Shipment of a/express multimeters returned by China customs due to magnets.

[sleemanj]

This is a new one on me!

Tony Yu: hello, your parcel was returned by customs cause it included magnet, we re-send you a new parcel removed magnet. new tracking number

this purchase in question was of six RM113D multimeters, which have a magnetic, err, magnet, on the back of them for sticking to stuff (or picking up crud on your bench more likely), not like some massive neodym monstrosity capable of throwing out of what the entirity of an airliner's navigational system.

While I don't care that they don't have magnets, I hope (probably in vain) that "removed magnet" means "replaced the holster with a non-magnet one" rather than "ripped the magnets out and now there is a big hole where they were".

Sigh.  Not having much luck with multimeter from Aliexpress lately, a set of 5 got lost in the post last month legitimately, somewhere between Auckland Airport and Christchurch they vanished, 2 lots before that the seller never sent them (usual tracking number no work)....

[soldar]

New Zealand does not allow magnets in the mail? That's weird.

[donotdespisethesnake]

Seems more likely they removed the battery and translated it wrongly.

[sleemanj]

New Zealand does not allow magnets in the mail? That's weird.

It will be China customs, given the timing it wouldn't have hit NZ yet. 

But that said, yes NZ Post technically does not allow magnets of any size, technically.  It's not like they have magnetometers scanning parcels looking for every fridge magnet or clasp though.

Seems more likely they removed the battery and translated it wrongly.

Unlikely, I've never had a multimeter out of china (or anywhere) supplied with batteries, and even if so it would only be some crappy zinc-carbon or something.

[Nusa]

Seems a bit strange. I've actually ordered a stack of neodymium magnets before from Aliexpress without issues. Other than about 3 inches of padding on all sides, packaging was typical for china packages -- plastic mailing pouch.

[soldar]

Yes, I've never heard of magnets not being allowed in the mail and, while I have never ordered any, I do know someone who has.

OTOH, detectors are getting to the point where you can't hide anything.

In my last visit to China I took a very small Lion battery from a camera. The battery was totally spent and no good any more but I wanted to see if I could find a replacement in China. I put it in a pocket in the suitcase and totally forgot about it.

On the return trip, when I arrived back in Europe and opened my suitcase I found a nice note by the nice police of China explaining they had opened my suitcase to remove some prohibited battery.  I had totally forgotten about the battery and it took me a while to figure it out but it seems they have some scanner which detects these batteries and they went directly for the battery I had totally forgotten.

They have scanners that can detect explosives, vegetables, meat, different metals, etc. It is amazing how technology advances these days.

[amyk]

I suspect they are prohibited because they'll stick to the processing equipment or other packages. In fact, that's probably what happened and caused them to be returned.

[soldar]

Some foam packaging should take care of that.

[MT]

Ali page:

please note that the magnet was forbid by china post,we have got too much package returns back from custom
so we can't send with magnet anymore especially for Belrus, and Europe, the magnet doesn't influence the multimeter use,so please kindly understand our difficults.

[tszaboo]

I suspect they are prohibited because they'll stick to the processing equipment or other packages. In fact, that's probably what happened and caused them to be returned.

Yes, that must have happened several times. I also ordered magnets (for 3d printed parts), I'm quite sure they are just going in circles in a mail sorting machine forever.

[MT]

The shirt less Aliexpress guy is looking for your package to be delivered on time!

[chickenHeadKnob]

@MT lol,

When I was a young man I worked at Air Canada Cargo for a while .. I thought that place was f-upped.