Check transport restrictions
Restricted goods are the one area where a good budget can still fail at the door. Rules depend on the item, the packing, the service and the destination, and they change — so the only honest record is one with a source and a date.
Categories worth checking
Perfume and aftershave, aerosols, nail products, alcohol-based liquids, lighters, loose lithium batteries and devices with batteries fitted, plus anything magnetic or pressurised. Add food, plants and cosmetics if the destination has specific rules. None of these is automatically refused — but none is automatically accepted either.
Packing matters too. A bottle needs enough absorbent material and a sealed outer bag to be considered for carriage at all, and that requirement usually comes from the carrier rather than the seller.
A verification record
One row per item under review. Status values are deliberately simple: confirmed, refused, or not checked.
| Item | Category | Packing | Status | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau de parfum, 50 ml | Liquid, alcohol-based | Sealed bag, absorbent wrap | Not checked | Carrier page — to read |
| Leather bag | General goods | Boxed | Confirmed by general rules | Carrier A–Z list, 22 Oct 2026 |
| Watch with button cell | Battery fitted | Original box | Not checked | Ask carrier — to read |
| Aerosol deodorant | Pressurised | — | Refused for this example | Carrier restrictions, 22 Oct 2026 |
Where to verify
Read the carrier's restricted-goods list for the specific service, then the destination's own customs or import guidance for the category. Where the two disagree, the stricter rule wins in practice. Record the exact page title, the section, and the date — a link alone is not enough if the page changes.
Check before you pay
A restricted item discovered after payment is an expensive conversation. Check before ordering, and if the answer is a refusal, remove the item from the budget rather than planning around an exception. Keep the delivery figure consistent with the quote record, adjust the parcel in packing decisions, and confirm the address in the delivery checklist. Then update totals on the hipobuy spreadsheet home page.
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