Postage Restrictions

[petersbargainshop]

I have just found out that you cannot send watches or any other item that contains a lithium batttery, through Australia Post using an eBay postage satchel and that all items containing lithium batters must be sent through land mail.  This means that sellers of items that contain lithium batteries can no longer offer Express Post options.

[davewil1964]

I think that has only been the case since they invented Lithium batteries.

You can send them in a satchel - just don't sign the dangerous goods declaration.

[lyndal1838]

That is not a new restriction....it has been in force for a long time.  Lithium batteries are clearly listed on the AP list of Dangerous and Restricted Goods.

[lyndal1838]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

You can send them in a satchel - just don't sign the dangerous goods declaration.

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If you do that the satchel will automatically go by road mail, not airmail.

[phorum_junkie*]

It amazes me that I am a pom living more of the time in the UK than in Australia but I was aware of the change in the policy for sending lithium batteries as soon as it came out, I also knew that you cannor send anything with a lithium battery overseas using Aus Post. How is it that so many 'locals' manage to completely miss these policy changes?

You are not meant to send them in pre paid satchels with the declaration unsigned, you need to send them regular parcel with road only stickers on them.

[thecatspjs]

According to AP reps on the Aust Post facebook page - you can send lithium batteries using pre-paid AP products - as long as they are marked clearly road transport only by sticker or in big red writing - the declaration is not signed and the batteries are packaged in accordance with AP instructions (available via their website). 

[belindabargainhunter]

I know this will comfirm that I am blonde to some posters but to be honest I never even thought that a watch battery was lithium. I guess the problem is not only knowing the policies some of us just dont relise what we are sending. 

[cq_tech]

Actually, most watch batteries are either Silver Oxide, Mercury, or Alkaline with very few (if indeed any) being Li-Ion, mainly because digital watches only require 1.5V and not the 3.7V that Li-Ion batteries generate. Therefore, importing watches from overseas shouldn't present any problems at all.

[*crikey*mate*]

customs zaps the batteries anyway - I buy collector watches from overseas and 9/10 times they get zapped and killed, so have to replace them here anyway....

[cq_tech]

I don't know what could cause new watch batteries to fail so rapidly, unless it has something to do with all packages being X-rayed, but I've bought half a dozen watches from China or Singapore and all of them bar one one has worked perfectly upon receipt, and in that particular case, its Silver Oxide battery was clearly faulty as it was putting out less than 1V of its supposed 1.55V.

The discharge characteristics and much higher voltage of Li-ion batteries makes them a pointless exercise for use in watches anyway. 😉