Packaging guidelines

Always ensure your goods are well packaged.

It’s really important that you package your items well to keep them safe on their journey. If your goods are not packaged sufficiently and become damaged any compensation cover provided on our services will be invalidated. The following advice will help ensure your items are well protected and are delivered on time.

The information below is a shortened version of our company packaging guidelines. Our packaging guidelines are available to download in full by clicking on the link below.

Packaging Guidelines

Our company packaging guidelines provide specific packaging advice for sending:

• Guitars and Musical instruments
• Computers
• Electrical goods
• Automobile parts
• Bicycles
• Paintings and Framed items
• Wheels, Tyres
• Liquids
• and many other items on our services.

Please note: Following selective advice below is not a guarantee your item will be suitably packaged. We advise all customers to refer to our full packaging guidelines on the link above for detailed and specific packaging advice.

General packaging advice

• Packaging must always be of a suitable strength and thickness for the size and weight of the goods being posted
• Always box your items - Use a new rigid cardboard box which is strong enough for the weight of the contents and internal packaging
• Ensure there is no space in your parcel for the contents to move and damage each other e.g. use polystyrene chips to fill any voids and create a rigid parcel
• Internal packaging material must be sufficiently strong e.g. large items need thick protection e.g. polystyrene surrounds / boards or strong air bags. Bubble wrap is suitable for the cosmetic protection of large items only
• Electrical items and computers must be protected by thick rigid packaging e.g. polystyrene surrounds
• Fragile items e.g. glass, ceramic, stone, plaster etc. must always be suitably packaged to avoid damage from being stacked with other items. Individually package and boxed such items and then place them in a larger box
• Musical instruments should be sent in a hard case. Gig bags or trapezoid cardboard guitar boxes are not suitable
• Never use soft cases or jiffy bags to send tablets, laptops or similar fragile electrical goods
• Never strap boxes / parcels together. Put everything in the same box or send as separate parcels (we offer competitive consignment pricing when several parcels are going to the same address on our UK and International Express services)

Labelling and sealing your parcel

• Always seal the parcel well, top and bottom, with plastic or reinforced carton tape, not ordinary household tape
• Never use string, plastic strapping, shrink wrap or bubble wrap on the outside of your parcel as they can get stuck in our machines
• Make sure the service barcoded labels are securely attached to the parcel and are clearly visible
• In all instances, including when you are not applying the label itself (e.g. when you have selected for your driver to bring labels) please ensure you have clearly written your recipient's address and the consignment number on the package.
• Labels glued on to luggage items can become detached. Put the label in a clear plastic envelope and attach this to a handle or strap on the item using a bag tie. For added security, place a second label inside the luggage within the main compartment, or exterior pocket
• Labelling an item as “fragile” is not a substitute for adequate packaging
• We do not guarantee the orientation of items sent on our services. Labelling an item “This way up” will not guarantee it will remain in the requested orientation during delivery

Clearly address your item and include contact phone numbers

• Make sure the recipient’s name, address, postcode and phone number are clearly written on the outside of the parcel and if possible included these inside
• Write your own name, address, postcode and phone number on the outside and inside of the parcel as the return address in case there are any queries during transit
• Include a local phone number for international destinations, e.g. not a UK mobile number
• For international services the telephone numbers of the sender and the recipient must be written on the customs declaration (Despatch Pack CP72)
• Check all documentation is accurately completed to avoid any delay in transit
• Customers sending to non-EU destinations will need to declare the parcel’s contents and value on the customs declaration (Despatch Pack CP72). For globalexpress this is a requirement for all destinations

Please check that we can accept your parcel

• Please read our compensation exclusion page to confirm if any compensation exclusions apply to the goods being sent
• Some goods are not able to be sent on our services, or can only be sent subject to restrictions e.g. in a certain quantity / of a certain volume etc. Please read our prohibitions and restrictions and sanctions pages for full details
• For export parcels it is your responsibility to ensure that goods you are sending are not prohibited Customs abroad, please see our country directory pages for more information
• Items packed in kraft paper cannot be sent via our globalexpress service