Mail service for powertool batteries

[Sideways]

Post Office and everywhere else I've looked today seem to be treating lithium powertool batteries, without the tool they are used in, as prohibited mail. Does anyone know of a legit carrier that I can use to mail a couple of 18v 2Ah batteries ? It seems stupid to have to mail a whole kit when I just want to send back a pair of batteries to have them swapped for a larger size.
The items have to be declared as I want full value insurance on the package.

Thanks in advance.

 

[LancsRick]

Dpd will certainly let you do this, the limit is 100watthour if I remember right.

 

[Sideways]

Yes, I spotted a lithim battery checker on the main DPD site that agrees with you - 100 watt hours for unaccompanied lithim batteries - but DPD local service online chat say they won't carry them. Will follow up DPD proper. Thanks

 

[Sideways]

So DPD sales replied this morning:

"Thank you for contacting DPD.
Unfortunately we aren't able to carry lithium batteries as it is a prohibited item.
Apologies for any inconvenience this has caused."

and Fedex
"Hi ***** i am sorry but you would need to send a minimum of 20 packages per month to be able to ship domestically you would need an account"

So right now it looks like if you buy a tool containing rechargeable batteries you can ship the full kit back and forwards OK.
If you buy a battery pack alone (extra or replacement pack) mail order and there's a fault, you need to make it the seller's problem to have this collected.
If you buy a battery pack only mail order and want to exercise your statutory right of return it is now almost impossible to mail it back to them as they are now a "prohibited item" in DPD, My Hermes, royal mail ...
DHL and Fedex won't carry them unless you're an account holder which rules out the ordinary consumer ...

So maybe think twice before you buy battery packs online :-(

In my case I bought a cordless drill kit with compact batteries that I prefer but found the runtime is insufficient. Seller is being decent about it and agreed to swap the battery packs out for larger ones but I'm going to have the cost and waste of sending the whole package back and forwards just to get around some stupidly written legislation that no doubt only exists because of substandard batteries setting on fire in aircraft !

 

[Yojevol]

I had to return a small camera battery. I informed the PO that it was a bit of photographic equipment.

 

[NickN]

Similar stupidities exist in the world of fragrances/perfumes.

If I want to order a bottle of aftershave, eau de toilette or perfume to be sent to my home I can do so from pretty much anywhere in the world, and it will be happily transported first via aeroplane, train or ship to get to the UK, and then into a courier's van or to the Royal Mail sorting office and into postie's van to be delivered to my door.

But if I want to return it abroad, I can't. The same company that provided the van that happily brought it to my door will refuse point-blank to accept it, and Royal Mail will destroy any such packages that are attempted to be sent using their service, the same service that a day earlier brought it to my house. I can post a small amount (with an ID8000 declaration) within the UK, but nothing whatsoever abroad.

Apparently it's a normal package on the way to me, but immediately becomes hazardous and prohibited should I wish to return it.

Makes one want to ](*,) repeatedly.