Shipping Cell Phones

So, I was at my local post office yesterday to mail off my rent check. While there, a lady was at the window next to me asking the mail associate about shipping cell phones. They told her that as long as the battery was in the cell phone and not separate, then she could mail it.

When I asked them "So, cell phones and batteries can be shipped, but ONLY if the battery is inside the cell phone?" and they said yes.



Now I know PartTimeScrapper could answer this for sure, but how you supposed to ship buyers cell phones and the batteries separate in the box, if the USPS wont allow this to happen?

My guess is they want them in the phone because batteries mixed together with contacts not taped properly could result in fire. If they are in the phone they are separate, idiot proof and would be safe.

I think Fed Ex policies are different but one should still tape the contacts, same would go for Li-ion button batteries.

Originally Posted by KZBell

My guess is they want them in the phone because batteries mixed together with contacts not taped properly could result in fire. If they are in the phone they are separate, idiot proof and would be safe.

I think Fed Ex policies are different but one should still tape the contacts, same would go for Li-ion button batteries.

So, you are saying to place a piece of tap over the contacts..where the batteries connect to inside the cell phone?

Yes, that should work.

Fire hazard big time if they short out on each other. Heres a good vid i found shows how to start a fire with a cell phone battery and steel wool.




fire at battery recycling plant, sounds like firecrackers going off

Originally Posted by jghilino

Fire hazard big time if they short out on each other. Heres a good vid i found shows how to start a fire with a cell phone battery and steel wool.

I saw on one of those survival shows where they did the same thing with a 9 volt battery.

Anything can be shipped if you meet the requirements. It just depends on who you ship through, too, from, what the material is, etc.

A real easy way to figure out how to ship anything would be to call your local shipping broker. They work with all types of shipping companies that specialize in all kind of things.

There are very good reasons why this is the case. When I worked for United, I spent almost two years in air freight as a load planner. Different types of aircraft can or can not ship certain types of material. You generally have three types of cargo areas in an aircraft. Non pressurized/non heated, pressurized, pressurized/heated. If you ever recovered your luggage after a long flight, and it felt ice cold to you, this is because it was not in a heated cargo area. If you had something expand a leak out of a container, it probably was not in a pressurized cargo area.

Also, there are certain types of material that cannot be loaded in certain cargo areas just because of the sensitive avionics, hydraulics, sensitive airframe components, etc.

But anything. literally, can be shipped. After all things obviously move from one place to another all over the country, someone is shipping them. Shipping also is different for companies than it is for individuals in some cases.

Scott