Anyone who sends a parcel also wants it to arrive intact and as quickly as possible. What do you need to be aware of when sending parcels with a parcel service provider?

This is important before shipment

The individual parcel service providers have different prices, whereby some offers can be very expensive if you do not compare. Especially if you frequently have large parcels picked up, postage can differ by up to two euros depending on the provider. This is certainly not a problem in an individual case, but the differences are clear when you send your parcels regularly.

Some service providers offer up to three delivery attempts, others give up on the first unsuccessful attempt. The parcel then arrives at a branch or shop or is returned to the sender. Annoying, impractical and cost-intensive!

Important tips: Compare the price offers of the individual parcel service providers and consider the different sizes and weight limits. The delivery conditions are also important.

Parcel or parcel?

Before applying the postage, you must know whether you have packed a parcel or parcel. The latter is cheaper than the parcel, but not all parcel service providers include the tracking service. Shipping from US to Singapore, the insurance for some parcels is only 50 euros, so in the event of loss or damage to the contents you can expect only a small refund, which in some cases does not even correspond to the value of the contents.

In the case of a parcel, you will be given a consignment number which will help you to find out where the parcel is at the moment and when it is expected to arrive at the recipient. The parcel service usually insures parcels up to 500 euros, sometimes even insurance sums of up to 750 euros are possible. If the contents exceed this value, an additional insurance is possible with some service providers. Possibly also another kind of dispatch comes into question.

Are packaging artists in demand?

As a rule, a parcel is not handled very carefully and has to withstand some hardships. It is thrown and stacked, sorted over a conveyor belt and slides. It is loaded into a delivery vehicle in which it may slip back and forth due to a lack of sufficient securing. The parcel services state that shipments must survive a fall from a height of 80 cm – so the right packaging is essential when you prepare the parcel or parcel for its long journey.

It is therefore important that the packaging size matches the contents: Use the smallest size, otherwise the contents will slip around too easily. There should also be enough room for upholstery, around five centimetres is enough. Bubble wrap and packaging chips are the better alternative to newsprint, which has a less shock-absorbing effect and simply presses into the paper in the event of a fall.

Important tip for parcels delivered intact: Do not always return everything in its original carton, because electronic devices in particular often arrive as pallet goods and do not have to withstand heavy loads during transport. These boxes are not made for return, because the packaging cannot withstand any stresses.

Tips and tricks for sending parcels:

Suitable parcel

The dimensions of the package should match the contents. The contents will be transported more safely and you will not pay unnecessarily much money than postage.

Note insurances

As already mentioned, parcels and packages have different levels of insurance. If you damage the contents (package not properly packed), you will not receive any compensation.

Pay attention to bulky goods

Some of them are already small packages that are considered bulky goods. This is always the case if they do not correspond to the standard dimensions and are not rectangular or square. These packages cannot be transported with a conveyor belt and must be handled manually. Since the costs for bulky goods are higher, however, you should place them in a larger carton, which in turn is not considered bulky goods.

Proper delivery of parcels

Most parcel services not only deliver to the recipient, but also reserve the right to deliver a replacement. This then goes to neighbours, which can be quite practical. You get your parcel, the parcel carrier doesn’t have to come back again. However, no neighbour is obliged to accept the parcel, but if he accepts it, he must handle it carefully.

Anyone who handles the parcel too carelessly will soon have to be instructed otherwise, because from the moment the signature is signed, the neighbour may be liable for ensuring that the parcel is not taken away.

If you find a notice in your mailbox to pick up your parcel at a shop or branch, you will usually have between seven and ten days to pick it up. Saturday is also a working day and counts! When you pick up the goods, you have to prove your identity, which also applies to the person who has received a power of attorney from you to pick up the goods. You can fill out this power of attorney directly on the consignment notification form.