There is no doubt that there are certain items that are prohibited to send via parcel services. Some of them can cause danger to others, some can be completely shattered before even delivered just because it is too fragile.
Send parcel to Germany without any documentation and without any research and you will be surprised how quickly you will be informed that your precious vase is coming back to you shattered without any compensation.
Thus, we will distinguish certain and most popular items that are prohibited for you to send pretty much with any service provider.
General prohibited and restricted items to send via the post office
It is prohibited to send in postal items:
- Narcotic and psychotropic substances;
- Deactivated decontaminated explosive devices, firearms, military ammunition (including grenades, projectiles, ammunition, etc.), air rifles, any copies and imitations of explosive devices or firearms;
- Explosives (such as airbags), flammable, radioactive, poisons, toxic, oxidizing, and other hazardous substances;
- Matches, lighters, magnets;
- Items with insulting or obscene inscriptions or images;
- Items the importation and use of which is prohibited in the country of destination;
- Live animals other than bees, leeches, silkworms, parasites, and pest killers sent in registered small consignments to officially recognized bodies;
- Alcoholic beverages are stronger than 70 percent;
- Alcoholic beverages in leaking bottles;
- Aerosols of all kinds;
- Other items which are prohibited to be sent in accordance with the resolutions of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania;
- Coins, banknotes, checks or any bearer securities, travelers' checks, platinum, gold or silver, whether or not worked, precious stones, jewelry, and other valuables may be sent only in valued consignments and only to those countries where such goods are allowed to enter.
- Meat products must be in airtight containers.
- The number of meat products to be dispatched must be small (up to 5 kg).It is not recommended to send tobacco products. Even in countries in which the dispatch of tobacco products is not prohibited, they are subject to relatively high customs duties
- It is forbidden to send products in aerosol containers.
We remind you that the sender is responsible for the contents of the shipment and that it does not contain prohibited items. The consignor is liable and must indemnify the loss even if the consignments with dangerous, prohibited items cause damage or injury to employees.
Prohibited items to send parcel to Germany
Most of the items above are prohibited as well when sending a parcel to Germany. Keep in mind that if you do send something that is prohibited you can get fined. In certain situations, you can even get prosecuted for sending explosives or any other type of harmful material.
If someone from a service provider's depo gets injured due to your shipment, if it contains hazardous material you can certainly get into trouble.
Restricted items to send to Germany
Alcoholic beverages are probably one of the most popular restricted commodities across the world which are restricted to send without proper documentation and licensing. Due to the fact that Alcoholic beverages are excised, at least in the EU, they should have certain documents. When crossing brokerage or customs it is crucial to provide license, documentation, and so on.
Otherwise, the parcel is either going to be sent back to you or will be held for numerous weeks. Some of the service providers just destroy certain parcels due to the fact that it costs to hold them if one is interested in taking them back.
There are situations when a shipper ships a parcel without informing a consignee about the parcel. Then the shipper forgets about the parcel for a month or two. Parcel gets stuck somewhere mid-transit, parcel delivery service holds it for about 2 months and tries to inform the shipper about the parcel which is held but the contact details provided are incorrect. In that case, the parcel is just either destroyed or sent to a specific warehouse and stored there which means that the parcel is no longer retrievable and probably will be sold on eBay anonymously. If it has no value - destroyed.
Fun fact
Let's say you are sending a really precious painting to you that you think it worths thousands without any insurance assuming that the parcel service provider is liable for your parcel. Parcel gets lost and you try to ask for compensation. The service provider will pay back the amount that is the maximum of the price that the paper and paint itself costs, which is no more than 50€ due to the fact that the painting has no commercial value. The same goes for documents. For a parcel delivery company, it is just paper and paint, when for you it is a check for 1 million dollars.
Of course, you can insure your shipment but it comes with the cost as well. If you interested in learning more feel free to visit ecoparcel.eu
