USPS to ban overseas shipments of electronics with lithium ion batteries

Shawn Knight

Shawn Knight

Posts: 12,297   +120
Staff member
The United States Postal Service has announced that as of May 16, they will no longer deliver a wide assortment of electronics to consumers overseas. Any device that has a...

[newwindow="https://www.techspot.com/news/48566-usps-to-ban-overseas-shipments-of-electronics-with-lithium-ion-batteries.html"]Read the whole story[/newwindow]
 
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Scshadow

Posts: 610   +260
Guest said:
Pathetic.
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I don't agree. As farfetched as it sounds, if Lithium Ion batteries are causing safety issues, causing plane crashes, then they should ban them. I really don't see a purpose for banning it otherwise. I'm sorry the troops are affected because of the special lack of alternatives that only they have to suffer, but it is what it is.
 
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Guest

and they wonder why they are slowly (forget slowly) going out of business... instead of increasing service levels they are decreasing them...
 
H3llion

H3llion

Posts: 1,852   +540
2 Cargo plane crashes past 2 years, read it again and tell me how many, oh yeah TWO. Any Scientific evidence to support the claim? If not, then there is nothing to discuss. I know its "at least 2" but I doubt its more then 5. Sure there shouldn't be any crashes regardless but if there is no evidence to back this claim up, then its just another hoax. Insure correct storage and discharge before shipping and then the problem will be fixed.

On the bright side, maybe they will try and create safer batteries or try and move onto a better and newer technology then LIBs that we have now.

(could go into more details but there is no need)
 
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Tygerstrike

Posts: 827   +93
See I'm not buying this. Where is the evidence for this conclusion. Is there footage somewhere actually showing Lithium ion batteries exploding? Is it suspected of causing the crashes or is it a convient scapegoat for the USPS and poor overseas plane maintanence? I deal with Lithium batteries all the time, I have never ever had any issues. I would applaude them for taking these measures, but w/o more definative proof that it was the batteries then all they are doing is trying to justify the higher rates for overseas delivery. Which would nicely coincide with all the other USPS issues they are dealing with.
If this is such a big issue, why havent we seen fedex,ups, or usps planes crashing in the states due to batteries? I know for a fact that fedex handles a ton of lithium batteries and devices that use them.
Smell REAL fishy to me.
 
cliffordcooley

cliffordcooley

Posts: 12,334   +5,709
Scshadow said:
I'm sorry the troops are affected because of the special lack of alternatives that only they have to suffer, but it is what it is.
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I'm not, I for one don't see any need in keeping troops on foreign soil. We should bring our troops home if we are not in a state of war.
 
Matthew

Matthew

Posts: 5,269   +103
My knowledge of the shipping industry couldn't fill a thimble, but surely there's some way to transport batteries with minimal or no risk to workers? Even if it costs more, as I'm sure the couriers wouldn't lose sleep over passing that expense on to consumers. What am I missing? This just seems lazy for some reason.
 
I

ikesmasher

Posts: 3,051   +1,373
ok then we make lithium ion batterys safer in general so we dont have to avoid sending electronics to people..

A friend sent his bro overseas fightin an old hacked PSP in the mail, you would not believe how happy he was
 
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Rasta211

Posts: 223   +36
So you can travel with a mp3 player, phone, laptop computer, bluetooth headset on a plane but you can't ship them.

You mean to tell me 1 bluetooth headset can take down a plane? WoW!
 
C

Chazz

Posts: 679   +76
You guys can't be serious. Just google the problem, there have been so many product recalls over battery issues it isn't even funny. If there is a chance then they need to evaluate it. They said they could change this next year so obviously they are looking into ways to make this problem a non issue, but since it is a issue atm they are taking the safest precaution for their employees.

They're being responsible and you guys are just being irrational. Sure your one "ipod" may not have an issue but these guys are dealing with thousands of them so the chance does increase.
 
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Chazz

Posts: 679   +76
And at rasta, it's not the explosion that brings down the plane it is the fire. You should read the link that was posted by our guest.
 
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Guest

If everything that caused two deaths in six years was banned...

You get the picture.
 
G

Guest

Just google the problem, there have been so many product recalls over battery issues it isn't even funny.

LOL. And how many of those recalls involved batteries that were still in the box? Try again.
 
C

Chazz

Posts: 679   +76
Guest said:
Just google the problem, there have been so many product recalls over battery issues it isn't even funny.

LOL. And how many of those recalls involved batteries that were still in the box? Try again.
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"It is thought that lithium ion batteries shipped when fully charged or not correctly stored or packaged could be a safety risk."
 
S

Scshadow

Posts: 610   +260
cliffordcooley said:
I'm not, I for one don't see any need in keeping troops on foreign soil. We should bring our troops home if we are not in a state of war.
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Good for you. Thats a completely different issue. All the troops we have everywhere for various reasons including those that don't involve combat doesn't have anything to do with USPS not being able to deliver Lithium Ion batteries overseas, just that we can't deliver to them. Do try and stay on subject.
 
cliffordcooley

cliffordcooley

Posts: 12,334   +5,709
Scshadow said:
Do try and stay on subject.
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I didn't stray from the topic. I don't see delivery to our troops as an issue when it's my opinion our troops should be at home. Don't tell me I'm off topic, when delivery to our troops is a big part of the subject.

I don't think that came out exactly as intended. :/
 
Trillionsin

Trillionsin

Posts: 1,871   +457
must have something to do with batteries at high altitudes...

Plenty of lithium ion batteries in storage and never a problem. At least 100 laptops, not to mention all the other electronic devices listed by USPS. Worst problem we get is the battery is completely dead because of a complete discharge over time, some sit for a long time, others only a month or two.
 
captaincranky

captaincranky

Posts: 16,066   +4,866
cliffordcooley said:
I didn't stray from the topic. I don't see delivery to our troops as an issue when it's my opinion our troops should be at home. Don't tell me I'm off topic, when delivery to our troops is a big part of the subject.

I don't think that came out exactly as intended. :/
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Well, the government has a massive fleet of cargo aircraft, funded by the taxpayers. If the issue is our military will have to do without their comfort devices, then the logistics need to shift to transporting those devices in military planes.

I do think the troops being brought home because they can't get their rechargeable batteries is a bit flimsy.

The most ironic part of having an all volunteer army, is how everybody complains when they're deployed. I thought that's what armies did, fight. Do you just sign up, and pray there's no conflict until you have your 30 years of service? Wasn't possible war in the recruitment brochure?

Using the same logic, I'm going to apply for a job as a trash man, then complain when they put me on the truck, and expect me to pick up trash. I though they'd let me sit in the break room for 30 years.

That's awful isn't it? I'm jus' kiddin'! I know the truth is a much brighter picture. We need a military so we can have airshows and parades.
 
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