Are post offices obliged to ask what is in a parcel, or is it just nosiness?

kangoora

custardy wrote: »

The poster which IME is in every PO?

Interesting one on the lithium batteries. It says they are not allowed to be sent on their own without the device it powers.

Surely, if the battery isn't actually plugged into the device, then it's the same thing as sending a battery on its own in terms of safety or catching fire?

custardy

kangoora wrote: »

Interesting one on the lithium batteries. It says they are not allowed to be sent on their own without the device it powers.

Surely, if the battery isn't actually plugged into the device, then it's the same thing as sending a battery on its own in terms of safety or catching fire?

I would expect they follow CAA guidance https://www.caa.co.uk/Commercial-industry/Airports/Safety/Dangerous-goods/Lithium-batteries/

icomp

I'd like to know why you can't send playing cards to Spain?

shaun_from_Africa

icomp wrote: »

I'd like to know why you can't send playing cards to Spain?

I looked into this a while ago and the only thing that I could find that may be the reason is that in 1476, card games were prohibited in one region of Spain and if this law was never revoked then the postal service might technically be committing an offence by allowing cards into the area.

I know it doesn't make sense nowadays but then again, who said bureaucracy has to make sense?

StumpyPumpy

icomp wrote: »

I'd like to know why you can't send playing cards to Spain?

You can't send them to Italy either, or a number of other countries. I assume it is due to the fact that they have a tax on them; or had, I'm not sure if any countries still impose a tax on playing cards today. You used to pay stamp duty on playing cards in most countries including Britain, who abolished it in 1960 because it became more expensive to administer than it was worth.

Some countries ban gambling outside of controlled casinos others ban it altogether so taking a pack of cards into, say, China is frowned upon. Though that said, spend any time in China and you'll see lots of people playing cards with stacks of cash conveniently placed next to them on the table despite the "total ban" on gambling (Outside of Macao and Hong Kong, that is).

To add to the complexity: in the past some countries would ban you from bringing in a pack unless it was unopened and had an official tax seal whereas others would ban complete packs but allow packs with the duty card removed. Some of these bans might still be on the statute books today, for all I know.

Card trivia: The Ace of Spades is traditionally drawn larger than the other values even today because it was the card that had the stamp duty mark on it.


SP