 Poster: A snowHead
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If you live in the UK and need to refill an airbag canister then you probably need to post it away.
Word of warning : do NOT ever use the Royal Mail.
At the start of October I posted an empty, de-pressurised, canister back to Mammut UK for a refill. For the last 3 weeks I have been trying to contact them to find out why it wasn't delivered. Finally on the 30th October I received a letter telling me the parcel had been destroyed as dangerous goods. Incredibly the Royal Mail think it is acceptable not to offer any compensation... The really frustrating thing is that I specifically checked with the Post Office counter staff before posting the parcel. Indeed I was even sold extra insurance - which was presumably invalid....
I have spoken to the complaints escalation team and have also opened a complaint with the postal review panel. Have also spoken with senior management at the royal mail. Seeing as the issue cant be resolved amicably I am considering opening a claim with the small claims court. However events like this seem very common and without deep pockets such a case would be difficult to win.... Indeed I discovered this evening the internet is full of stories about Royal Mail destroying peoples property. Seemingly benign items such as perfume, mountain bike suspensions forks, lithium batteries and spare car parts are all now classified as dangerous goods. Anecdotally there seems to be little that can be done either...... There also seems to be plenty hard evidence that the confiscated "dangerous items" are often resold via the Weller auction house (seriously! you couldn't make this up....)
Further reading.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/royal-mail-have-binned-my-rear-shock
and
http://singletrackworld.com/2013/12/thinking-of-posting-a-shock-via-royal-mail-read-this-first/
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I saw the furore already with mountain bike suspension parts, and so used Hermes instead when returning a faulty set of forks in the summer. Cheap and a bit slow but they got there instead of being auctioned off as too dangerous to deliver! Bad luck on the cannister 
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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aye - spread the word....
sadly I wasn't the first, nor likely the last.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Haggis_Trap,
Not what you really want to hear, but Sports Direct are currently offering the carbon cylinders at £50
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Use UK Mail to send canisters. When I bought one from Facewest they told me they are the only courier that will take them.
Post Office and Royal Mail are separate companies so you need to take it up with Post Office as they were at fault for not advising you correctly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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^ frustratingly Post Office keep directing me back to Royal Mail (who refuse to accept responsibility for their actions)
@musher. many thanks for heads up....
guess it makes my rant worthwhile and a little less painful + expensive.
ordered (great price, almost 1.3rd rrp).
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
I have spoken to the complaints escalation team and have also opened a complaint with the postal review pane |
OMG, I guess no-one at the Royal Snail have ever read the Apres zone. They don't know what's going to hit them.
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Two years ago I sent mine back to SnowSafe for a refill after its annual test, as I had done for the previous 3 years. Due to a typo on my part, they tried to deliver to slightly incorrect address. Instead of returning to the externally marked return address, they opened it and it took 2 weeks to get it back, fortunately in one piece.
As mentioned above, use UK Mails collection/delivery service.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| balernoStu wrote: |
| I saw the furore already with mountain bike suspension parts, and so used Hermes instead when returning a faulty set of forks in the summer. Cheap and a bit slow but they got there instead of being auctioned off as too dangerous to deliver! Bad luck on the cannister |
Wow, you seem to have found something that MyHermes neither exclude from their compensation nor refuse to carry! https://www.myhermes.co.uk/RWD/help/carry-guide.html
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
| Seeing as the issue cant be resolved amicably I am considering opening a claim with the small claims court. |
On the basis of what you were told I would have thought you stood a good chance with that, however you'd presumably have to be claiming against the Post Office as your transaction was with them?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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^ I think you are correct about that.... Thus far the Post Office keep directing me back to Royal Mail (who keep denying responsibility).....
Beautiful.
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Royal Mail refuse to carry goods that are potentially dangerous when in an aircraft hold, even when posting is domestic (as some, limited, mail is flown around UK).
Royal Mail will tell you that it is Post Office Ltd's fault as their counter staff should have advised you correctly and will push liability to PO.
Post Office Ltd will push the responsibility onto the individual office, if you used a Branch Office POL may own it, otherwise it will fall on the individual office operator.
If you used a small local office then they would be forced by POL to personally stand your claim. Any agent may well have a different memory of the conversation you had at the counter in regard to the packages contents. that different memory may be due to a genuine misunderstanding between two human beings engaged in comms, or it may happen retrospectively once it becomes apparent they may end up owing your iro £150. Basically it will be down to your word against theirs.
All the above aside, why the f*** Royal mail need to destroy something, not ask you to sort out the problem once it becomes apparent? Also if the implied stories about undelivered goods ending up on auction sites are true then that is a scandal (in the most literal sense of the word).
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You know it makes sense.
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| midgetbiker wrote: |
All the above aside, why the f*** Royal mail need to destroy something, not ask you to sort out the problem once it becomes apparent? Also if the implied stories about undelivered goods ending up on auction sites are true then that is a scandal (in the most literal sense of the word). |
^yip : google "Royal Mail Wellers Auction House".
there seems to be lots of reasonable evidence online of this happening
(as originally suggested by the thread on single track world - which I read yesterday evening).
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Well : the Royal Mail just emailed and offered a full refund for cost of the canister.
Surprising, and very welcome, outcome.
Though I had to elevate complaint to level of the CEOs office to get this action...
A little bump to thread for happy ending (and a warning for others never to send air bag cannisters via Royal Mail).
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Poster: A snowHead
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Nothing better than a bump with a happy ending 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Haggis_Trap
Doug, it's Paul Morris here - you can get your canisters refilled in Edinburgh at Edinburgh Dive Centre on the corner of Yeaman Place and Watson Crescent at Fountainbridge if it's only compressed air you need in the canister - sure it cost me £5.00 when I had both canisters refilled last year after test detonating.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Haggis_Trap, I assume that they paid out on the basis of incorrect advice at the PO counter, as their website clearly states empty and full cylinders are prohibited.
From the Royal Mail site http://www.royalmail.com/personal/help-and-support/Tell-me-about-Prohibited-Goods
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 & soda stream),
1. All flammable compressed gases are prohibited e.g. blowlamps; butane; lighters and refills containing flammable liquid or gas; ethane; gas cylinders for camping stoves; hydrogen; methane and propane.
2. All toxic compressed gases are prohibited e.g. chlorine; fluorine etc.
3. All non-flammable compressed gases are prohibited e.g. air bags; scuba tanks, carbon dioxide; fire extinguishers; neon and nitrogen.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@paul - Good to know! The Mammut refillable cylinders don't have correct EU markings. So dive shops weren't filling them (which is why I had to return via post in the first place). http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=118340
@powder - technically bubble wrap meets that description 
They paid out over incorrect advice. And also because I called their customer service line multiple times, to find out where parcel was (before finally being told 4 weeks later the canister had been destroyed). The fact the customer service team lied about there being no return address on the parcel didn't help. Though to be honest it was mega-hassle getting my money back.
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FAQ
