New U.K. Postal rules.

My Facebook friend Raphaella took a plane from Nevada to Milan, to be present at the Esxence Trade Show, and they were offering perfumes for sale ON THE PLANE to the passengers.

So you can sell them in the passenger compartment between the aisles but cannot ship them inside the belly from country to country, and us mere mortal postal customers have to suffer ???

Ohhh !

I have said this so many times....How can they sell perfumes on the bloody plane, but not carry postage??? Really stupid. They always have the duty free cart, coming down the aisles..loaded with all the latest perfumes!

Ok Guys and Girls, I have just found to my grievance that the rules do not only apply to Airmail.

This morning, I got back an empty box that I posted very securely abroad via SURFACE MAIL !!

We are screwed.
Bastards!

The SU on the postage stamp means "Surface" as in Surface mail:


This is the sticker they affixed to the box.
A/ It was put on before being slashed open ... Why?
B/ It states "permitted in UK Domestic Mail Only" and lists "perfumes and aftershaves", yet, on their website it stipulates that these are prohibited goods.
Somebody please explain.


Emptied of its contents except for my letter, some plastic pipettes and a little something for this person's cat (I know, softie at heart here)


The letter from the Royal Mail asswipes they included in the box:


You can click on each thumnail to see more details.

The world of Perfumistas is becoming a risky one indeed.

F***ERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a nightmare! I do hope that my candy box ploy works. This is getting ridiculous.

The worst part is that there is rampant confusion. I was returning a damaged product to Fragrancenet.com, so they provided an RMA and a mailing label to slap on the box, on which is clearly written the word FRAGRANCE. I called USPS to inquire what precisely the policy is and was told by the person who answered the phone that it is illegal to mail perfume. I pointed out that the company had originally mailed the package to me and provided a label for return through the mail. He said, "Well, maybe you should forget what I said."

To make a long story short: basically the guy told me TO LIE when I go to the counter. Now I'm going to follow his advice rather than feel guilty every time they ask me "No perfume...." which by the way they now explicitly articulate. Before they would just ask "nothing hazardous", now they actually say "no perfume".

I'm mailing the mystery vials in emptied caramel nips boxes, but I'm going to include candy at both ends so that if they actually open them, they'll see candy... Wish me luck!!!

Gee Shera, I swear this is like going back in time!
We are the new Resistance, smuggling contraband through enemy lines.
Fecking ridiculous.

This is so ridiculous - why in the world are they doing this?
And that's called custom free handling in the EU zone

Sorry Dolby that they even destroyed it (well they are forced to I know, but it's still nonsense to me).

Thanks Franfan, although them destroying the goods is something I am taking with a huge pinch of salt.
Methinks some Royal Mail and customs workers are making a very nice sideline business indeed, either keeping the stuff for themselves or selling it on Ebay ... and then sending those things to the buyers using the very same postal services that prohibit said goods in the first place.
You know, might as well add insult to injury.

Maybe it's time for all of us to get jobs working for the postal service...

I'm very sorry Dolby!! I believe they keep the fragrances for themselves...that's just what all the customs people did here, when it was the former Yugoslavia) ....Lovely cheeses from Italy, all sorts of luxury items..they said you couldn't bring them in, so they kept the stuff for themselves). Now it seems to be happening there!! What a load of Bull crap...I went on cheapsmells the other day, just to see if any changes have taken place, but no....still no delivery to Croatia. Yet, they have been posting to EK in Denmark! It just doesn't make any sense at all!

They keep the perfumes for themselves ... that can easily be. Who is to know? M-F !!!

I don't know what they're doing and what people who ship out of the UK successfully are doing, but I can understand that for some it might be too risky and the damage it causes in the end isn't worth the whole thing.

But if any of you has still good experiences and might want to help with that damn Pixie Lott perfume, just let me know

I think it's very much a case of (bad) luck of the draw and some will slip through unnoticed.

Ok, to update ...

I just called The Royal Mail "dangerous goods" customers helpline and was told that all parcels are screened and that no perfume is allowed internationally either by airmail or surface mail.

Goods are destroyed (yeah right) and the only thing you can do about it is cry for your loss.

To add to this crazy situation, Royal Mail is a separate company to the Post Office ... How so very handy to drive you round the loop even more.

Then called Royal Mail's customer helpline explaining that the guys at my local post office knew what I was sending and told me that it was ok by surface mail.

Am to send them the customs form and they will decide on compensation if appropriate (too fecking right it is but not holding my breath)

Will keep you ... Posted

Hm, well they must have not screened every parcel before the new rules then. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to get (hm... I might remember three or four) some scents per Air Mail :

Franfan, people who work for Customers Helplines usually talk a lot of sheeet.
Fact is, it's one great big mess and a gamble where one must be prepared to lose it all.

Example... like the casino.

Are they monitoring only outgoing mail? Or incoming as well????

I think only outgoing because should there be a tragic accident due to a flaming bottle of fragrance, the onus is on them to pay for damages and compensation.

For some reason, incoming planes, trains, and automobiles exploding all over the UK aren't so much of an issue.

Just remember that if you take your packages in to the post office to be mailed, you are lying on camera.

In the U.S. Post Office the packages don't get screened. (Not yet?) So far, the postal clerk asks a question and you answer. You have already filled out the Custom Declaration Sticker at home and just hand it over.

That may be something to think about Dig.