Big Brother is watching your parcels!

Sounds like the basic customs declaration for goods going out of the EU. Do it for all gifts going to family in Australia. Much more of that after Brexit.

When I take parcels to Post Office for postage within the UK, I am generally asked what are in them .. I have no idea why. I prefer to get Hermes to collect my parcels now. They just need the weight, depth and height for postage calculation on-line and whether you need up to £20 insurance cover. They never ask what's inside and luckily my Hermes lady is very reliable.

Once I was returning some things to my young grandson he had left at my home, via the PO and was asked what was in my very small parcel, I said a toothbrush and a toy pig, the PO lady just replied "Oh"

Yes I'm with Melanie. Batteries is what they're looking for, rather than illegal goods.
Mind I hope I'm in the queue the day someone admits the package contains illegal drugs.

For anywhere out of the EU a customs form is filled in, you state the value etc. This has been standard practice for years.
As most parcels even in the UK are carried by air the content has to be checked by the post office as lithium batteries, nail polish, perfumes and dozens of other items are not permitted.
It does seem a little crazy as the counter staff have no way of checking and no one is going to declare drugs, firearms etc!
The parcels are however scanned at the sorting office.

A friend of mine has a number of quality stallions and provides 'output' for artificial insemination of mares.

The post office staff have stopped asking her whats in the parcel.

My medical supplies come with a hazard sticker on the box, it contains a tiny can of sticky stuff remover in an aerosol can.

Ordinary mail is compensated up to £20. If the contents are worth more than this, you may wish to insure it up to its value i.e. Signed for, up to £50 or Special Delivery up to £2500

The reason the post office needs to know the contents of a packet posted to the uk is because of the new dangerous goods rule.
If a packet contains flammable goods such as alcohol, nail varnish, batteries, aerosol etc, it needs a label on to indicate this and can then be segregated from the rest of the mail. There have been problems with fires with these packets in transit.
If the packets aren't labelled correctly and are found to contain flammable items, they are x rayed, Royal Mail will destroy the item. So the post office staff are following their instructions and making sure that customers packets have the best chance of arriving at their destination

I regularly post small parcels to Wales, and am always asked what`s inside, then the next question is whether it`s worth over £20.

Yes, TNT and an old alarum clock as the Dubliners used to sing .
My neighbour is 84 though.

Your neighbour could have told you anything! (TNT)?
It's your face on the CCTV

So it’s rather pointless asking people isn’t it?
All it does is ‘cover their arses’ if it turns out that they didn’t ask what was in it if it turns out you have sent three pounds of tnt or whatnot through the post.

No, you're not likely to say, and I doubt that they use sniffer dogs or X-ray machines for inland parcels.

My usual PO lady has never asked me what’s in a parcel ( she knows most people in our village) but this time I stopped at a new ( to me) PO as I was on my way somewhere.The PO lady was very nice, but stated that it was because of ‘the dangerous goods act’.
She also asked ( of the UK parcel) is it over £20 goods? I can understand that for sensible reasons.
However, if you are sending something you shouldn’t and you know it, you’re hardly likely to admit it.

I’m usually asked the value of a parcel for posting, within UK.
But just before Christmas, I posted a lovely story book , soft cover, of the Nativity to my grandson in Birmingham. It was within letter size guidelines, so to be sure I put 2x 2nd class stamps on it.
When the family were all together at New Year, I asked DIL if GS had enjoyed the story, as I thought they would ‘do’ the voices.
The letter had never been delivered. I just hope whoever intercepted it, that they enjoyed it and it wasn’t binned

Sometimes they ask because if it's something valuable it may need insurance.
I was once going to send something silver from France to DD in the UK and they advised me against it, as it would probably be stolen. "Wait until you go there and give it to her."

I've been asked the contents of parcels going anywhere, UK or abroad, for some years now.

I've always wanted, but have never been brave enough, to say 'Oh, just a sex toy for my mother!'

I am always asked when sending parcels to GD in Denmark.

I often have to send parcels abroad for work, filling in the little customs declaration form can be challenging!

The parcel might contain French curves (a drawing tool) or an item that would be accurately described as "a straight edge" or "a dovetail mitre tool"or

None of this would mean anything to anyone inspecting them, but they have to be filled in regardless.

I was in the queue at my local post office, before Christmas, when a young man was posting a number of live tarantulas. Apparently it's perfectly finer send them through the royal mail

My local post office always asks what's in UK parcels.
Except when I was sending a parcel of 9x500ml custard. Not a word about asking then!

Filling out a customs form for the USA has been around for many years. Posted a parcel to the Stares the other day, The only thing that has changed has been the colour, They used to be green.
Requirements of weight, item and approximate cost and signature has remained exactly the same.
I write gift on it as well.

Dangerous goods act? That’s new to me.

nail varnish, perfume, batteries etc etc

Frozen water
Including packs of ice.
Would anyone? Rally?

if you can be bothered to read it all!!

I don't think it has anything to do with whether it is something which shouldn't be posted like drugs or guns

I think it does, though, Nonnie.
Whether you're an Australian ordering something online or a foreigner mailing something into the country, there are a plethora of rules you absolutely must follow to ensure your goods are actually allowed into the country. Simply put, most flora and fauna is out, including but not limited to cured meats, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, plants, soil, seeds and nuts, laboratory material and live animals.
Failure to comply can result in stiff fines. !!

Here's a link to what you cannot post out from the UK:
www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/international-what-can-i-send