Whether you are mailing a crucial document to someone or sending a precious gift to your friend via courier, you need to ensure that the item safely reaches the destination. While the shipping companies take several measures to ship your valuables safely from one place to another, you cannot always leave everything to them. Here are some useful tips that can help you secure expensive items while shipping.
- Choose better packaging materials:
Unless your stuff qualifies as an expensive item, the shipping companies are going to treat it like a regular courier. Even if you are shipping a high-value item, choosing a better packaging material will give it an extra layer of protection. There are plenty of quality shipping boxes available in the market. You can also choose superflat letter boxes if you are shipping any document of flat items like a laptop or tablet.
- Get insurance for shipping:
Small package insurance is highly recommended for delivery, especially when it is a high-value item. In case something goes wrong, insurance can help you recover the value of the item. Since you do not know how the shipping company is going to handle your items, it is better to have insurance than to have regrets later. Insurance may not guarantee safe delivery of the item, but you can certainly claim the insured value if any damage occurs to the item.
- Track and confirm each shipment:
When you ship a high-value item, you get a tracking number. You can use the number to track the package in real-time. If you see any unusual activity, you can contact the shipping company and inquire about your package. As you track every phase of the package delivery process, you can locate exactly where the mistake happened. It will help a lot if the package is lost during transit.
- Choose a secure delivery service:
When you are shipping expensive items, you should consider a shipping company that treats your package with care. A quality delivery service will ensure that the item is shipped in the most timely and reliable manner. While these services may cost a bit more than usual, they often offer excellent insurance for shipping your valuables. You can also go for the ones that have a reputation for quality delivery services.
- Label the package wisely:
A lot of people label their packages specifying what they contain. If you label the package as gold, jewellery, watches, etc., there is a high chance that it may get stolen during the shipping process. There are other ways to inform the shipping company that it is a high-value item. You can label fragile on the package if the item can get easily damaged. However, specifying the items should be avoided at all costs.
- Insist on signature upon delivery:
To ensure your package is delivered to the right person, it is important that you opt for the signature-upon-delivery feature. The delivery person will have to get a signature from the recipient while delivering the package to the person. If your shipping company charges extra for the feature, you should still opt for the feature, as it reduces the chances of theft.
- Follow the guidelines of the carriers:
You need to be aware of the guidelines and regulations of the carriers if you want your insurance claims to be accepted. Go through the complete list of guidelines – starting from packaging to labelling rules. If you have insurance and your item gets damaged during the transit, your claim may get denied if you do not follow the carrier’s guidelines. You can also get in touch with the shipping company to learn about the carrier guidelines.
Conclusion
If you follow the tips mentioned above, you will be able to securely ship your valuable items. While the chances of getting your item stolen or damaged are significantly high, these measures will at least ensure that you get compensation for such inefficiencies.
