How to ship fragile items

If you are shipping fragile items, such as vases, porcelain products, paintings or similar, you might want to do everything you can to ensure maximum protection of your items during transit. Packing your items properly is definitely the first step to safe shipping while choosing the right shipping service is just as important. At Eurosender, we have prepared some guidelines that should make packing fragile items easier for you. And because we only work with the best logistics providers, the second part of the task has already been taken care of. It is important to follow our instructions, since the shipping insurance will not be valid if your fragile items get damaged. Courier companies do not generally allow shipping fragile items or liquids. However, there are many occassions in which this is inevitable. Just make sure that you secure your items very well before you hand them to the courier driver.

How to place an order for shipping fragile items?

This is literally everything you need to do as we will take care of everything else and organize the delivery with the selected courier service provider.

In case you require any further explanation on how to ship fragile items, you can always contact our customer support team and they will be happy to help you and instruct you on how to get started or book a service.

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How to ship fragile items

Even though fragile items are more prone to damages than most other articles, choosing the right type of packaging materials and packing them appropriately can contribute significantly to safe transportation.

Here are some tips for booking shipping services with Eurosender:

• If you are shipping fragile items of bigger dimensions, make sure you choose the right shipping service by using our shipment calculator below.
• If the pick-up country in your case is either Poland, Sweden or Spain or if you chose “First possible pick-up time” service upon booking, you will have to print the shipping label and put it on your parcel. In other cases, the courier will do this for you.
• If you are planning to leave the pick-up address in the near future, make sure you place the order at least 2 days before your departure to avoid any complications.

Packing material for fragile items

Proper packaging is crucial for safe shipping. The packing material for fragile items you need is the following:

1. Cardboard boxes of various sizes – the boxes do not need to be new and you can actually reuse the ones you get from a supermarket for free. You should, however, always make sure that the boxes you are planning to use don’t have any dents and are in good state.
2. Packing peanuts – for internal cushioning of the cardboard boxes. You can buy them at hardware stores.
3. Bubble wrap – for securing individual parts. It can be bought at any stationery or hardware store.
4. Packing paper –for securing delicate items. You can buy packing paper at any stationery or hardware store as well as at the supermarket.
5. Polystyrene – it should be thick enough to secure your box from the outside. You can buy it at a hardware store.
6. Adhesive tape – will be needed for sealing and thoroughly covering the shipment.
7. Scissors– for cutting the cardboard box and/or other materials into suitable sizes.

How to pack fragile items

Packing fragile items is not as difficult as it may seem. If you put some effort into it and pack everything carefully, your items will actually be completely safe during transit and will not be prone to breakage. To ensure that your shipment does not get damaged en route, we have put together some guidelines that will help you pack fragile items properly:

1. Wrap each individual item. You should start by securing each individual item. First, wrap them in bubble wrap and add a layer of packing paper. You can also secure everything with tape at this point. This step stays the same for any item you are shipping, regardless of it being a plate, a vase, a painting or another fragile item.
   If you are packing several glasses, you can fill each glass with crumpled paper before wrapping it in bubble wrap.
   If you are packing oddly shaped items, see if you can add some crumpled paper or an extra box or two to them and thus make their shape “less odd”. Secure the structure with adhesive tape to make sure everything stays compact.

2. Put the items in a box. The box should be filled with crumpled paper, packing peanuts or similar material that should completely cover the bottom of the box as well as fill any empty spaces. Make sure the items are securely placed in the box and cannot move. Then seal the box with adhesive tape. Make sure that securely tape all the flaps and corners. Depending on the size and the nature of your shipment, you can either stop with the procedure after the second step mentioned above or you can continue by putting everything into another box for additional protection:
3. Protect the box from the outside. Cut some sheets of polystyrene to fit all the sides of the cardboard box. This will act as external packaging to absorb any shocks your fragile shipment might encounter during the transit. Secure these sheets to each side of the box with tape.
4. Put the smaller box into a larger one. Afterward, add some more polystyrene sheets on top of the smaller box that is placed inside a larger one or add other packing materials to fill all the empty spaces.
5. Seal the box. Seal the larger box with tape and add the shipping label if needed. To indicate the parcel’s nature, you can also add warnings such as “Fragile” or “Handle with care” on your box. However, be aware that if the shipping service is not dedicated to fragile items, the courier provider won’t necessarily take such labeling into consideration.

The reasons for shipping fragile items

There are many situations in which people need shipping services to send fragile items:

• Buying fragile items abroad. Interesting objects or souvenirs bought during travels can be either too big or too inconvenient to fly with. In this case, shipping fragile items internationally can prove to be the best solution.
• Selling fragile items online. When selling items online, you will need a trustworthy courier provider for shipping fragile items internationally and make sure they reach the buyer safely and in time.
• Sending fragile items as a gift. Fragile items of various sorts can also be a great gift for friends or relatives. Booking courier services might be the easiest way to ship fragile items to family members or friends who live abroad and do not visit you on a regular basis.

If you think that there are still questions left unanswered when it comes to shipping fragile items, you can always contact our customer support team and they will be more than happy to help you.

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Take into consideration these guidelines when shipping fragile items. Nevertheless, please consider that following them does not guarantee that the courier company will transport your package without restriction. In case you decide to ship fragile items, Eurosender will not be held responsible for any damages caused by the transportation of your shipment.