Prohibited Items
Prohibited Items
Prohibited items cannot be shipped with us under any circumstances.
You are responsible for checking whether an item is prohibited before sending.
Sending prohibited items can result in fines and/or prosecution. There is no automatic right to a refund in such circumstances.
IMPORTANT SECURITY UPDATE
Carriers will not accept shipments containing a combination of the below in the same package:
- Liquids or Gels | Battery-operated, electrical, or electronic items | Analog or electronic timing devices.
Any shipment meeting the above criteria will be stopped and will not be carried through the network.
If you wish to send a shipment with a combination of these items, they must be sent as separate packages, i.e. liquids in one piece and electronics in another, otherwise, they will be returned.
Most common items
Aerosols, perfumes, aftershave
Batteries (loose of any type, damaged or defective, or classified as dangerous goods)
Batteries (lithium; except if <100Wh and /or <4 cells. Max of 2 per parcel or 4 per consignment)
Christmas crackers, party poppers
Re-used packaging with hazardous and dangerous goods labelling
Other strictly prohibited items
Airbags
Alcohol (exceptions may apply depending on quantity, ABV, packaging, carrier, & destination)
Animal skins, furs, animal parts, ivory and ivory products, taxidermy
Bullion, precious metals, coins, or stones
Cash or bank cards
Clinical and /or biological samples, human tissue, or fluids
Clinical testing kits (new or used, including COVID-19)
Cigarettes, tobacco products, e-cigarettes, nicotine products
Compressed gasses or liquids
Dangerous goods / hazardous materials (following IATA and ADR regulations)
Electric ride on toys (including but not limited to hover boards, segways, scooters, skateboards)
Firearms, ammunition, explosives
Flammables (e.g., aerosols, matches, nail varnishes or solvents)
Fresh meats, dairy products (or any highly perishable or temperature sensitive items)
Human or animal remains (in any form)
Illegal goods (e.g., drugs, counterfeit products)
Live animals
Magnetized material (with a field strength of 0.418A/metre or more at a distance of 4.6 metres from the outside of the package).
Offensive weapons (including but not limited to Airguns, bb guns, knives, replica weapons)
Plants, seeds, flowers
Pornographic materials
Toner powder and cartridges (via air transportation)
These items are not prohibited but are excluded from compensation for loss and damage. Listings marked with an asterisk* are subject to further restriction (as bracketed).
Articles of exceptional value, works of art, rare collectables
Antiques
Bicycles* (permitted subject to packaging review and
limited to business users)
Certificates (qualification, birth, death & marriage)
Engines, gearboxes, differentials* (permitted subject
to service, packaging & condition. Must be professionally cleaned
and accompanied with a ‘decontamination certificate’)
Glass, ceramic, china, clay, marble, plaster, resin, stone
(or items containing these materials)
Jewellery, watches
Keys
Negotiable instruments or face value items (including
but not limited to, cheques, tickets)
Large vehicle parts* (permitted subject to service &
packaging and limited to business senders)
Liquids
Paint* (permitted subject to packaging &
transport restrictions. Limited to business senders)
Passports, driving licenses
Prescription Medicines*
(must be accompanied with copy of GP prescription)
Third Party eBay / auction collections (collection in
person listings)
Unaccompanied baggage / personal effects
These items are not prohibited but are excluded from compensation for damage in transit. Only claims for loss will be considered (subject to compliance with our packaging guidelines).
Amplifiers, hi-fi & speaker systems
Artwork
(including but not limited to, paintings, canvas prints and similar)
Computers, Laptops, Tablets, Mobile Phones and hardware thereof (including monitors)
Fishing rods
Furniture (Including
assembled items, cabinetry and flatpack)
Goods declared to customs with an export reason “for repair” selected
Goods described as damaged, broken, faulty (or
similar)
Large Sports Equipment (including but not limited
to skis, surfboards, wake boards, snowboards, rigid paddleboards)
Models, sculptures, statues
Musical instruments*
(unless shipped in hard transit cases with padded lining)
Remote control vehicles, toys, drones
Second fix furnishings
(including but not limited to doors, skirting boards, flooring)
Second hand /used electrical or digital products
Second hand /used pushchairs, prams & baby items
(including but not limited to toys, cots, car seats)
Second hand /used vehicle parts
Televisions, projectors
Timber
White goods*
(including but not limited to fridges, ovens, washing machines.
Must be palletised)
Wooden worktops
To comply with strict regulations, we will not carry any substances classified as dangerous in the latest edition of the Civil Aviation Organisation's Technical Instructions.
There are nine hazard classes which cover these and the examples quoted below must not be taken as full lists of all dangerous goods. We will not accept other materials and products that may be hazardous to handling staff.
Dangerous goods are defined as those goods which meet the criteria of
one or more of the nine UN hazard classes. These classes relate to the
type of hazard and are detailed below. All dangerous goods are prohibited.
Class One: Explosives Definition: Any chemical
compound, mixture or device capable of producing an explosive-pyrotechnic
effect, with substantial instantaneous release of heat and gas. All explosives
are prohibited. Examples: Nitroglycerine; Fireworks; Blasting caps; Christmas
Cracker Snaps; Igniters; Fuses; Flares; Ammunition, etc.
Class Two: Gases compressed, liquified or dissolved
under pressure. Definitions: Permanent gases which cannot be liquified
at ambient temperatures; liquified gases, which become liquid under pressure
at ambient temperatures; dissolved gases which are dissolved under pressure
in a solvent.
-
All flammable compressed gases are prohibited.
Examples: Hydrogen; Ethane; Methane; Propane; Butane; Cigarette lighters; Gas Cylinders for camping stoves, blowlamps, etc. -
All toxic compressed gases are prohibited.
Examples: Chlorine; Flourine,etc. -
All non-flammable compressed gases are prohibited.
Examples: Carbon Dioxide; Nitrogen; Neon; Fire Extinguishers containing such gases, etc. iv) All aerosols are prohibited.
Class Three: Flammable Liquids Definition: Liquids,
mixtures of liquids, or liquids containing solids in solution or suspension
which give off a flammable vapour. Any liquid with a closed cup flash
point below 60.5° C is prohibited. Examples: Acetone; Benzene; Cleaning
Compounds; Gasoline; Lighter Fuel; Paint Thinners and Removers; Petroleum;
Solvents, etc.
Class Four: Flammable Solids Definition: Solid
materials which are liable to cause fire by friction, absorption of water,
spontaneous chemical changes, or retained heat from manufacturing or
processing, or which can be readily ignited and burn vigorously. Examples:
Matches (any type inc. safety); Calcium Carbide; Cellulose Nitrate products;
Metallic Magnesium; Nitro-cellulose based film; Phosphorous; Potassium;
Sodium; Sodium Hydride; Zinc Powder; Zirconium Hydride, etc.
Class Five: Oxidising Substances and Organic Peroxides
Definition: Though not necessarily combustible themselves, these substances
may cause or contribute to combustion of other substances. They may also
be liable to explosive decomposition, react dangerously with other substances,
and be injurious to health. Examples: Bromates; Chlorates; Components
of Fibreglass repair kits; Nitrates; Perchlorates; Permanganates; Peroxides,
etc.
Class Six: Toxic (Poisonous) and Infectious Substances,
Other Medical Substances. Definition: Substances liable to cause death
or injury if swallowed or inhaled, or by skin contact. All toxic substances
are prohibited. Examples: Arsenic; Beryllium; Cyanide; Fluorine; Hydrogen
Selenide; Infectious substances containing micro-organisms or their toxins
which are known to cause (or are suspected of causing) disease; Mercury;
Mercury Salts; Mustard Gas; Nitrobenzene; Nitrogen Dioxide; Pesticides;
Rat Poison; Serum; Vaccines, etc. Pathogens in Risk Group 4 and selected
Risk Group 3 pathogens listed in Schedule 9, part 5 of the latest edition
of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations are prohibited.
Examples: Clinical, environmental and medical waste; Ebola; Foot and
Mouth disease.
Class Seven: Radioactive Material Definition: All
materials and samples that are classified as radioactive using Table
2-12 of the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organisation's
Technical Instructions. Examples: Fissile Material (Uranium 235,etc.);
Radioactive Waste Material; Uranium or Thorium Ores, etc.
Class Eight: Corrosives Definition: Substances which
can cause severe damage by chemical action to living tissue, other freight,
or the means of transport. All corrosive substances are prohibited. Examples:
Aluminium Chloride; Caustic Soda; Corrosive Cleaning Fluid; Corrosive
Rust Remover/ Preventative; Corrosive Paint Remover; Electric Storage
Batteries; Hydrochloric Acid; Nitric Acid; Sulphuric Acid, etc.
Class Nine: Miscellaneous Dangerous Goods Definition:
Substances which present dangers not covered elsewhere. Examples: Asbestos;
Dry Ice (solid carbon dioxide); Magnetised Material with a magnetic field
strength of 0.159 A/m or more at a distance of 2.1m from the outside
of the parcel.