Bump
This is becoming a mute point , the shipping of lithium batteries. There are international laws in place that dictate the shipment and proper procedures for shipping of lithium batteries. These are in addition to ones own countries regulations and individual carriers regulations.
In order to ship these batteries legally the retailer must jump through so many hoops and have proof of documentation proving amount of lithium in cell etc and “that the particular cell” in question is part of those tested.The testing cost alone is $4000.00-5000.00
If any of you are interested in why it is becoming so difficult you only need to go on line and read the UN regualtions , Transportation Regulations IATA in addition to the myriad of conditions from as mentioned individual carriers.
The reason you will not receive the $40.00 gift card is because he is correct! Suppliers are pulling back due to heavy fines that are being handed out. In addition they do not have the necessary paperwork to support the documented tests. This becomes especially true when it comes to “Clone Cells” which simply cannot pass and are the leading problem in terms of failures which is not to say that legit cells are not prone to failure! They to have had their issues as well.
The other fact is these batteries must be shipped as “Dangerous Goods” which in of its self has a higher cost which Vendors are incapable of absorbing. Those doing so are not following the regulations and are not sending the batteries via “Dangerous Goods”
These regulations are having a tremendous effect on the market for the small vendors that already make nothing on the batteries as it is and who cannot afford the cost to properly ship these items in accordance with UN and international dangerous good legislation.
This will only get worse before it gets better in terms of shipping costs! The goal being to buy in bulk with genuine suppliers with document proof of genuine product while paying a dangerous goods surcharge on shipping. The most we can hope for is that the charges come down in price with proper verification of authentic products and proper packaging by vendors of the individual cells that would diminish potential accidents.
Agreed as far as fast shipping goes. I think what will happen next is the Chinese seller’s cheap shipping options will be going to sea-borne carriers where regulations are less stringently enforced (and where they can play the “mislabeled” game all over again :person_facepalming: ). So you’ll either have to pay through the nose or wait months instead of weeks if you can’t afford air-shipping rates.
The good part of this is that will allow local sellers to be more competitive overall. That will help everyone’s local economy where they live which can be only a good thing :+1: Glad I got stocked up before this recent increase!
Phil
As I wrote at my OP, that's not the reason for I've opened this topic.
Besides that I agree -in theory- with you, but:
- What do you mean "he is correct"? Correct in what? Have you seen any answer/opinion of his? I don't remember having seen something.
- Can you (or anybody else) explain what I wrote/quoted at #21? So far I haven't seen any answer... :TIRED:
Anyway, the topic is gone totally off-topic. Nobody (almost) answered to the question that I thought all members would be interested to know: Which of the known online Chinese e-shops still offer Free Batterry Shipping to BLF member's country?
I am assuming that if you can convince Gearbest to offer free shipping on batteries he would provide a $40.00 gift card! My replay was and still is that it will never happen for the reasons given. Those offering free shipping are doing so illegally by adding a false description of what is in the package.
The real question is who has a package that was sent as dangerous goods and labelled lithium batteries in the description “that was not charged”? That i would say is no one!
The e stores will do this until they are caught and heavily fined or the products get confiscated at the borders and they have to reimburse the buyers. These little e stores do not have the funds to pay heavy fines like amazon just did.
There was reference to the number of batteries being shipped and weight classification for the “type of cells” being shipped which caused a fluctuation in the shipping costs.
Do a search on lithium battery International shipping requirements and UN lithium battery shipping regulations. Then you are welcome to review the transportation shipping requirements from individual carriers on top of it which make it very clear that these procedures /requirements are not being followed by the e stores.
It would be like asking you to send lithium batteries for free up to Canada! Heck one cant get a bic pen sent up to Canada for under $15.00 U.S and that isn”t even Dangerous Goods pricing!
Well, you might be assuming whatever (and you might be right), but once more I repeat that my goal by opening this topic is other:
I'm totally not trying to "treat well" GB in order to get (under strict terms) a $40 gift card. I won't get rich if I get it!
I understand what you're saying, and -as I wrote before- I agree in theory with you (if you follow the link at my OP you'll realize that I've done some reading regarding air-mail shipping legistlation for Li batteries), but "my replay was and still is" that so far I haven't seen any satisfying (or not) explanation regarding what I wrote/quoted at #21.
As I don't like repeating the same over & over again, I don't intend to make further discussion regarding shipping regulations, especially since such a simple question I've made/quoted hasn't been explained -so far- with simple logic.
So... please let's stick to the topic's subject.
Since (last I checked), lithium-ion batteries can be shipped by air inside of consumer products, wouldn’t it be easier to just design a $1.00 5mm LED “disposable” flashlight that 18650s can be shipped inside of? Or even a multi-cell version for bigger orders?
This is what mntelectronics is doing to ship batteries to outside of the US.
FastTech can’t ship batteries to my country.
GearBest can ship, but the cost is too much, IMHO.
Recently I bought 2 pair of batteries on eBay, shipping cost $5.
GB’s CS really ridiculous for me, they can’t figure out what my questions and the answers. I want to know their battery product date before buy. Poor guy.
Same with the other vendor from HK where I ordered my 18650 and 14500 recently. I was like “what??! somebody must have sent me the wrong items” when I first opened my parcel 
Shipping batteries inside cheap disposable shells is a very good idea. :exclamation: I wonder why the rest e-shops (chinese or not) aren’t doing it. It’s been times that I’ve been asking myself if I should buy powerbanks with good 18650s, open them and take their cells. They cost less that way! 
We will be waiting a very long time for this. Its not to long ago some companies started to ship cells inside a case instead of a plastic bag! At this rate we will all be aliens before they decide to ship cells inside a light lol I tried to buy a shaver like a beard trimmer and they are charging extra shipping on that even thought the battery is built in.
I’m not sure, but I think that anyone who’s doing hasn’t heard about good logistics. :weary: I’ve noticed that GB charges extra for shipping (to Greece) a powerbank with built-in cells, when others (e.g. BG) don’t.
Yea weird because if it is a brand name battery bank should be no issues. These items should fall under a different shipping category.
I’m talking about a quality one (Xiaomi 10000mAh). I don’t know what’s it’s shipping cost to AU or wherever elswhere, but it’s extra 9$ to GR if some poor guy buys it from GB. Just think that it’s cost (shipped) was about $12 when I bought it about a year ago…
Yea i want to buy cells now. Its about 10 USD to ship here with GB. Usually i pay for faster shipping but that might be like 4 USD usually.
I understand it sucks! I think its still cheaper to buy from GB even with the extra shipping cost. I use to buy all my cells from fasttech ages ago i think now they are charging close to 8 USD each cell.
4pcs NCR18650B = $9.44
4pcs INR18650 - 30Q = $9.44
4pcs ICR18650 - 28A = $5.13
4pcs ICR18650 - 26FM = $5.13
There is no sense unless they make an extra profit on some cells with shipping cost.
Before that couple months of stop to shipping li ion cells, they send to EU with Post NL at registred mail shipping with cost between 2-3 $…
And I aks them but no one know to answer me, why they stop to send with Post NL, when other sellers and stores and now shipp with Post NL like a Ali stores that you mention and much more others…
Of course I talk about Gearbest.
Noticed. Thanks for the hint!
My 14500 batteries from Banggood shipped free to Germany. When ordering it said “CN Warehouse”, but they where shipped from NL (a P.O. Box in Schledam) per “FlytExpress”, priority, not declared as Li-batteries, the 2 cells lying in 2 separate 4-cell-plastic-hardcases, 9 days door-to-door.
This may in fact be a good idea. If you know about these packs, with cylindrical cells, please post. I’m actually interested in 14500 and 26650 ones, not 18650.
Using LiIon and battery packs is something that intrigues me. I’ve just posted another thread about it, see Shouldn't flashlights use Li-polymer cells?.