As most of you are already aware, the United States Postal Service caved to the International Postal Union who wanted them to stop U.S. residents from being able to ship the upcoming iPhone 5 overseas to their friends and relatives. They site it being due to lithium battery dangers on planes even though no device contained lithium product such as the iPhone has caused problems only a cargo plane incident that had skids of lithium batteries.
This is really about the problem other nations' postal services are having with workers stealing popular Apple products in route to the address. Because most shippers purchase insurance when using USPS Express then when USPS hands it over to the other nations' carriers they become responsible. If the item gets stolen, USPS ends up compensating the shipper then turns to the other carrier (since USPS tracks and knows they handed it off in tact to the other carrier) for reimbursement. Sure, the other nations' carrier ends up firing the employee for the theft after investigation, but due to their low wages, they don't recoup the financial loss.
So, in anticipation of the iPhone 5, the new USPS banned on all products containing lithium batteries with the excuse about plane safety. But, of course they still put them on planes domestically since they know there really isn't a safety issue. In fact, most pilots use iPads as their manuals. Even the U.S. Air Force uses iPads.
And, to really show this ban is about the iPhone 5, USPS even stated they may take away much of the ban in the first part of 2013 (after the Christmas season).
So, my question is: Since most people overseas do not want things delivered UPS or Fed Ex because they get charged a terrible $150 fee to hand the item over to the person, has anyone had success in sending an Apple product overseas to a relative or friend (like U.S. military) recently and still be able to have it insured? Remember, if you lie to USPS about what's in the box, buy insurance, then it gets stolen or lost, they don't have to compensate you since they have the ban in place. Christmas is coming and I've got to find a way to ship electronic items to relatives overseas which may contain lithium batteries (every iPad, iPhone that I know of has this, right?). Help.
