It goes without saying that extreme care should be taken when shipping expensive gifts in the post. It is, unfortunately, rather common for packages to get damaged or go missing in transit, so taking the time to properly plan out every aspect of your shipping journey is highly recommended to avoid any unfortunate incidents.
Read on for a full low down on safely shipping expensive gifts to ensure they arrive on time and in one piece.
Choose Appropriate Packaging
Before you even think about packaging up your gift, take the time to consider your options when it comes to postal packaging. For smaller, flatter gifts such as electronics or rare books, regular cardboard boxes should be chosen that has similar measurements to the item itself. However, unusually shaped or delicate items such as glass homeware or bottles of alcohol should be packed in purpose-made packaging such as cardboard wine packaging.
Opting for an appropriately shaped and sized box will reduce the ability of the item to slip and slide around inside the box during transit, minimising damage. This will also reduce waste and improve the sustainability of your packaging since only the necessary amount of material is being used to ship your item.
Once you have chosen your box, pack the item inside with plenty of packing material to cushion it during transit, and seal the package securely with strong tape. Avoid using labels that indicate that the contents are high jewellery as this could cause the package to be targeted for theft.
Choose a Reliable Carrier
There are a number of carriers in the UK who you can choose from to ship your parcel. Opting for a trustworthy carrier will increase the chances of your gift arriving safely and in a timely manner. If in doubt, posting with Royal Mail would make an excellent choice.
Ensure the carrier you choose offers the option to send your post tracked, as this will ensure you can monitor your parcel’s journey. Opting to require a signature from the intended recipient upon delivery will also ensure the package ends up in the correct hands, avoiding the package being wrongly marked as delivered or stolen.
Make full use of the tracking and monitoring options available to you by entering your parcel’s tracking number into the carrier’s website. Signing up for SMS alerts can also update you on your package’s delivery status. This will also enable you to keep your intended recipient informed as to the parcel’s whereabouts. On the day of delivery, you should receive an indication of the time of day the parcel is due to arrive, so that you can ensure the recipient is at home and ready to receive the parcel when it arrives.
Stay Smart
To protect the value of your item, stay sharp throughout the entire shipping process. Take as many photos as possible of the package and contents, keep a paper trail during shipping and transit, and save all information to a secure location.
Tamper-proof seals, such as security tape, can be used to avoid theft of your item and make it clear if the package has been opened. Watermarks and serial numbers on high value items can also be used to mark the package discretely to help identify tampering.
For especially high value items, consider taking out postage insurance on the value of the gift to ensure you can claim back your money in the event of a damaged or lost package. Again, keep these insurance details safe and sound. If insurance is not economical for you but you would like to take an extra measure, consider placing a tracking device inside the package so that you can independently monitor its whereabouts. Apple AirTags are a great choice for this, as you can track it 24/7 from your mobile phone or tablet.
