Without question, ensuring your parcel arrives safely at its destination is the priority when shipping items.
Whether you’re a small business needing to ship and distribute products throughout the world, or if you’re an individual sending a gift to a loved one – you want to make sure that the parcel arrives safe and sound. As the sender, it’s your responsibility to complete all of these necessary checks before handing your item over to a courier.
At NI Parcels, we know a thing or two about shipping packages all across the globe. So we’re here to shed a light on how you can do all that you can to ensure your parcel arrives safely.
6 Tips To Ensure Your Parcel Arrives Safely
1. Secure packaging.
Securely packaging your parcel for transit is absolutely vital. It’s important to take into consideration the many stages of transit that your item will go through on its journey – it will be sorted by machines and loaded on to a van for delivery alongside dozens of other items, big and small.
Although damage to your item is extremely unlikely when you choose to send it with a reputable courier (like our providers) it’s still a good idea to take extra precaution, for that extra peace of mind.
We always advise our customers to send items in strong, double-walled cardboard boxes as these are sturdy and less likely to collapse, tear or open under pressure. You can read more of our tips on how to properly package your parcel on our blog: How To Properly Package A Parcel – 8 Expert Tips.
2. Attach labels securely.
Once you’ve got your item all packaged up, it’s important to make sure that your shipping labels are securely fastened on to the item. You don’t want to risk these labels coming off, as this could cause problems during transit and may result in the item being severely delayed or even lost. Place the labels inside a poly-pocket and secure them with packaging tape.
3. Do not send prohibited items.
One very important factor in shipping parcels is ensuring that your items can be carried on the service. Particularly when you are sending items overseas, as every country has different rules and regulations about what can and cannot be imported. Sending items that are restricted or prohibited can cause all sorts of problems with your shipment, and may result in packages being refused at the point of collection, returned to the sender, or even destroyed.
Most couriers will have a list of these items that are easy to view. If you need to take a look at our list, you can find it on the NI Parcels website here.
4. Take compensation cover.
Following on from that, if your courier provides a form of compensation cover (most do), be sure to take it to make that extra step in protecting your parcel against damage or loss.
Again, before booking your compensation cover, it’s so important to read through that list of prohibited and no-compensation items to ensure the items you are sending will be covered.
At NI Parcels, we provide £50 free compensation cover on every single shipment. This value can be increased right up to £1,000 for a small additional fee during the booking process.
4. Correct address details.
Although it sounds fairly straight-forward to ensure that all of your address details are correct, mistakes can be easily made. Surprisingly, incorrect delivery addresses cause the majority of courier issues. To prevent this, always be sure to double check the address details you are providing.
The format of addresses will vary depending on each country, so if you’re feeling even a little bit unsure, always check with the recipient or try researching the address yourself to make sure it’s absolutely correct before handing it over to the courier.
4. Book with a reputable courier.
Before selecting your courier, do some research to make sure that you’re getting the very best value for your money. Taking the time to find a reputable courier means you have that extra peace of mind knowing that your items will be handled with the utmost of care and will be in safe hands during transit.
At NI Parcels, we work with only the best couriers in the industry to ensure our customers receive the highest quality delivery services. You can see a list of the couriers that we work with here.
5. Online parcel tracking.
It’s always a good idea to send parcels with a reputable courier service that provides online tracking. That way, you’ll be able to monitor the progress of your shipment as it makes its way to its destination and so will be able to see any potential issues for yourself. You’ll also be notified when your item is out for delivery, so you’ll know exactly when to wait in for it.
If you spot any red flags, contact your courier provider immediately and they will be able to offer guidance and help resolve the problem.
At NI Parcels, we provide full online parcel tracking on all of our shipments. And if you happen to have any questions or concerns at any time, we have a dedicated customer support team who can help via phone, email and live chat.
6. Fill in customs documents.
This will apply if you are sending items outside the EU. In this case, you will be legally required to complete customs documents in order to declare the contents and value of the items contained in your parcel. Taking the time and effort to accurately fill in these documents will ensure a smooth process as your item travels through customs clearance. If you do not include these documents or do not fill them in correctly, this can cause serious issues with the shipment and may severely delay the parcel.
At NI Parcels, we will provide you with customs documents if you are sending an item outside of the EU. However, it is always the sender’s responsibility to complete and attach these documents to the item being sent.
So that’s our expert advise on ensuring your parcel arrives safely at its destination. If you still have any questions after reading, please get in touch with us and we’ll always be very happy to help!
New to NI Parcels? Learn more about our low cost courier services…
Learn more:
Parcel Delivery Northern Ireland
