Big Brother is watching your parcels!

This week I looked into sending my sister in Ireland an e-reader (Kindle) and apparently the rechargeable battery inside them means this is is also illegal to send outside of the UK
Can anyone tell me how Amazon get their kindles to customers abroad...?

Grannyben I've been in the line and a man was sending live tropical fish.

Before Christmas I posted a handmade hobby horse to DGD. The lady in our village post office was amused and interested in the odd shape of the parcel - long and thin but triangular and bulky at one end. She asked what it was, more out of curiosity than a professional interest. I told her. She hesitated and reached for a small form saying "I'd better write that on here, just in case someone thinks it's a rifle". I laughed and she explained that in a rural area like ours its not unknown for people to send firearms through the post!! I asked if she had to say exactly what it was as it was a surprise, so she wrote childs toy. It got there OK.

Even more annoying when the parcels go missing - and I'm sure it's because the contents are known. We've 'lost' two to Canada this year. very upsetting.

Have been asked re parcel contents for years now and used to get away with saying 'gift' but now have to be more explicit. Local PO lady always apologises for having to ask. Dreadful when have to fill in form for certain countries and also have to state cost of article - not much of a surprise present for recipient.

Annoying as if you are honest and say candles, books etc they write it on and the person at the other end knows all their surprise presents!! Stick to being vague.

Senders needs to remember that (certainly for USA) their parcel could be X-rayed. So being honest about the contents is crucial in order to reduce the possibility of the opening (and delaying ) of parcels by US customs/security.

My local post office has a serve yourself section where you just key in yes or no on the machine when it asks about restricted/dangerous items, much better. I once had a row with a very officious jobsworth as I couldn’t remember every little item in a present parcel, even though I assured him there was nothing on the list he wouldn’t serve me!

One of the advantages of the EU is that customs declarations are not needed between countries that are members. Sending parcels anywhere else does require a declaration.

Surely it makes sense to mark any parcels containing inflammable goods?

Admittedly, it can be annoying having to fill in a declaration and it does mean you should really be present when a parcel is wrapped if you are sending it for someone else. The Israelis have lived with these precautions for years, and we all know not to take parcels on board a plane unless we can answer for the contents.

Have been asked what’s in the parcel for at least the last 4 years and some of them are addressed to town 10 miles away!! Thought it was pretty standard now.

I live in Northern Ireland and have been asked what's in my parcels for the last 5 or 6 years. I tried saying "gifts" but had to be specific. It's nonsense really as they have no way of checking you're telling the truth.

I often send parcels to Finland for Grandkids - I always tell the truth (why not) toys, books etc
If you lied and there was an explosion or fire from batteries for instance.
or you'd sent plants to NZ -they are really funny about that.
perhaps you could be sued later?
If they could find you - I usually put the sender's postcode on my parcels.

Terribul Not just the U.S.
I had on one occasion, and for convenience, used a UK 'village' post office to send a parcel that contained an item that required batteries to use it. I 'declared'?? this fact in my description of the contents but never the less was given the' 3rd' degree by the person behind the counter.

I post parcels abroad regularly so am used to being asked what is in them. I've learned what not to send through bitter experience! But it's always struck me as a pointless exercise as it's so easy to lie! (not that I do!).

Our local post offices all ask what is in the parcel or package no matter where it is going.....UK or international. They have done this for a number of years now. I agree with everyone who has said “who would own up to sending something illegal”. I have had one or two parcels opened in Australia when they haven’t been happy with one of my descriptions. My daughter confirms that nothing ever goes missing though.

I bought some powdered material dyes on line Uk company delivered to me no problem at all, I didn’t want them in the end and decided to sell them on. I was honest at the PO and said powdered dyes and the young girl would not accept them. How come they can come one way and not the other. Sent them by Hermes no problem!

There are a few things that need to be labelled even WITHIN the UK (eg gasses such as helium) - but you shouldn’t have had to fill a form in for UK delivery.
Outside of the EU as others have said, it would be a customs declaration.
They have to ask what’s in it now - they have a list of “prohibited items”.
I was told by phone from a supervisor at customer services that I just need to say “nothing on your prohibited list” if inland, but this doesn’t work at the post office as they have been told to ask what is in it.
The post office have a card with prohibited items listed - I was told they may have to show me to confirm I had read it, and they do - but it’s such a saga that I generally say clothes, toys or whatever.

I forgot to say my brother only lives 26 miles from me. Mot abroad.

I sent my brother a small parcel a few days before Christmas. It was a set of 10 CDs of Dads Army, which he loves. I got it in a charity shop and it cost £10. When I went to the Post Office I was not asked to fill in any form about contents as usual , and it would have had my name and address on it. I told the man in the PO that I had not written my return address on it but he put my parcel on a shelf and said "Don't worry, no parcels ever get lost." You can guess what happened....

I've been posting parcels to GS & family in USA for over twenty years & a "customs declaration" has aways been required. Batteries aren't allowed so on the odd occasion when I've sent an item including these, I simply take them out. (GS always has plenty.) Knowing what may have batteries in is quite a task, because so many toys/gadgets have these now. (Before Christmas, I opened & checked a small technic Lego set, just to be sure!) I have sometimes written no batteries on the "declaration", as well.

We frequently send parcels within the UK and are asked every time at the PO what the contents are. This is standard procedure as there are certain items that are prohibited from being sent via the post. I believe if sending outside the UK you are required to fill in a customs form anyway and declare the contents of it.

I found out about this to my cost a few years ago. I had sent an unopened toiletry set including a spray perfume to my niece in Southern Ireland. She didn’t receive it, the. I got a letter from Glasgow sorting office saying it had been destroyed as a dangerous item.
This week I looked into sending my sister in Ireland an e-reader (Kindle) and apparently the rechargeable battery inside them means this is is also illegal to send outside of the UK.

Interesting that people have different experiences. I am usually asked what's in the packages I post even if it's just within UK and always if to Europe

This Christmas is the first time I've been asked the contents question. I'm comparatively friendly with the postmaster and I jocularly asked if he would give me a printout of the 'not allowed' so that I'd be sure to fib. I think they're simply complying with legislation. My response is now vague and cheap.

Have you read the list of prohibited items ? It s a wonder any parcels get sent . The girl in the post office said they do random checks and parcels are just crushed if they don't comply .