Lithium cells to UK from elsewhere, will they be received?

techwg · Apr 23, 2013

If I order some primary or recharge 18650's online will I even receive them due to the new royal mail law on not dealing with lithium power cells? I would most likely buy some from AW like I did before on the marketplace but I am worried that I will have wasted my money and never receive them?

Any thoughts/comments/experience with this?

TinderBox (UK) · Apr 23, 2013

Yeah, i would like to know as well, i have not bought any li-ion battery`s internationally since i heard of the ban.

John.

Dubois · Apr 23, 2013

Some dealers - doingoutdoors is one - specifically state they will no longer ship batteries to the UK, (or Germany, or Italy), which is a shame, because they sell Keeppower cells.

I've had lithium primaries and 14500's from Fasttech, and have some 18350's on the way .... hopefully. Interesting that 7Dayshop, in Guernsey, stopped shipping them for a period, and now only deliver using a courier service.

I see problems ahead .........

techwg · Apr 23, 2013

Yes, I was just talking with 7dayshop's live "out of country" chat earlier today. They finally got DPD courier to ship batteries but the delivery is over £5

I cannot justify the cost with the amount I would want to buy.

Dubois · Apr 23, 2013

I like 7dayshop's take on this - "we know it's expensive shipping, but buy lots of stuff and it won't hurt so much" lol.

TinderBox (UK) · Apr 23, 2013

I was going to switch to LiFePO4 battery`s as they are regarded as safe, but i think the royal mail are too stupid to know so they would still be treated as li-ion`s and destroyed, do they realize how much business they are loosing.

John.

FILIPPO · Apr 23, 2013

I'm in italy.. I have some sanyo 18650s on the way from fasttech.. Today 26 days have passed since i placed the order... From tracking number they have been delivered to italian carrier's facilities...
Shipping isn't definitely fast but at least seems they still ship worldwide!

Dubois · Apr 23, 2013

TinderBox (UK) said:
I was going to switch to LiFePO4 battery`s as they are regarded as safe, but i think the royal mail are too stupid to know so they would still be treated as li-ion`s and destroyed, do they realize how much business they are loosing.

John.

The Royal Mail guidelines on items not allowed in the International mail are here. Note that under "Batteries (Lithium)" the following statement:

"...lithium/ion/polymer/metal/alloy sent on their own or sent with or not connected to a device"

Seems even used NiMh or alkaline are prohibited.

Bumble · Apr 23, 2013

Dubois said:
Some dealers - doingoutdoors is one - specifically state they will no longer ship batteries to the UK, (or Germany, or Italy), which is a shame, because they sell Keeppower cells.

I've had lithium primaries and 14500's from Fasttech, and have some 18350's on the way .... hopefully. Interesting that 7Dayshop, in Guernsey, stopped shipping them for a period, and now only deliver using a courier service.

I see problems ahead .........

Keeppower 18650 3400 cells (which are excellent) are available in the uk for £23.50 for 2 batteries delivered from a good uk ebay seller.

techwg · Apr 23, 2013

This just blows, really. What are we supposed to do? Wait for vendors to magically become aware of another country's mail policies and offer expensive alternative delivery methods that many people won't want to use? This really takes the cake. This is why I have not even ordered primaries domestically "yet" because I have not enough money to buy as many batteries to make the postage worthwhile spending.

techwg · Apr 23, 2013

Bumble said:
Keeppower 18650 3400 cells (which are excellent) are available in the uk for £23.50 for 2 batteries delivered from a good uk ebay seller.

Thanks. I found those and saved them to my watch list. When I am in a position to go buying them and a charger I may do just that if they are going to be good.

Bumble · Apr 23, 2013

techwg said:
This just blows, really. What are we supposed to do? Wait for vendors to magically become aware of another country's mail policies and offer expensive alternative delivery methods that many people won't want to use? This really takes the cake. This is why I have not even ordered primaries domestically "yet" because I have not enough money to buy as many batteries to make the postage worthwhile spending.

what we suppose to do ? get the boss of royal-mail along with his health & safety sidekick.. put them in some stocks and allow public "stoning" of them from us flashaholics with some batteries

lol

EDIT! then continue to "dunk" them just in case they are a witch.

techwg · Apr 23, 2013

Bumble said:
what we suppose to do ? get the boss of royal-mail along with his health & safety sidekick.. put them in some stocks and allow public "stoning" of them from us flashaholics with some batteries lol

You know what? I think some medieval action wouldn't hurt. Well, actually it would which would be the point

although I recommend using spent, dead, non-primary cells to add insult to injury.

gravelmonkey · Apr 23, 2013

Seems to me like you can get them IF they are in a light! Seems like a good excuse to get more torches! They SHOULD just specify they are adequetly packaged but that then becomes a bit of a grey area with too much room for arguement.

I'm not sure Royal Mail are missing out on too much, how many people are sending loose lithiums through the system!?

mccririck · Apr 23, 2013

The Royal Mail really are quite backwards. Lithium cells would become a lot more popular here if they didnt have this ban imo. If 7dayshop started selling them they would develop quite a large following.

Essexman · Apr 24, 2013

Sooooo how do all those ebay sellers ship spare cell phone batteries in the UK..................

Labrador72 · Apr 24, 2013

Or spare laptop batteries...

uk_caver · Apr 24, 2013

Essexman said:
Sooooo how do all those ebay sellers ship spare cell phone batteries in the UK..................

Probably the same way they received them from China.....

techwg · Apr 24, 2013

Remember though, this change is fairly recent. I am just paranoid these days about ordering, at least internationally, lithium batteries because everything is marked on the package of what is inside. As soon as they see lithium what will they do? Trash it? Send me a card telling me they have seized my package?

mccririck · Apr 24, 2013

Mine arrived fine from FastTech 2 weeks ago.

Lithium cells to UK from elsewhere, will they be received?

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