shipping Mamiya batteries by air

[menos]

Dear fellow forum members - this is a desperate call for help.

I am currently in the process of shipping a Mamiya ZD DSLR.
Unfortunately the package has been returned Today as rejected by the local transport company as the package includes batteries.

The local officials in charge do not specifically reject batteries included in the package per se, but demand a written proof, that the Li-Ion batteries included with the Mamiya ZD are complying to the latest revision of the Air Transportation Rules regarding batteries (they do, I just need the proof in written form of a test certificate).

Usually the manufacturer issues such a document (likely within the items users manual appendix), but I do not have such with the second hand camera + battery.

Can anybody share their experiences regarding this?
I am now at the point, where I either have to ship the package back without batteries or ship the batteries in a separate package by sea freight (2 month lead time).

The battery in question is:

MAMIYA ZD BA701


Help, please …

 

[Shashin]

Can you contact Mamiya or the manufacturer for a certificate? They should be able to e-mail you a copy.

 

[JohnW.]

Dirk,
I have the ZD user manual in both English and Japanese and there are no details of the battery specification. I also have a new battery with it's instruction sheet and again there are no technical details of the battery.
As suggested contact Mamiya for the information you require.
Mamiya Digital Imaging Co.,Ltd.

 

[ondebanks]

Not an answer but a comment - this Lithium battery transport "safety issue" has grown to stupid levels. I can no longer order AA Lithiums from my usual supplier in the UK, as the Royal Mail has been forced by law to introduce a blanket ban on handling Lithiums of all types - even totally harmless ones that they have been shipping for years!

"Lithium Batteries are classed as dangerous goods by United Nations 3090 legislation and are subject to transport regulations. The Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of Transport have agreed new rules for the Royal Mail and have prohibited deliveries of Lithium Batteries throughout their network. Breaking these rules will be a criminal offence punishable by unlimited fines and prison sentences of up to 2 years."

Ray

 

[gazwas]

UPS are the same.

Unless I was an account holding certified sender of Lithium batteries I could send the camera but not the batteries.......

Are small camera batteries that volatile and could bring down a plane?

 

[Mammy645]

So you can't ship them but you can still travel with them? Makes no sense.

 

[shlomi]

It's very simple.
Use a different shipping company.
Don't declare the batteries.
I think the plane will be alright.

 

[dorigatti]

I live in Holland and B&H in New York just shipped me two Sony NP-F570 Info Lithium batteries and a dual charger (they currently have a great rebate on this item) by UPS (UPS WORLDWIDE SAVER) no problem.
Also, phone companies ship mobile phones with Lithium batteries all the time.

Maybe you can call B&H and ask their shipping policy on this.

 

[gazwas]

UPS's answer is you need to be an account holding, certified company who regularly ships these products. You and me sending them is governed by a different set of regulation.

As far as I'm aware this has nothing to do with the shipping company but is a CAA regulation.

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

I can see the next step at airport security:
- Do you have batteries in that bag, Sir?
- Yes, I'm a photographer, and there are batteries in my camera bag.
- Please drop them in this bomb proof container, Sir. We'll have them destructed in a secure way. Please write down your name, address, phone number, parents' names, political affiliation, religion and shoe number on this form that will be the basis for further investigation. Does that mobile phone contain a battery, Sir...?

 

[menos]

Thank you guys for the suggestions and help!

It really is getting strange now.
Indeed it is not exactly depending on the shipping company used per se but in how strict local officials rule the international safety guidelines for air transportation in regards of batteries.

There is a danger with certain kinds of batteries, if improperly packed or defective.
To prevent this from doing any harm in air transport, strict guidelines have been issued, making it mandatory for the person/ company who intends to have batteries transported to proof their batteries are complying to the guidelines and therefore being harmless.

For batteries manufactured before the date of the latest guideline revision and possibly not complying in manufacturing and licensing to these guidelines you are basically on your own with the governing agencies to produce a proof of comply - think about lab test, certificates, … etc …

Yes, it is getting ridiculous, but of course there is a merit behind all of this.
Basically everybody telling you: we do not ship batteries try to repeal any responsibility of trying and proofing the safety of an unknown to them product from them - again fully understandable.

I gave up on this.

It is not worth the hassle.

I will now see into shipping my broken ZD to Mamiya (yet to find out, how to do this, as the companies structure is less than easily comprehensible (at some point clicking through the corporate websites, you always land on a Japanese only main site).

Basically, I am aiming at sending the body in directly to Mamiya Japan, as to prevent any hassle (and price markup) of any involved party.
I just need the Autofocus fixed and the body CLA'ed for another few years of reliable work - I love the ZD colours so much, even after getting the Leica S2!