Big Brother is watching your parcels!

I have recently sent perfume in the post from and to addresses in the UK. I sent it via the post office and declared it.

Here are the actual rules:
International - Not allowed in the mail
UK - Allowed in the mail, but:
Volume per item must not exceed 150ml.
No more than four items in any one parcel.
Must be sent in its original retail packaging, placed in strong outer packaging and cushioned to prevent breakage.
An ID8000 label must be applied
The sender's name and return address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging.
These items must be presented at a Post Office® counter.

Hope this helps all you perfume fans!

For UK mail unless its an insured parcel then you dont have to say what it is you only have to say it isnt amuthing from the list of reatricted or banned items. I always get asked at my post office and one guy got really smarmy and said it was a matter of security to tell him what it was. So I said ir was an adult toy (it was one of those bobbing dog things that sit in cars so technically right" when he asked to clarify exactly what it was n why I was sending it I said "It is an adult toy, it wasnt up to scratch and didnt satisfy me, so I'm returning it" then stood n watch him recoil in horror as he was holding it thinking he was holding a used dildo or vibrator. He has never asked since. Hia manager later comfirmed that I only have to say I have checked the liat of banned articles and it iant on there. They are just nosy. If its recorded delivwry or special deliver and has insurance then you do need to declare.

I live in France now and for all parcels we have to fill out a form with our name and address, the recipients name and address, a list of the contents, how many, what value, do we want the parcel returned to us if it isn't delivered and do we want insurance. For the second year running , the parcel that I sent to my Mother in Spain for Christmas stalled in Spain and was returned to me. France and Spain are both EU countries. We have sent parcels to Germany, Belgium and other EU countries and always have to fill out the form which is stuck to the parcel.

One Christmas my son tried to send me our presents, was asked what it contained and when he said that one of the items was a bottle of perfume, he was refused. He bought me something else and repacked the parcel and then it was accepted. Not allowed to send perfume in the post.

I have decided that my Mother will receive a bouquet in the future for Christmas. Much simpler!

When I've been asked this,I have to resist the urge to say 'Oh,just an enormous vibrator for my elderly mother'.

I posted a parcel to my family in West Wales .I was asked its value and then advised to send it by registered mail. I was not asked what it contained.,but I do remember having to do that previously,especially when I used to send parcels to my American friends.

I was asked by a young man on the post office counter what was in my parcel, and when I said ‘thermal underwear’ the poor lad blushed to the hair roots and everybody in the queue laughed. Well, he did ask!

Dont bother sending anyone a gift with liquids in it like perfumes. I realised that the cheap carriers ban them, and the only method was post office counter. Just as well I had lots of free large letter stamps earned by doing postal surveys, as it cost me £15 to post my mothers present.

Every time we post a package out we are asked to state what it contains for “safety purposes” and that’s regardless of whether it’s destination is U.K., mainland Europe or further afield. It drives me crackers! Especially if I’ve been standing in the P O queues for best part of 20 minutes or more.

Our PO always asks and, as I knit a lot of things for my DG, they have a good laugh when I say “today it’s an elephant” or last month it was a unicorn!”

lemongrove. your reference to tnt made me laugh because of what happened to a friend recently. Going through the airport customs he was asked to bring his suitcase to be searched, and taken to the farthest corner. On asking why they had singled him out, he was told that they suspected him of carrying explosives.
It was a black pudding that he was taking as a treat for an ex-pat friend. So funny!

The funniest one, well to me, was when the blowpipe stock of my bagpipes swelled up unexpectedly and I had to send it back to the manufacturer to be freed. When asked I innocently said, a sheepskin waterproof bag, cover and blowpipe. The women thought it was some sort of exotic weapon from the Pacific and she had to go and check with her Supervisor, before I could stop her, that it was ok. The supervisor walks her dog in the woods where I play my pipes so it was easy to sort out, but I must learn to temper my “funny sayings” in future.

I have been asked now from both local post offices on a regular basis, and one day I did ask how would the PO know if I had told the truth or not. The lady told me that they do check, which I suppose means 'open', a small percentage of parcels to ensure the contents are legal and safe.

No need for an apology Vicky .....I just wondered that’s all.

Point taken lemongrove. Didn’t mean to sound unkind. Just that in a previous life if I vouched for someone in security questions, I would be laughed at. Apologies.

Apologies for the errors in that post ?

I have a couple of PO's in the town I live in. I've always been asked at one and never at the other. The parcels are always for delivery in the UK and I was surprised the first time ithappened, but understand the need.
I do think agree that if you were sending anything you shouldn't, you're not likely to say that ?

In other (shorter) words, not all PO especially in villages ask what is in parcels and packets ( even if they should do.)

Vicky am confused as to why you ‘laugh’.It’s a simple fact that I stated about our PO staff knowing most people in the village, we all go to the same groups, so why wouldn’t they know us? I have never been asked what is in a parcel, and DD who posts things regularly (ebay) is never asked ( same PO.) I started the thread because for the first time ( at another PO) I was asked questions, and was taken aback by it.

Interesting thread. I’m well used to declaring contents (albeit, when possible, in a way that ensures the recipient doesn’t know exactly what their gift is). I have to laugh at comments on here such as “our postmistress knows everyone in the village” and “suggest protesting every time”.
The post office staff certainly don’t make the rules up as they go along and look for extra work to do! Auditors look for exceptions in procedure and would black mark post offices not complying. Unfortunately, these measures are put in place for a reason and we have to like it or lump it!

How odd, Caztown that you couldn’t send a Kindle because of the battery. I posted my old mobile phone, complete with battery, to a friend in The Gambia and it got there safely with no problems. I had to fill out a Customs Declaration form and then had to send my friend £30 so he could pay the customs charge before he could have it. But there was no problems with sending it.

Our local post office lady asks every time and also gives the parcel a good squeeze!

I regularly take parcels to the post office on behalf of work and they almost always ask - or more usually tell me (it is a small local post office with not much changeover of staff )

Thank you Jalima1108. There may be hope yet. The parcels were posted beginning of October. 3 have arrived and the really important one hasn't and yes they are very expensive to post.

This has been going on for years. I tried saying 'dirty underwear' once but it just got me a dirty look.

Have also tried asking for the list of banned items and perusing that then saying 'none' of these things' but the PO staff have to follow the rules.

For example - There is an issue with lithium batteries, not all are safe, and there have been instances of spontaneous explosion, so these are restricted as to power.

I think we also need to be aware that parcels are scanned for content.

Suggest protesting every time.

homefarm I wonder if they'll get there eventually? One parcel sent airmail to Australia at the end of November arrived in March - it cost a lot to post.
This year a small airmail parcel posted 1st December arrived the week after Christmas.

Caztown I could post a mobile phone complete with battery inside it by airmail but could not post the battery separately