Silly question but...

[mr.mojorisin]

by turning a post 90 degrees you are, in theory, making it a beam

[Peripatetic Phil]

by turning a post 90 degrees you are, in theory, making it a beam

So I could return it to Tate Fencing under the Trade Description Act, then ("not as described") ?  I can't help feeling that they must have an enormous number of such returns, then, since almost everyone I see collecting fence posts from them lays them flat for transport ...

** Phil.

[mr.mojorisin]

do not feed the trolls ?

you have bought a post, if you use it as a beam that is up to you.

if you cut it up and use it as firewood, that is up to you

you still bought a post.

pedantic or what

[Garp]

Definition of a post :

a long, sturdy piece of timber or metal set upright in the ground and used as a support or marker.

So, I would say that when Phil goes to Tate Fencing, he is simply buying three pieces of wood - they don't actually become 'posts' until they are set upright in the ground.

Can't beat a good pointless debate

[Les]

And just to add some more useless info to this pointless conversation

beam,
a long, sturdy piece of squared timber or metal used to support the roof or floor of a building.
(not my words)

Les

[Gav Iscon]

A post doesn't have to be set in the ground either but it is vertical.

[Garp]

A post doesn't have to be set in the ground either but it is vertical.

I'll let you take that one up with the Oxford English Dictionary, Gav

[Gav Iscon]

Building Construction. Queen Post Truss and King Post Truss roof construction. 

(Knew that would come in handy one day)

[Peripatetic Phil]

What a wicked way to waste a wet Sunday
** Phil.

[Garp]

It's not wasted, Phil.

I just wrote a nice sketch where you went into Tate Fencing and confused them totally (tried to post it and lost it). Can't be arsed doing it again but it ended with "Fork 'andles"