Some items are pickup-only, and it is rarely the seller being awkward. A courier can refuse a parcel that is perfectly legal to send.
What couriers commonly refuse
- Liquids of many kinds, and anything that could leak
- Aerosols and pressurised containers
- Batteries, especially loose ones
- Anything flammable — solvents, some paints, lighters
- Perishables, or anything needing to stay cold
- Blades, depending on the carrier
- Very large or heavy things, beyond a parcel network's limits
A refusal list is longer than the law's, and it differs by carrier.
What is awkward rather than refused
Bulky but light things — lampshades, cushions, boxed items. They can be posted; they cost a great deal because a courier charges for the space. A seller may offer pickup simply because the delivery price would be absurd. Why does a big light box cost so much to send?
Fragile things. Pottery, glass, framed work. Postable with enough packing, and pickup removes the risk entirely.
Furniture, where your own courier is usually the answer. Sending your own courier or driver
What is not allowed at all
Different question. Some things cannot be sold here regardless of how they would travel. Prohibited items explained
If you want it and cannot collect
Ask. A store may post something they have marked pickup-only if you are willing to pay properly for the packing and the carriage.
Arrange your own courier, where the store allows it. You pick the carrier and the journey is yours. Sending your own courier or driver
Ask whether they deliver locally themselves. Plenty do, and it is often cheaper and safer than a courier for exactly these items. The four ways an item reaches you
Before you bid
Check how the item can actually reach you, not after you have won it. The delivery method is on the listing, and "I assumed it could be posted" is not a reason to cancel. Five questions worth asking before you bid
For sellers
Mark it pickup-only honestly rather than discovering at the counter that it will not go. A refused parcel costs you the sale, the postage and a mark on your record. How to offer pickup
More: the four ways an item reaches you, what is a pickup point, how to pack an order.