Battery shipping issues again!

I’ve been trying to order some 14500s from FastTech, and having the order form constantly choke before I could pay.

After some to-and-fro with their help line, I learn they can no longer ship batteries to Canada (at least). Has anyone else encountered a similar problem? Is it only Canada?

Oops! Now I found this……it looks like we’re SOL.

Due to new airline safety regulations announced by the ICAO, pure power products (e.g. Batteries, Power Banks) are currently not allowed to be shipped by Airline service with the exception of the following 18 countries:
Ireland, Austria, Poland, Denmark, France, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Slovakia, Spain, Hungary, Italy,United Kingdom, Netherlands, Russia
Please note that any purchases for such items from countries other than these will be cancelled.

Same problems with shipping to Israel. About 2 months ago I found Banggod stopped shipping any batteries. So I ordered several times from Gearbest without problems, but my last order contains 2x LiitoKala 26650 got this CS message:
“We extremely sorry for not deliver the package to you yet.

We are sorry to inform that we can not ship battery or power bank out due to shipping policy. There is no shipping method can ship battery or power bank out. ”

Same problem to Singapore

Hmm that is not nice.
Included in a device it is no problem right?
So place your bets who will offer ultra cheap flashlights as cases to be able to ship cells?
1 super cheap led, a single low mode driver in a twisty housing in 2*26650 size should do 4*16340 to 2*26650 cells and conform to regulation right?

I ordered some batteries last week from Gearbest and as far as I know they shipping out. At least I got an email saying they did and a tracking number.

Same thing in Finland. At least Banggood and Gearbest try to ship them but (LiIon) batteries and powerbanks don’t always arrive here. Also almost all German and British Amazon retailers have stopped shipping batteries here.

Just received 8 HG2 18650 cells from Gearbest yesterday. Checked the packing after seeing this post. Looks like the Declarations list the batteries as “Electronics fittings”. Each set of 4 came in a plastic case, in a plastic bag. There were a few more spare cases I bought and a couple 3XAAA COB work lights. No additional packing materials & order shipped in a plastic bubble bag.

Package has not been opened by customs that I can tell. Plastic cases survived without opening.
Not sure of USA status on the airline regulation of lithium batteries here but mine shipped and arrived.

Hope quality, reasonably priced, local sources can be found for restricted countries.

I have trouble with FastTech. I find what I want and go to check out where they ask for my address in and endless tape loop. (I live in the U.S.).

I have had no problem with GearBest.

I’ve had similar problems on some sites with Chrome when using an ad blocker (ublock origin). When in incognito mode everything works fine.

Same problem to Uruguay
Until last week Gearbest still sent, but now none

+1

Thank you.

I received a message last night from FastTech saying basically ‘sorry, we can no longer ship batteries to your country, we’re looking for another way’.

There will no doubt be a solution - that will involve a hefty cost increase to the consumer. We already have a ‘dangerous goods’ shipping restriction in Canada, whereby the same goods, in the same package, on the same carrier magically become safe if a $50 ‘dangerous goods’ fee is applied.

The airlines have probably stumbled across a way to pick up a few bucks. They’ll sell ICAO packaging, or stickers or something and we’ll all be safe again. :wink:

If you don’t mind paying a little more, local vape shops offer 18650 and other batteries. Just search your area for websites from vape shops.

Ordered NCRs a couple of weeks ago from GB. Order shipped out and has tracked leaving China. I hope it gets here. :frowning:

Yes, I’ve been through the local vape shops; those around here have a handful of low end no-name 18650s (and the odd unbranded 26650) but no 14500s. I’m in good shape for everything but 14500s.

Maybe if you contact a rep here on BLF and let them put the cells you want in the cheapest lights that holds them (+ piece of tape for protection) and label it flashlight is could be done?

From my several gearbest cell orders over the past year it appears they never correctly list the contents as lithium cells/batteries. A couple of times they called them chargers. That’s how they circumvent the regulations that folks like fasttech honor. That does bother me a little.

I was told by banggod yesterday that a battery order made July 12 could not be delivered.

The ones still shipping are misrepresenting the cells or shipping them installed in their respective devices which so far is still allowed. My last cells from China were from a year ago and were routed through Sweeden. There’s a huge push from pilots and aircrews to keep them off their planes, and given what we’ve recently seen with hoverboards the public has joined in so things won’t be getting better until the Chinese mega-stores arrange for non-air shipping. Which will probably mean at least a month wait for delivery to the US and western EU customers.

I’m ordering a batch of 30Q’s tomorrow if I can find someone who will not just cancel my order- wish me luck!

Phil

Been searching for 16340 for my OTR M3 but no luck :frowning:
Stuck with only one battery…impossible to find one in my country.