Avoid "Royal Mail" when receiving stoves shipped from UK!

I recently purchased a Model 70 from a seller in the UK. Days later I received notification from Ebay that the item was confiscated by customs in the UK.
Of course I received a refund, but the seller took a loss on this one. As a collector, It pains me to see these classic stoves confiscated and destroyed by Customs simply because the have a "gas" tank on them. Shame on the Customs Service.



Below is the message I received from Ebay:

Undeliverable - Item restricted at Global Shipping Center
May-26-17, 19:36 PM, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JL

Delay at Global Shipping Center - Item Potentially Restricted
May-25-17, 18:06 PM, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JL

Processing at Global Shipping Center
May-25-17, 18:05 PM, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 2JL

Tracking Details Uploaded
May-22-17, 20:30 PM


New message from: juliands (11,522)

Hi there
The reason it will have been destroyed is because it will have been sent with royal mail, they have a policy that if its seen or x-rayed then they class it as dangerous goods.
We restore these stoves and lamps regularly and we ship them all with DHL, with DHL as long as you declare that the tank is none pressurised and steam cleaned there is no problem at all. I would like to say thanks for taking the time to send the message, we only use royal mail for domestic. Anything outside UK it has to go with DHL.
Kind regards
Julian

 

Seems like it is almost random.

I have received three stoves from the UK in the last few years without incident.

I just shipped a Coleman 550 to the UK and the buyer told me that customs accessed a charge on the package and it was delivered.

 

I've had no problem receiving stoves from the UK.
Duane

 

Has anyone received a stove from the UK through the ebay Global Shipping Program (as opposed to the seller shipping directly through Royal Mail)?

 

I did talk to a seller who informed me I would have to book courier transport myself, since he could not ship stoves through the eBay GSP. I have not verified the information.

 

Are you sure that the seller takes a loss when this happens through the Global Shipping Program? I can understand ebay refunding the buyer, but it does not seem right that they would charge the seller.

 

I'm reviving this topic to ask again: Has anyone received a stove from the UK through the ebay Global Shipping Program?

 

Dear Poncho, why is this important to you to know? Is there some relative developement or information that members here could benefit from?

Regardless, if RM is destructing stoves, chances are that a private shipper stands to loose his merchandise too. And if paid with Paypal, the refund to the buyer - if claimed - will be at the seller's expense.

Apart from this, unless you really want an item, it is best to avoid any GSP deals. You stand to pay more as the third party takes a cut , and it will take more time. Ultimately, the buyer pays for the seller's convenience.

 

A general question regarding item description when posting.

Not a stove shipment but someone I have dealt with requested the description of the contents as miscellaneous non ferrous parts. Item to be delivered to his works, not home.

A bit of roundabout way, and probably requires legs sent as another item unless aluminium. Do people list as camping gear, or camping stoves when shipping???

Anything to not arouse the suspicion of the system.

The item I sent, internal uk, was a small stationary steam engine, scratch built along the lines of Mamod.

 

I asked a seller to use a different method of shipping. They said how much more it would cost. I paid it. No problem. I did NOT want to risk it.
AND, I did not want to have them to list the item as something it is NOT.

The workaround, for me, was to not use Royal Mail.

 

+1 to not being deceptive or evasive about the items you're shipping. The reason for the restrictions is to prevent "dangerous" items from being shipped by air. I don't want officialdom to think I'm trying to get around that. If that means spending extra for a courier service, then so be it.

....Arch

 

Just a note that the US eBay Global Shipping program is starting to enforce a restriction on stoves as well.

I asked a USA seller if he would ship me a stove last month through the global program, he agreed but was unable to change his listing.

He contacted eBay and was told that because it was a stove, it was restricted from the program.

I also had a solid fuel stove delayed by the US global shipping program by a week.
I guess they decided to let it pass, as it was eventually arrived.

The tracking info for that stove stated:

Delay at global shipping centre - item restricted

 

My post office says ground specified shipping is fine. It seems these decisions are made by the uninformed.

 

I understand preventing dangerous goods from entering any country, but when a Mail Service destroys a piece of history for no reason that is wrong. If they want to prevent a stove from being shipped then it should be returned undamaged to the seller/shipper. If a stove has been prepared properly for shipping overseas or to another country it is not dangerous in any way, but unfortunately most seller don't prepare stoves properly for shipping.
Also I personally think it is up to the person processing whatever is to be shipped and if they are on the OCD side mixed with a bit of bipolar then they tend to make up their own rules and regulations.

I have received stoves from the UK via Royal Mail in very good shape, but I don't trust this will continue.

If you are worried about a stoves possible destruction then contact the seller and see if they are willing to use other shipping services.
There is a stove in the UK which I'm interesting in getting but the seller will only ship via Royal Mail so it is a stove I will not bid on, but there are other sellers who will ship through other shipping agencies.

Cheers

 

Could always wrap the stove in a lead lined box so they cant xray it. Put a smoke alarm in with the stove though and your picture could end up on the 9 oclock news

 

Sounds like your UK customs folks are just as fun to work with as our USA customs people.

I deal with them a goodly bit in the course of my work. Last customs delay I dealt with took three months for testing, even with factory trace and third party testing reports included in the box and sent to the customs officials by me after it was delayed. "Oh well you got your parts anyway, what's the big deal?" Ma'am, this is the private sector and not government. A three month delay may as well mean the parts don't exist, the customer cancelled the order when it was two days late. $10,000 profit, POOF -gone.

Not a huge fan of most government, and I realize that customs has a tough job to do, but I am not their biggest fan. How most of this is not a 4th amendment violation is beyond my understanding.

 

I am somewhat confused on this subject. I assume Royal Mail sends its goods by air same as DHL for overseas delivery. Either way, it will be on an aircraft...one allows it, the other does not?
I am about to ship a stove through the Post and am starting to worry about the possibility of a bad ending. Steam cleaned...can that be done at home?

 

@Blueflame
Where is it going?
Can you choose ground shipping?

 

It's a mystery...
Maybe courier services have their own (cargo only) aircraft, while postal service may be sent on commercial (passenger) flights?

I would check out ground shipping, even if "ground" means a ship.

....Arch

 

Royal Mail sends packages via commercial passenger flight this is most likely the reason for stoves and lanterns being restricted and destroyed. Granted the reasoning is flawed and ridiculous.
Ebay Global has started to restrict stoves and lanterns also for ridiculous reasons.

Cheers,
Norman