What we carry, and what we won’t.
Every carrier has limits. Ours are set by law, by our insurers and by what we can document honestly. Knowing them before you book saves a refused collection.
Routine consignments
These make up the bulk of our work and need nothing beyond a standard survey and quote.
Bullion & precious metals
Bars, coins, granules and scrap, with weight and assay verification at both ends.
Diamonds & gemstones
Polished, rough and mounted stones, in sealed parcels between trading centres and laboratories.
Jewellery & watches
Retail stock, repairs, returns, trade-fair inventory and individual pieces.
Fine art & antiques
Paintings, works on paper, sculpture, furniture and collectibles with condition reporting.
Confidential documents
Deeds, bearer instruments, wills, contracts, evidence bundles and corporate archives.
Collections & memorabilia
Coins, stamps, rare books, wine, instruments and sporting memorabilia.
Accepted with conditions
We will carry these, but they need extra paperwork, extra lead time, or both. Tell us at enquiry rather than at collection.
- Cash and bearer instruments — subject to source-of-funds checks and, above threshold, declaration to customs on cross-border movements.
- Cultural property and antiquities — requires export licensing and provenance documentation before we will accept the booking.
- Items containing lithium batteries — watches, devices and instruments are carried under dangerous-goods rules and cannot go by every routing.
- Firearms, militaria and edged weapons — only with valid licences and only on routes where they are lawful at both ends.
- Ivory, tortoiseshell and protected species material — CITES documentation required; many pieces are simply not movable across borders.
- Wine and spirits — duty status affects routing and storage; bonded movement may be required.
- Items over 50kg or oversized crates — need a site survey for access, lifting and vehicle suitability.
Tell us early
Almost all of these are workable with notice. Discovered at the door, they mean a refused collection and a wasted day for both of us.
Not accepted
These are refused regardless of value, relationship or urgency.
- Anything unlawful to possess or move in either jurisdiction
- Controlled drugs and precursor chemicals
- Explosives, ammunition, flammable gases and corrosive substances
- Live animals, human remains and perishable biological material
- Items whose ownership we cannot establish, or where the sender declines a source-of-funds check
- Consignments we are asked not to document, or to document inaccurately
- Items where the named recipient cannot or will not be identified before collection
Unsure about an item?
Ask before you book. A two-minute call is cheaper than a refused collection.