A few days ago I needed to arrange shipping for a package from Ireland to here and in the process of checking a quote on the DPD website I happened to notice their prohibited items list, and one item stood out such that I could not resist posting it here…!
Just in case you thought it was a good idea, no, DPD will not let you ship raw COVID around the place….
Looking further down the list of their prohibited items though, I see that there are no restrictions on other viruses, so go wild sending some H1N1, syphilis or herpes.
In fact the entire list is worth a read. Some items are just hilarious: Bathroom Suites, Livestock, Trees, or Toilets. Can one ship a bathroom suite? Did someone try to ship a cow and they decided they needed to add livestock to their list?
Other things seem like they’re a bit bizarre to restrict: Jewellery, Watch, Vase, Tickets, Turntables. What does one do if you sell a turntable to someone online and need to ship it? What is wrong with shipping a watch? Apart from turntables, I guess these are relatively small items that could have a high value – but surely that’s what shipping insurance and declared value is for?
I do suspect shipping companies get the weirdest of things being shipped, so perhaps this is how lists like this grow.
On a Variety of Topics 