My guess is that they assume that since a ampule is glass and contains a substance, that it is no different than a vacuum tube. I'm wonder how many of these people think $2 bills are also counterfeit.
We are talking people making rules about things that they know nothing about and they don't care.
My guess is that it might have something to do with The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive 2002/95/EC. As this applies to electronics, and there are many items that do not comply with this, and the best thing I can think of is the exemptions to this directive in regards to electronic parts.
There probably are some ways around this particular carrier, and I would assume so as I do occasionally order parts from Russia, Poland, and many other former eastern block countries to get Nixie and other electronic parts.
There no tubes made in the USA currently, new tubes come from either China or Europe where they are still being made. Perhaps some countries have bans on items that are not compliant. To me personally I see no risk even if they are coated with lead as I don't cook food with them and I don't have any children in the household. The only risk with lead and other materials is when people handle them and do not wash their hands before eating.
Also if these same rules were applied to people there would be discrimination lawsuits, as mercury vapor rectifier tubes have mercury in them, and since they are a tube that is saying all tubes are mercury vapor rectifier tubes when that is clearly not the case. It would be no different if someone were to say one human is a terrorist so we had to lock them away, and since one was a terrorist all are terrorists... That is the same logic that is clearly false. It is also goes along with saying that all people of the same color look alike... They probably think that also, however I personally know that is not the case.
It is clearly a case where people are too lazy to use their brain to think or know the difference between one item and another. As such they make others suffer for their unwillingness to use their brains for something other than cause problems to other people. The best way to deal with such people is to not do business with them and find other ways of doing business. That way you and your customers will be happy.
BTW the only times that I personally have had a problem is when items either were not sent or they were blocked before they could be sent. Then locally I have a problem with carriers from time to time, as they look for excuses not to deliver the mail such as the name of the street and the number on the street are reversed... That was the last one... Also often incomplete information is entered into the postal system, and the information is wrong. Such as mixing up a postal zone in Germany of the sender with the zip code of the recipient in the USA.
