Postage question - PF48 content

[Inspector 71]

Afternoon all.

Quick one for you: can I send a PCP via this service?

Or is it no PCPs empty or otherwise?

TiA

I71

[zephyr]

Yes, depressurised.

[rogb]

http://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-...d-restrictions

Gases, including flammable, non-flammable, toxic and compressed gases
new, used and empty gas cylinders, butane, ethane, refills for lighters, fire extinguishers and scuba tanks, life jackets, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide canisters (culinary foaming devices and soda stream).

This is what it says, have a you got a link to the "depressurised" ruling?

[tinbum]

No, PCP's cannot be sent by post or PF. No pressure vessels, full or empty, if found they will be destroyed with no recourse.

[Inspector 71]

Thanks to the latter and former responders.

What a bummer.

How do people move them around then? Risk it with other couriers with the "sporting goods" blag?

[tinbum]

Thanks to the latter and former responders.

What a bummer.

How do people move them around then? Risk it with other couriers with the "sporting goods" blag?

RFD transfer is safest but expensive, some use the lower end couriers who don't allow it, but also don't have x-ray machines. Trouble is they are predominently staffed by shaved monkeys who see a well packaged parcel as "A Challenge"!

[villaman]

Take the cylinder of if you can and sent it separate

[bighit]

I tried to get a dive bottle sent via an RFD. Tried 4 and only one said they could send it. It's easy to get the bottle sent to an RFD from the bottle supplier but not the other way round.

The RFD said it depends on the contract between the customer and and the carrier . It never got sent in the end due to the cost . £40 to send just the bottle.

Trying to send it as sporting goods when it has it own definition is stupid. It's specifically mentioned as a firearm ( airgun) so there is no "it's a sporting good" argument.

If you send as a sporting good and it's found and destroyed then you only have yourself to blame .

[Johnson3392]

Take the cylinder of if you can and sent it separate

Only if you take off the valve. Otherwise it is still classed as a pressurised cylinder (by PF or Royal Mail).

[rancidtom]

If you declare it as a "low powered sporting air rifle" it is on the permitted list. The definition doesn't exclude PCP's but my advice to anyone sending me a PCP with a gauge fitted is to send it empty. Pressure vessels and gas cartridges are excluded but if a bottle is screwed on to an air rifle it is classified as part of the air rifle. If bottles are to be sent separate then they should have valves removed and be declared as a flask or tube.
RFD's can send to other RFD's for FAC guns, private individuals can send to private individual or RFD only if it is a sub12 (sub6 for pistols).
If you don't declare the contents of the package it will certainly be x-rayed and sent for destruction if found to be a gun of any description, so declaring as sporting goods is not a good idea. If it has been declared as a "low powered sporting air rifle" and is damaged or lost in transit then you are able to claim but only to the minimum level of insurance (the standard shipping fee for the weight/size) which presently is only £100 so pack your gun well and declare it properly or you may not get any compensation at all if lost or damaged.
In all my years of shipping FAC guns to/from other RFD's and repaired guns back to private individuals I have had no losses or damage caused by PF48. The only gun which I have ever received in a damaged condition was posted to me by a customer who used "MyHermes" against my advice. They refused to pay any compensation saying the gun had been improperly packed and also was on their "banned goods" list so even if properly packed they would not have paid any compensation. After repair the gun was returned via PF48 with no problems.
RMSD will carry air guns but their size limits don't allow rifles, not even take down rifles sadly. Their minimum compensation level is £250 so worth considering if sending an air pistol but be sure to declare it as an air pistol (low powered sporting airgun) and you should be fine.

[angrybear]

Actually RMSD is £500 basic compensation for the 1pm service or £50 for the 9am service not £250.

RMSD also flies so will get X ray'd before being loaded, so if you use it for the compensation mark it "surface mail only - do not fly" as the CAA don't fly unaccompanied guns, I had one refused flight.

Strictly speaking you can't send a PCP due to the pressure cylinder/tube/bottle, but if you do decide too, send it empty with a note attached to the gun stating it is empty, that might save it being destroyed if it does get found.

[rancidtom]

I mark all guns as "Do Not Air Uplift" "Package to be signed for by addressee only. Do NOT leave with neighbour or in designated safe place".

[venoman]

No, PCP's cannot be sent by post or PF. No pressure vessels, full or empty, if found they will be destroyed with no recourse.

How come Parcel Force deliver new PCP to me then ?.

[zephyr]

http://www.parcelforce.com/help-and-...d-restrictions

Gases, including flammable, non-flammable, toxic and compressed gases
new, used and empty gas cylinders, butane, ethane, refills for lighters, fire extinguishers and scuba tanks, life jackets, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide canisters (culinary foaming devices and soda stream).

This is what it says, have a you got a link to the "depressurised" ruling?

Cannot argue. My post was based on previous conversation with RM employee at local PO, which was focused on the "Arms and Ammunition - low powered air weapons" restriction. If the person considered the "Gases, including flammable, non-flammable, toxic and compressed gases" restriction it did not come up in the conversation.

Would this apply to pump up air uns as well?

[Rich]

.. and only ever post on Monday Tuesday or Wednesday.

Thursday's shipment won't arrive on Friday, no delivery Saturday, nor Sunday, maybe gets there Monday, in the meantime it's spent the weekend kicking around in a depot.

Incidentally my local RFD uses PF for a lot of his dealer to dealer shipments. So they will take airguns. It's only the retail side that gets the grief.