For a lot of people living over seas or with friends and relatives in far off distant lands a trip to the local post office with a parcel, at different times of the year, such as holidays and birthdays, is still a must. But it isn’t just personal deliveries that the post office is used for, many business also continue to use the postal network to send small items and parcels. It may seem like common sense to many that not everything can be sent via post, however there really are cases where common sense has left the building, as these examples will show you. To make life easy for you we have put together a simple short list of Three Benign Items You Should Never Send By Post.
1. Money Bank Drafts and Vouchers
Paper money, bank drafts and vouchers are light, small and thin enough to easily pop into a celebration card or letter, however if you want your intended recipient to have the benefit of these items then it is highly advised that you find an alternative way of sending them. With all the best will in the world the vast majority of people who work in postal services are trustworthy and professional and would never dream of stealing valuable items sent via the service. That said there are always exceptions to rule. and it is not highly uncommon that money or items that have a cash value never arrive at their intended destination.
2. Toner and Ink Cartridges.
These seem like very plausible items to send via post, they are small and light and do not seem to pose any threat, so what is the reason? Unfortunately there was a bomb plot back in October 2010 which involved the use of ink cartridges, which has resulted in increased security around these innocuous items. If you attempt to send ink cartridges overseas and simply decide to not inform your post office then expect your parcel to be returned undelivered as the item will not pass the airport security check.
3. Toy Guns
Its little Johnnys birthday and he is just mad about cops and robbers, you desperately want to send him on the amazing toy gun you just saw in your local toy shop… well don’t do it, it won’t make it there and little Johnny will think you forgot all about him. Toy and replica gun manufacturers have become exceptionally effective at precisely cloning the real thing, which in some cases have lead to real life tragedies. When parcels containing toy or replica guns go through scanners it is practically impossible to determine if they are real or fake and so for this very serious reason sending these items via the postal system are prohibited. For more information on the legalities of firearms and firearm replicas in Ireland visit the Department of Justice website.
For more information on what can and cannot be sent via An Post please visit their website.