eBay have notified sellers of a USPS announcement regarding changes to shipping hazardous materials. These changes limit the services that can be used when shipping pre-owned, damaged, or defective electronic devices with lithium batteries.
The problem with Lithium batteries is that even if they’re not the cause of the fire, they are not easy to extinguish once burning and if in a shipment of multiple batteries will easily set each other on fire.
Sellers who ship these items with lithium batteries must send them via ground transportation services as they can no longer be sent by air transportation. Acceptable services include USPS Retail Ground or Parcel Select.
USPS has also published new requirements for separation of packages containing hazardous materials. As USPS provides additional details and FAQs on the recent changes, eBay will post will updates.
Pre-negotiated rates for a full-range of shipping options, including USPS Parcel Select Ground service, are available on eBay Labels for all eBay sellers.
You might not think that this will impact you if you are based in the UK, or indeed anywhere outside the US. However if you have US customers you need to ensure that whichever carrier you select doesn’t use prohibited USPS services once packages enter the US. Lithium batteries have long been restricted by various carriers. Royal Mail banned carriage of them a decade ago
