What Can You Send and Not Send Via Courier?

When sending items abroad, there are certain things that can’t be sent through a regular parcel service. Before booking a parcel delivery, we always recommend checking the policy of your chosen carrier as well as the customs information for the destination country as further restrictions may apply.

Dangerous and Hazardous Items

Below you will find a list of Dangerous and Hazardous items that should not be shipped under any circumstances. If any of these items are found within a consignment, the items will be destroyed and a fine of £100 will be issued.

Adhesives	Aerosols	Airbags for Cars
Ammunition & Guns	Batteries	Camping Stoves
Christmas Crackers	Cleaners & Solvents	Compressed Air & Gas Cylinders
Diesel, Fuel & Gasoline	Dry Ice	Fire Extinguishers
Fireworks	Hair Curlers	Helium
Infectuous Substances	Insecticides	Life Jackets
Liquid Bleach & Chlorine	Magnets	Nail Varnish
Paint & Turpentine	Pepper Spray	Perfume & Aftershave
Radioactive Material	Safety Matches	Seat Belts
Thermometer

Prohibited Items

The items listed below are prohibited items that are not accepted by any of our carriers.

Animals & Animal Products	Body Parts	Bullion
Dish Washers	Replica Firearms / Guns	Fridges & Freezers
Illegal Drugs	Knives	Lab & Medical Samples
Mattresses	Money	Loose Furniture
Ovens	Personal Data	Perishable Foodstuffs
Pornography	Precious Metals	Printer Ink
Stamps	Televisions	Tobacco
Tumble Dryers	Washing Machines

Restricted Items

Certain items have restrictions applied which can depend on carrier service and country of delivery. It is advised that you contact us to discuss the shipment on 0345 145 1212. These items include:

Alcohol & Champagne	Credit or Debit Cards	Jewellery & Watches
Mobile Phones / Devices	Passport

·

No Compensation Items

Some items that get shipped are not restricted, however, we are not able to offer standard liability or insurance cover for any damage that may occur. Cover against loss is offered on certain items. Details can be found below.

Data (Example - Memory Stick)	Loss Not Covered
Glass	Loss Covered
LCD Screens & Computer Monitors	Loss Covered
Liquids	Loss Covered
Non-Flat Pack Furniture	Loss Covered
Pottery & Ceramics	Loss Covered
Vouchers & Tickets	Loss Not Covered
Jewellery & Watches	Carrier Restrictions Vary - More Info here
Works of Art	Loss Covered

·    

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure the contents of the consignment are acceptable items and meet the restrictions imposed. Without opening, the sender is the only person who knows what is inside the shipment and therefore holds sole responsibility for the items within it.

Hazard Labels

It is worth noting that if you are going to be using second-hand packaging, make sure you don’t use packaging that has hazard labels on it unless applicable to the new contents. This is to prevent your consignment from being stopped and held even if the old labels have been covered up. Some examples of typical hazard labels can be found below:

If you are unsure about the items you wish to deliver, you can contact us via telephone on 0345 145 1212, send us an email to sales@transglobalexpress.co.uk or via our online chat service here.

Shipping Dangerous Goods

Most of us know that it is forbidden to send dangerous goods such as toxins, explosives or munition via your usual courier service. However, few people are often aware that thermometers, magnets or batteries can also be classified dangerous or hazardous.

What are dangerous goods?

Dangerous or hazardous goods can be anything from solid or liquid to gas. This kind of goods are generally considered to be harmful to others, properties, the environment or animals. The most common types are radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, bio hazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic.

Carriers' regulations

Depending on the courier company and carrier you will be using, restrictions may vary. Therefore it is important to check with your chosen courier before you package your shipment. Most UK carriers will not accept dangerous goods on any of their services. Similar applies to prohibited items.

You may be able to ship certain goods with your chosen carrier. However, in most cases, you as the sender will be liable for your shipment.

Sender's responsibilities

As the sender, it will be your responsibility to check that your shipment does not contain anything that could be harmful to others (see "what are dangerous goods").

Since you will be the one packaging your shipment, only you will be aware of its contents - the courier company and carrier will not know what is inside until your shipments reaches the depot. Should anything dangerous be found in your parcel(s), you will be made responsible.

Goods you may not consider hazardous

Did you know that nail varnish, glue or hair curlers are considered "dangerous" in the UK? Even airbags or seat belts for cars full under this term. You may not have had any intentions when you shipped these goods, but the carrier may charge you with a fine and reject your shipments.

In order to avoid scenarios like this one, you should always check back with the restricted items list provided by your chosen courier company.

Can I Send Money By Courier?

We are often asked if customers can send money by courier. Unforunately, it is a "no".

None of our carriers (that includes DHL, UPS, FedEx, TNT and DPD) currently accept shipments which contain 

• credit or debit cards
• cash
• cheques 
• or vouchers with a face value. 

This is mainly due to insurance reasons in case your shipments gets damaged or lost. If you are unsure about the contents of your parcel and would like further information, please visit our restricted items page. 

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