Take care what you post in the mail

[mace242]

Some countries use prison labor legitimately such as using products from the prison system's work programs and vocational education. Or to produce item's that the prison system needs to sustain itself (the Florida prison system uses inmate industries to produce the inmates' uniforms and an inmate farm system to supplement their diet)

Other countries view their prisons as free slave labor to be exploited.

I suspect the regulations prohibitting their carriage is so that GB doesn't inadvertantly participate in the latter. That said, it makes it illegal for us here to send you most surplus military uniforms as the issue uniforms are produced by Federal Prison Industries (as were the older military furniture items)

Not to be confused with authorized optional uniform items that are considerred upgrades and are authorized for military members' private purchace.

Really good point - one I never considered. Too many meetings at work today or perhaps I'd have thought of it.

 

[plastic-ninja]

Out of curiosity - was the package axe-shaped?

Well...entrenching tool shaped maybe.And much heavier at one end.....
Simon

 

[Tengu]

Ive never had any trouble with mine.

Unless I try to send anything too big

 

[Elen Sentier]

Really good point - one I never considered. Too many meetings at work today or perhaps I'd have thought of it.

As far as I know the UK does not use prisoners as labour in post offices! Nor do I think the regs are about stopping us supporting regimes that do. We are very careful about weapons here but the idea of calling an axe a weapon just shows (to me anyway) how far away most folk are from "living naturally".
I heartily agree about the baseball bat and bicycle chain ... perhaps we should suggest these go on the list ??? I

And how is amazon going to cope? It sells Gransfors etc

 

[santaman2000]

As far as I know the UK does not use prisoners as labour in post offices! Nor do I think the regs are about stopping us supporting regimes that do.....

They actually are likely about not supporting regimes that use prison labor as slave labor and thus unfairly compete with UK made goods (perhaps backbacks made with zero labor costs being cheaper than a UK made backback made by unionized labor?) Probably not backpacks as such but they make a good example.

That would violate both fair labor practices AND fair trade practices as well as being inhumane.

 

[DaveWL]

I remember a time, not so very long ago, when you could send a rabbit through the post, as long as it had an address label attached by string around its neck... no other wrapping required.

I'd love to see my postie trying to force one through the letter boxes round here

 

[sandbender]

"...I remember a time, not so very long ago, when you could send a rabbit through the post, as long as it had an address label attached by string around its neck... no other wrapping required...."

It wasn't so long ago when the US postal service would allow you to mail a child.

http://www.retronaut.com/2012/06/sending-a-child-through-the-post-1900/

 

[dwardo]

Every time I hear about RM and their legislation I cant help but feel they are nailing their own coffin shut.
Recently I was told they would no longer accept my bows for postage as they were too long. Had been sending them with the PO for years mind.
Tried a few months back to send a carving knife, was told no knives at all. I asked about kitchen knives and they were "different"
They have draconian delivery regulations regarding leaving packages. Not the posties fault they have to stick to the rules or get sacked.
With the way we can now see our bills online rather than by post, our packages delivered on-time with a delivery window as standard from other companies I can see the end of RM which is sad. They have failed to keep up with the times and are bleeding out because of it. Its a shame it really is..

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

http://www.interparcel.com/?gclid=CL-GoI626LQCFSHHtAodCGIArQ Book online, print off the bar code, stick on your parcel and wait for your doorbell to ring and they pick your item up. I've had stoves picked up Monday and they were in New Jersey on Wednesday morning, stoves to Japan in four days etc so sod RM.

I have been using Interparcel for a good few years now to send expensive fishing rods all over the UK.
The prices are very good and the service is excellent.
Just book them and package your gear and await collection.

 

[Kepis]

The Post Office also appears to make things up as it goes along, for instance, late last year i bought myself a new tarp, only a small one to go in the bag when we go out on bimbles, but when it arrived it was a piece of junk and not as advertised at all, so i got in touch with the retailer and arranged to send it back for a refund, now it came to me in one of the heavy plastic pouches that people like DHL, Fedex etc use and had a postage label on from the Post Office that clearly stated 2PK, i.e. 2nd class post, packet.

Fortunately, when i opened the packet originally, it opened in such a away that i could reuse it, so i packaged it all up and took it down the Post Office only to be told i couldn't send it second class as it was too heavy and therefore i had to send it first class, at a considerable extra cost, my question to the chap behind the counter of "it came second class, so why cant i send it back second class?, was rebuked and i was basically told, either pay for 1st class or leave as you are holding the queue up, i begrudgingly paid up and left.

The Post Office is it's own worst enemy at times

 

[mountainm]

The Post Office also appears to make things up as it goes along, for instance, late last year i bought myself a new tarp, only a small one to go in the bag when we go out on bimbles, but when it arrived it was a piece of junk and not as advertised at all, so i got in touch with the retailer and arranged to send it back for a refund, now it came to me in one of the heavy plastic pouches that people like DHL, Fedex etc use and had a postage label on from the Post Office that clearly stated 2PK, i.e. 2nd class post, packet.

Fortunately, when i opened the packet originally, it opened in such a away that i could reuse it, so i packaged it all up and took it down the Post Office only to be told i couldn't send it second class as it was too heavy and therefore i had to send it first class, at a considerable extra cost, my question to the chap behind the counter of "it came second class, so why cant i send it back second class?, was rebuked and i was basically told, either pay for 1st class or leave as you are holding the queue up, i begrudgingly paid up and left.

The Post Office is it's own worst enemy at times

I've sent very heavy things second class. Very odd.

 

[Chiseller]

Iirc you can't use 2nd class for items over 2kg now. I've had the same trouble sending blankets

 

[Kepis]

I've sent very heavy things second class. Very odd.

yup, im sure our local one makes things up because they cant be bothered to check properly

 

[Kepis]

Iirc you can't use 2nd class for items over 2kg now. I've had the same trouble sending blankets

That would explain it

 

[Chiseller]

yup, im sure our local one makes things up because they cant be bothered to check properly

Swmbo had been ' fleeced ' a few times at the PO near her work. Allegedly they are under investigation?

 

[santaman2000]

It wasn't so long ago when the US postal service would allow you to mail a child.

http://www.retronaut.com/2012/06/sending-a-child-through-the-post-1900/

I've tried to open that link 3 times and it's crashed my computor every time!

 

[PeterH]

"The Post Office" and "Royal Mail" are of course NOT the same company ...... One is selling, amongst other related and unrelated products, the services actually provided by the other (and others).

 

[sandbender]

I've tried to open that link 3 times and it's crashed my computor every time!

Sorry about that, the linked site tries to run several trackers...

...Perhaps that is the problem? Here is the photo and blurb.

“After parcel post service was introduced, at least two children were sent by the service. With stamps attached to their clothing, the children rode with railway and city carriers to their destination. The Postmaster General quickly issued a regulation forbidding the sending of children in the mail after hearing of those examples.”
- Smithsonian

 

[John Fenna]

Those lists make for some amusing reading. You are, for example, not allowed to post goods made in foreign prisons. What's that about?

Is not a fair bit of USA military kit made (or was it made ) in prisons? I seem to recal that helmets and buckle stampings were made in US prisons...
That could make it hard to post army surplus gear!

 

[brambles]

According to the link below , a hell of a lot of goods - including a lot of military items - are made in US prisons!

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/07/what-do-prisoners-make-victorias-secret