Ebayer linked pages ago, Sharon Kind, had loads of CO2 cartridges.

I used to work for a “High Street Retailer” and over my tenure will have sent 10’s of thousands of pounds worth of alcohol, perfume and compressed gas by Recorded Mail.

I wasn’t Op’s Manager, not my problem but goodness me. Not a single reciprocation. Massive online distribution as well. Hardcore ****.

Wait a minute.

They can refuse to carry anything they like, fair enough. But they didn’t refuse it, they accepted it at the counter. So there they have entered into the contract to deliver the package. By flogging it half way round the journey they are breaking that contract.

Are you a member of CTC or anything like that? Would on of their lawyers or the Cyclists Defence Fund be interested in being involved, I wonder. This debacle affects rather a lot of people and businesses and seems to be setting a precedence that we could do without.

The main point of my post is that IMO (bearing in mind I’m not a lawyer, and this advice is worth exactly what you paid for it) you have a pretty good legal case on the basis of unreasonable terms and conditions. I have a funny feeling they may not want it to go to court, as whilst small claims doesn’t actually set legal precedent, if they did lose there it would still open the floodgates.

First off glad u got a replacement, even if it was mojo that stumped up with it, instead of rm.

What I’m amazed at, is that they think this is legal.

Surely it is blatant theft, if they are then confiscating it and selling it on.

If it’s unsafe to post then they should be contacting the sender to say they refuse to send the item any further and give them the option to collect the item.

This does sound more of a scam, which allows them to make extra revenue on the side.

I really hope u can take them to town on this.

I sure hope there are some riders out there who are lawyers or are good friends with one who would be able to help out.

they will start stealing christmas and birthday money next!

why do people actually let companies do stuff like this to us! We need more people who will stand up for them selfs, chain them to sorting office gates and mobs beating down post men.

The fact that some hazardous items (as defined by RM) are being delivered is a red herring. Some will slip the net, others may be from business customers.

In the latter case if they’re shipping hazardous goods they should have someone competent to understand the regs and make the decision it’s safe to ship. A private individual doesn’t have that qualification and nor presumably do the counter staff, hence these ‘odd’ catch all categories of what is considered hazardous.

And I think it reasonable that once it is shipped if it is later caught and assessed as hazardous then no way should the RM be expected to onward ship just because they accepted it by some vaguely untrained counter staff member.

What is clearly unreasonable to me is what they subsequently define as hazardous – once intercepted then surely it’s not unreasonable that someone in each locality has the skill to make an informed judgement of what is and isn’t hazardous, and if it isn’t then they can onward ship with a perfectly rational explanation of why it’s delayed (as per example above). And if they won’t onward ship because it’s genuinely hazardous (but not dangerous) then it doesn’t become ‘theirs’.

With the system as it is, it seems to me they’re advantaged by making the rules as they are, not providing the skills locally to fix this locally, and then profiting from the rules in a way that makes it beneficial to quarantine as much as possible, which while hidden behind contract terms is morally theft in my book. And with the rise of the semi-business eBay type customer – not big enough to be able to cover their own regulatory requirements but sending enough to be significant – this looks like a gravy train they’ve enjoyed for too long.

I’ve looked at the link for the Daily Mail article on this and what is quite interesting is that Strathclyde Police are holding the bagpipes until true ownership can be established. Interesting, as PG on here was told is wasn’t a police matter.

Scottish law is different

The camera thread from over clockers is worse. In that case they disposed if the whole camera and lens because there were batteries in it. They could have simply removed the batteries and sent it on…

Thought the OP was in Edinburgh.

The overclockers thread though seems to be a troll posting it.

This is the fundamental issue, isn’t it? That it is in their interests not to provide the best service for the customer.

Though the other fundamental point is that they are managing to ship a lot of these hazardous items – though only to a destination which makes them money.

I’ve ordered a torch and batteries off eBay which is overdue. Wondering if its been snaffled.

I think your all forgetting…. Royal Mail don’t actually want your parcels… its not the profitable part of their business hence why all the prices went up so much recently…

In terms of efficiency savings, streamlining their business etc they would much rather see potentially awkward goods go with other couriers to make their life easier…

Which you could argue in the last week or so they are doing so quite successfully!!

May have well be posted already:

http://www.wellersauctions.com/trade-retail/auctions/tuesday-14-january-bicycles-and-accessories.html

How irresponsible and hypocritical of the Royal Mail to sell items which they believe are dangerous.

Royal Mail don’t actually want your parcels… its not the profitable part of their business

…Incorrect

Link from STW has been posted on Posties chat forum its an unofficial RM site where postal workers go to vent their spleens 😉

Just see a login page.

😳
Whoops sorry I forgot you need to be logged in to see most of the site, anyone can register though you do not need to work for RM group.

Muke – how about a screen shot or two of the thread?

It’s just a copy of http://singletrackworld.com/2013/12/thinking-of-posting-a-shock-via-royal-mail-read-this-first/
83 views but no replies to it yet.

Interestingly I posted something today and was asked are yiou sending batteries, the answer was no which was a lie. Cant be arsed arguing the toss with a counter worker as to the fact that if in an electronic item / part of it its OK

Update… Have had an email from the MD of Wellers auction house. They are currently looking through their stock to see if they can locate the shock.

Nice!

Soz double post 🙄

Nice to know Wellers are taking a bit more of an interest than the scum at RM.

PG even if they get your shock back don’t give this up. Appalled by this whole thing. Spoken to my bro (postie) told him about this. Basically they don’t know what’s banned or not. Neither do the post office. It seems different interpretations all over the country!
Very patient man all I can say!
I’d have gone, ahem, postal by now!

I’d consider going to a newspaper with this good chance of getting it run as RM privatisation is still fresh in the mind.

IHNRAT

Update… Have had an email from the MD of Wellers auction house. They are currently looking through their stock to see if they can locate the shock.

I would’t bother messing around trying to get it back. You’ve given them a chance to return it or compensate you which they have declined. Small claims court:

Process in England is very easy. https://www.moneyclaim.gov.uk/web/mcol/welcome
If you are in Scotland then you can’t do it all online – but its not difficult http://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/taking-action/small-claims

There is no certainty of success but its not that expensive to claim. (1) if their T&Cs aren’t expressly stated (and nowhere does it say empty containers that could be pressurised are excluded) (2) their agents don’t clearly display signs on DG’s the way that airlines do (3) unlike couriers you don’t make any explicit statement / tick any boxes on that when handing it over (4) their T&Cs aren’t even on display in post office branches. Strikes me as an unfair contract term, even if the court decided the relevant clause covered empty cylinders.

Can they be bothered with going to court to argue their case? Can they risk losing and the power of the internet which means every other person who gets goods lost / destroyed taking action?

If the shock is found and returned that will be a result.
A result I am sure that if pg had not received the kind offer from mojo would be hoping for and still so.

And if this was the case would have no further reason to Pursue Royal Mail especially if it was accompanied with an apology. Their current t&cs are wide open to abuse and can be interpreted in order to confiscate expensive items to sell for profit. Either way I don’t think the OP has the time or expense to fight to change that.

I think that by publicising this appalling behaviour and hopefully people voting with there feet and taking there business elsewhere may make them see sense.
Also in there t&cs it says that if a dangerous item is packaged with other items the can confiscate the entire package and not separate contents.
So if they do not decide to act ethically they could start confiscating fs frames posted with shock fitted which is how most frames are sold, but thanks to the recent rise of social media I think they will only suffer in the long run.

Today the postman delivered this :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370961486190?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

(bloody cat)

In a plastic bag -so fairly obvious what it was

Luckily it wasnt a shock

Excellent! How did they find out about the whole shebang ?

Sorry to hear this has cropped up on you,Paul. Hope you get it back with no damage. I’ve been sending forks and shocks recently and have never been asked what was in the packages.

They all seem to be a bit random with their knowledge at the P.O. on this so hopefully it’ll be in your favor.

If not, we’ll have to start up a just giving page so we can all chip in a quid each to sort you out ;O)

Any update from RM ?

There was a non-answer update from RM on the main page of STW.

Just 5 minutes ago I had an email from the auction house, they have located a shock but unfortunately it’s not mine. It is a Float RP23…looks like someone else is missing one now…

Mojo have delivered bigtime and my replacement shock is with me now!

just received one of those track pumps from Parker International through RM – compressed gas – RM are total muppets

stw and mums net crossover. aibu to read mums net?!

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/1944576-To-ask-you-to-check-Royal-Mails-Dangerous-Goods-list-before-you-post-anything

Mojo have delivered bigtime and my replacement shock is with me now!

That’s awesome service