Need very urgent help on complex problem!

[mrdwee]

Hi all,

I live in Australia and I have just bought an iPhone 3GS from the US as a gift for my dad. I paid $18 for shipping charges. The phone turned out to be faulty and didn't work so I contacted the seller asking for a refund....The seller said I can have a refund or a replacement. The problem is that due to new restrictions I cannot mail the item back but I must use a private courier (because of the lithium battery). It's going to cost me around $140 and I bought the phone for $200!

Is there ANYTHING I can do? How did the seller get to send the item in the first place? This is the first time I've done a refund and need help. Can the seller be liable for my charges to send back?

[lyndal1838]

The seller hasn't responded so I don't know if he'll offer me a replacement without returning the actual item. Does that even happen?

I've contacted paypal-- they have told me it's best to wait for a response from the seller. Although they have had this similar problem in the past, the paypal operator said I should be able to send the item because the battery cannot be removed (don't think this is right though). She said most times the seller will just replace the item or refund without the need to return the faulty item. We will just wait and see. Thank you all on your opinions and answers!

You obviously spoke to an American at paypal.  They just have no idea of the Australia Post rules....there is no way you can send an item with a lithium battery whether it can be removed or not.

[lyndal1838]

I have just reread the OP and would be interested to know what courier company is prepared to carry a phone with battery.  Is the phone going by surface mail?

The "no lithium batteries" rule applies to all air freight, not just Australia Post items.

You can send phones by road within Australia, so assume they can also be sent by surface mail overseas.

[phorum_junkie*]

Apparently couriers can send them but they have to be specially, individually packaged in some sort of container which is why it is so expensive.

If other countries were more on the ball this wouldn't happen, in the UK you can send a mobile phone anywhere in the world except Australia lol.

This is not a new thing, it has been this way for a few years now, the restriction used to be that you could post items with lithium batteries as long as the batteries were removed from the device and there were no more than X in the parcel (can't remember how many, about 5 I think).

IMO it is complete overkill, every passenger plane has hundreds of mobile phones, laptops, tablets and sundry other equipment being carried by the passengers so how a few mobile phones in the hold are going to cause problems I have no idea!

[2106greencat]

The battery won't be integral to testing the phone (unless of course it is the battery that is faulty) I would explain to seller you are returning without battery, they can send replacement (exact same phone) without battery.

[digital*ghost]

IMO it is complete overkill, every passenger plane has hundreds of mobile phones, laptops, tablets and sundry other equipment being carried by the passengers so how a few mobile phones in the hold are going to cause problems I have no idea!

I wondered about that, too - that is, why can a passenger take a mobile phone on board but there can't be one in the cargo hold. After looking up the risks of lithium batteries, I can understand it. There are a number of dangers, particularly if they get hot, which they probably would in the cargo hold as opposed to the cooler conditions where the passengers are.

[cuddles_01au]

how is it if I buy a mobile from say a company interstate it arrives usually within 48hrs Im in Tassie and have bought a few phones this year for family from large dept store that has online options and they have always arrived within 48hrs of placing order

I mean I know the battery issue with AP often wondered about this

[2106greencat]

Hi cuddles - The seller does not need to fill out any form stating what the item is unless they register the parcel - when you send international you have to name the item for customs. As for phones on planes etc, they can be sent, but in a special compartment that is presurised like the cabin, which is where the expense comes from

[cuddles_01au]

Hi 😛 okay well that makes sense 🙂

[phorum_junkie*]

DG there is a much higher chance of the batteries being frozen than overheated in the cargo hold. In fact if an airline is transporting animals they have to specially heat the compartment they are in so they don't expire of hypothermia.

As far as I know Australia is the only country that has this restriction, if it was a real danger I doubt if any airline or government would risk fires or explosions costing millions of dollars and loss of life.

There must be many cargo planes arriving from Asia packed to the hilt with items containing lithium batteries, how many explosions have we heard about?

[lyndal1838]

how is it if I buy a mobile from say a company interstate it arrives usually within 48hrs Im in Tassie and have bought a few phones this year for family from large dept store that has online options and they have always arrived within 48hrs of placing order

I mean I know the battery issue with AP often wondered about this

A lot of courier companies have an overnight road service for the delivery of items that cannot travel by air.

Australian Air Express has an overnight road service between capital cities (on the east coast, not sure what the timeframe is for WA) and it is used extensively by mobile phone dealers.

The trucks arrive here in Sydney very early in the morning, in time for the local delivery drivers to take them on board for delivery that day.

So yes, overnight delivery of mobile phones from interstate is not only possible, but done every day of the week.