Prohibited Items and Parcel Packaging Requirements

Part 1 - Prohibited Items List

While we’d love to accept every parcel for delivery through our network, we are serious about ensuring the safety of both your parcels, and our people. We therefore restrict the sending of certain Prohibited Items.

You should never send a Prohibited Item through our network. However, in the event that you do:

• we take no responsibility for the handling of that item and will in no circumstances be liable for any loss, damage or destruction of that item; and
• you will be fully responsible and shall compensate us in full for any liability, cost, damage or expense incurred by us as a result of handling the Prohibited Item.

Furthermore, where a Prohibited Item is delivered into our network we reserve our right to suspend and/or terminate our services to you.

Where we become aware of a Parcel which does not comply with our Parcel & Packaging Requirements, or which contains a Prohibited Item, we also reserve the right to (at our discretion): (a) open such Parcel for examination; (b) refuse to handle such Parcel; (c) accept such Parcel for handling provided that we shall not be responsible or liable in any way for handling of your Parcel; and / or (d) destroy or dispose of your Parcel without liability. We will endeavour to contact you wherever we have taken such action.

Our list of Prohibited Items is set out below. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these in full before using any InPost Service.

As a reminder, we limit our liability to the lower of the cost value of the items within your Parcel or £20.00. When you use our services, you acknowledge that any Parcel containing items above this value is sent at your own risk. Any Parcel worth over £250 GBP can only be sent with our express written permission.

If you have any questions, or are in any doubt, please contact [email protected].

Cash and other items conveying value:

Prohibited

Money, currency, cash or cash equivalents, or any items of any kind purporting to convey value or which can be exchanged by themselves or with any other item for money, goods or services (including pre-paid items, cheques, postal orders, coupons, vouchers, tokens, bonds, bearer securities or stamps).

Banderols and tax stickers.

Valuable, sentimental or delicate items:

Prohibited

• Items worth above £250.00.
• Bullion of any precious metal.
• Loose precious stones.
• Art, furniture, jewellery (including costume), diamonds, gemstones or other precious stones (or items incorporating them), watches, antiques, heirlooms, or items of sentimental value or nature.
• Precious metals of any kind (or any item containing such metal).
• Fragile Items.- Fossils, resin, amber, marble, stoneware or any stone derivative (in each case including composites).
• Cameras, lenses, glasses and optical equipment (including telescopes or binoculars).
• Items made of (or containing): glass, ceramic, crystal, porcelain, plaster, china, stone, slate, resin, granite or concrete.

Unique or important items:

• Prohibited
• Tickets (including those for travel and events)
• SIM Cards
• Musical instruments, memorabilia and other unique items
• Important documentation (including medical, identification, employment, property or commercial records or negotiable documents of any kind)

Electronics and lightbulbs:

Prohibited

• Batteries (loose or included with an item)
• Items containing electronic components such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, computers, game consoles, TV’s and monitors.
• Light equipment and light bulbs.

Items which do not comply with our dimension and packaging requirements:

Prohibited

• Items that do not conform to our Parcel & Packaging Requirements (See Part 2).- Items that may cause parcels to be wet, leak or to emit an odour of any kind.
• Vehicle parts.
• Parcels bearing words, marks, or designs which are unauthorised and which may reasonably lead the recipient to believe that such parcel has been sent on Her Majesty’s Service.
• Badly packaged items or items strapped together (as opposed to being in the same Parcel).

Liquids and gasses:

Prohibited

• Gasses of any kind whether or not contained in a pressurised container (including flammable gas, toxic gas and non-flammable / non-toxic gasses).
• Liquids of any kind (including gels, pastes, lotions, oils, solvents, paints, inks, perfumes varnishes and enamel) or items containing liquids.

Explosive and flammable materials:

Prohibited

• Inflammable (flammable) or incendiary materials, explosives or explosive material, in each case of any kind (including fireworks, perfumes and aftershaves).
• Combustible, toxic, poisonous, infectious, magnetic, radioactive, pressurised or pathogenic materials:

Prohibited

• Pressurised containers (including aerosols, oxygen tanks or fire extinguishers).
• Oxidising substances and organic peroxides (such as disinfectants) which may cause or contribute to the combustion of other substances (including Bromides, Chlorates, components of fibreglass repair kits; disinfectants; nitrates; Per Chlorates; Permanganates and Peroxides).
• Pathogens which can cause disease (including clinical, environmental, and medical waste, Ebola and Anthrax).
• Poisonous, toxic and infectious substances (including Arsenic; Beryllium; Cyanide; Fluorine; Hydrogen Selenide. Substances containing micro-organisms or their toxins which are known to cause, or are suspected of causing, disease, death or injury if not handled with special care including: Mercury, Mercury Salts, Mustard Gas, Nitrobenzene, Nitrogen Dioxide, Pesticides, Serum and Vaccines).
• Radioactive material and samples that are classified as radioactive using Table 2–12 of the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organisations’ (ICAO) Technical Instruction (including fissile material, (Uranium 235, etc), radioactive waste material, Thorium or Uranium Ores).
• Corrosive materials.
• Magnetised material.
• Pesticides.

Illegal, sensitive or age restricted items:

Prohibited

• Dangerous goods of any kind that may cause harm or damage and those which are categorised as dangerous and hazardous under applicable law or regulation (including the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) as revised or reissued from time to time).
• Goods made in foreign prisons.- Counterfeit or contraband material of any kind.
• Illegal items of any kind.
• Furs or items containing fur.
• Materials of any kind where availability is restricted by law to persons over a certain age (including DVDs, videos, video games).
• Lottery tickets, scratch cards or similar items which facilitate gambling of any kind.
• Items requiring a special licence or permit for transport (including waste items).
• Tobacco products and smoking paraphernalia (including e-cigarettes or similar).
• Teeth whitening products.
• Pornography or obscene, defamatory, blasphemous, scandalous, or other indecent material.

Medical items:

Prohibited

• Drugs (whether medicinal, narcotic or psychoactive).
• Medical samples including bodily fluids and tissue samples (both animal and human).

Weapons:

Prohibited

• Firearms, weapons, explosives, ammunition and items whose specific functionality is to inflict injury or to cause death or any part of such items (including in each case imitation or replica items).
• Knives, axes or any other item which has a blade, or which is sharply pointed and is made or could be adapted for use for causing injury to the person (including gardening and household tools).

Food, drink and perishable items:

Prohibited

• Alcohol and drinks (including water or ice in any form
• Perishable items (including foodstuffs)
• Non-perishable foodstuffs
• Kitchen appliances and white goods.

Human, animal and plant parts:

Prohibited

• Living creatures of any kind (including animals, birds, fishes, reptiles or insects).
• Human or animal remains (or any part thereof) or ashes.
• Animal skins, ivory or products containing ivory.
• Plants
• Seeds, flowers and plant derivatives or products.

Marked items:

Prohibited

Any other item marked with any of the following labels (or combination of them) are Prohibited:

Part 2 - Parcel & Packaging Requirements

1. Parcel Requirements

Parcels must conform to the InPost size, dimension and weight limits. The maximum dimension is 410mm x 380mm x 640mm and the maximum weight is 15kg.

2. Packaging Requirements

High quality packaging

Consider strength, cushioning, and durability when choosing your packaging; polystyrene chips, polyethylene foam, bubble plastic, crumpled aircushions or shredded paper.

Corrugated cardboard

Choose boxes made of corrugated cardboard, with good quality outer liners. Use heavy-duty double-layered board for valuable items.

Strapping

Use strapping, when suitable, as a good way to seal and secure your box.

Strong tape

Use strong tape if a strapping machine is not available.

Jiffy bags

Remember always to pack small items in Jiffy Bags.

Triangular tubes

Use triangular tubes, not round tube-type cylinders, to pack rolled plans, maps and blueprints.

Remove labels

When re-using a box, remove all labels and stickers.

Use dividers

Always use cardboard dividers when sending flat, fragile material (such as vinyl records).

Attractive packaging

Don't send goods sold in attractive packaging as they may not be suitable for shipping.

Badly packaged

Don't use substandard or damaged cartons. Ensure that the box is in good shape and not worn out.

Label as fragile instead of careful packing

Don't consider "Fragile" and "Handle with care" labels as a substitute for careful packaging. They are only appropriate for information purposes.

Circular tubes

Don't use circular tubes for rolled papers as they will roll around making them more difficult to pack and ship than triangular mailing tubes.

Don't allow contents to move

Choose the appropriate size of packaging for the items you are sending. Under-filled boxes are likely to collapse; overloaded ones may burst.

Cloth or fabric bags

To ensure your items are adequately protected - don't use bags made of fabric or cloth.

Resend parcel without removing old labels

Don't reuse old packaging without removing all previous labels and stickers.