Shipping camera through usps

[Starving_Artist]

Is there a guidance or law about shipping priority mail for camera bodies? I tried to ship a camera but because they said it had lithium ion batteries it can't be shipped via priority mail. Even though you can ship if it's packaged correctly for the use of electronics.

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c3_027.htm#ep1030812

anyone have any advice or help?

--
Art is a luxury, people don't realize it's value until it's gone

 

[BGD300V1]

From your cite Exhibit 349.222 shows what is mailable.

If your local USPS office is giving you trouble, print it from the website and escalate to a supervisor if the counter clerk disagrees.

--
I'm a photographer, Jim, not a graphic artist!
My photo blog: http://birdsnbugs.com
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[sybersitizen]

Is there a guidance or law about shipping priority mail for camera bodies? I tried to ship a camera but because they said it had lithium ion batteries it can't be shipped via priority mail.

I think 'they' might have led you astray. Cameras with lithium-ion batteries are shipped via Priority Mail pretty much every day when people buy them from online retailers.

Even though you can ship if it's packaged correctly for the use of electronics.

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c3_027.htm#ep1030812

Look here, under paragraph 622.52:

https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52c6_004.htm?q=lithium-ion

Show that link to the post office staff when you go there. They should have no grounds to refuse your shipment.

anyone have any advice or help?

If you prefer not to deal with the post office staff at all, you can set up a Click-N-Ship account at usps.com. That will allow you to pay for Priority Mail postage online and print labels at home. Then you can leave the package for pickup by the mail carrier. Nice and convenient.

 

[Starving_Artist]

Sadly I can't as I'm at an APO address and it has to be inspected by person for parcels. I noticed there's some kind of strange verbiage:

"If you're mailing pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packaged with lithium batteries, you must send them via ground transportation; they are prohibited in air transportation"

Like, what's a "pre-owned" battery? A second hand battery? It's a new original EOM battery. I'll try to print some documentation out and try again, it's frustrating for sure.

 

[Starving_Artist]

So I learned after reading pub52 anything previously owned that is not new has to be shipped ground and that's not possible for me due to time reasons. Guess I need to find an alternative.

 

[sybersitizen]

Sadly I can't as I'm at an APO address and it has to be inspected by person for parcels. I noticed there's some kind of strange verbiage:

"If you're mailing pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices containing or packaged with lithium batteries, you must send them via ground transportation; they are prohibited in air transportation"

Like, what's a "pre-owned" battery? A second hand battery? It's a new original EOM battery. I'll try to print some documentation out and try again, it's frustrating for sure.

I can't find that text on the public website. Is it specific to APO shipments?

 

[Starving_Artist]

I can't seem to find it, but in this listing right here: https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52apxc_032.htm

It seems I should be if I package everything correctly in it's original compartments. Which I do have all the original packaging. This whole lithium battery rules are confusing and always changing. I will go in with the document above and verify where it says in the rules it's not allowed.

 

[Starving_Artist]

Publications

"349.12 Lithium Battery — Definitions

* * * * *

[Add new item e. to read as follows:]

e. Pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic device means an electronic device containing or packaged with one or more lithium cells or batteries and that the electronic device:

(1) Is not new and contained in new, unopened packaging; and/or

(2) Has some form of damage or defect."

So by being not new. If it's used for any time it's ground only? That's strange. It is a "new" battery and all. It's just strange overall that if it's "new" it can be shipped, but not used.

 

[BGD300V1]

Sadly I can't as I'm at an APO address and it has to be inspected by person for parcels. I noticed there's some kind of strange verbiage:

Ahhh, an APO is usually non-domestic and the USPS regs cited were for domestic shipments.

 

[Starving_Artist]

When I spoke to the Postal workers though, they said that because it's an APO in Korea. It's considered domestic. I didn't want to cause a scene then as it was the end of the day but even in the international shipping it's still allowable. There's no restriction either from the site when I checked on USPS. If I was out in some deployed location, I'd understand, but it's Korea.

 

[sybersitizen]

https://about.usps.com/postal-bulletin/2022/pb22600/html/updt_005.htm#ep1487842

"349.12 Lithium Battery — Definitions

* * * * *

[Add new item e. to read as follows:]

e. Pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic device means an electronic device containing or packaged with one or more lithium cells or batteries and that the electronic device:

(1) Is not new and contained in new, unopened packaging; and/or

(2) Has some form of damage or defect."

Ahh - a revision made less than nine months ago, and not included in the general documentation. Thanks a lot, USPS.

So by being not new. If it's used for any time it's ground only? That's strange. It is a "new" battery and all. It's just strange overall that if it's "new" it can be shipped, but not used.

Yes indeed.

 

[justmeMN]

So I learned after reading pub52 anything previously owned that is not new has to be shipped ground and that's not possible for me due to time reasons. Guess I need to find an alternative.

An expensive solution would be a buy a new-in-package battery to ship with the camera.

 

[Craig Gillette]

It's "Domestic" for the purposes of postage, but it's still a lithium-ion battery for air shipment (or not) safety regulations, etc.

 

[CameraCarl]

Can you ship it without a battery? Unless it is a really obscure camera, the recipient ought to be able to get a battery locally.

 

[grsnovi]

Cameras that I've sent to MPB have all gone via FedEx - perhaps due to the USPS issue?

 

[Starving_Artist]

Can you ship it without a battery? Unless it is a really obscure camera, the recipient ought to be able to get a battery locally.

I could, but I don't know if the buyer would want that and might just buy another camera locally. I didn't realize my address didn't update my shipping address.

I'm on mobile and trying to avoid double posting. To answer the question on fedex.

It might be. Apparently they just changed last December the ruling again and no one knows whats current. Getting a Lable might be an issue depending on if it uses my PO box or fedex center shipping address. When it's shipped through domestic, even though it's international, the price is much lower.