithP

As you have found, there is not one answer.

It depends on what service you are using and where you are sending to.

From one RM document:



That summary is expanded upon later in that guidance.

Not only should 'the company be best placed to answer', they are the only people to give you a definitive answer.

It does not matter one iota what an anonymous poster on an internet forum may say.

PeterOHanrahanrahan

Thanks for replying. Without asking for the question to be escalated to a manager or similar for answering, I don't know whose answer to take as definitive from RM.

Interesting the document you've attached only mentions allowed and prohibited. Seems like restricted would suggest the items could fall into either two of the former depending on the exact contents.

KeithP

PeterOHanrahanrahan wrote: »

Thanks for replying. Without asking for the question to be escalated to a manager or similar for answering, I don't know whose answer to take as definitive from RM.

Interesting the document you've attached only mentions allowed and prohibited. Seems like restricted would suggest the items could fall into either two of the former depending on the exact contents.

I would suggest 'restricted' is confirmed as either 'allowed' or 'prohibited' in that doc.

For example, a mobile phone battery is restricted, but if it is fitted in a phone it is allowed. If it is not fitted in a device, then it is prohibited (when using certain services, etc) but allowed when using other services or within UK when shipped with the device.

PeterOHanrahanrahan

That would sound about right, and was what at least one RM advisor said was the case.

Fosterdog

I work in IT repairs and anything like phones or tablets that contain batteries we have to use special delivery. It is safer for transporting batteries as they never enter the mainstream mail but are handled separately and with more care (hand sorted rather than running through machines) they are kept isolated from things sent via any other service.

So they are restricted as in prohibited from sending first class but allowed for sending SD.

PeterOHanrahanrahan

Fosterdog wrote: »

I work in IT repairs and anything like phones or tablets that contain batteries we have to use special delivery. It is safer for transporting batteries as they never enter the mainstream mail but are handled separately and with more care (hand sorted rather than running through machines) they are kept isolated from things sent via any other service.

So they are restricted as in prohibited from sending first class but allowed for sending SD.

Thanks, we always use SD for sending phones and other high value tech.

I've noticed this morning that if I select 1st or 2nd class postage on click and drop, there's an option to tick if an item is restricted or not, and having to declare no items are restricted isn't mandatory, but when selecting SD, it is.

visidigi

PeterOHanrahanrahan wrote: »

Thanks, we always use SD for sending phones and other high value tech.

I've noticed this morning that if I select 1st or 2nd class postage on click and drop, there's an option to tick if an item is restricted or not, and having to declare no items are restricted isn't mandatory, but when selecting SD, it is.

That will be down to the potential method of transporting those goods - SD could potentially fly in quite alot of scenarios.

PeterOHanrahanrahan

visidigi wrote: »

That will be down to the potential method of transporting those goods - SD could potentially fly in quite alot of scenarios.

Wasn't aware that might be the case for inland parcels, interesting.