Transit cover for courier deliveries

Whilst it is rare for an item to go missing or to be damaged in transit (actually less than 1%) it can be especially frustrating when it happens. Our goods in Transit cover is designed to provide you with a level of security that gives you full peace of mind. Managed directly in house we're in full control of every claim allowing us to compensate for such disappointments quickly and easily.

Most services have varying levels of free cover included as standard which is displayed during the Quote & Book process. If your goods are worth more than this covered amount, you can add on additional enhanced cover to fully protect your goods in transit.

We've put together the below guide showing you the benefits of our Transit cover and how to make it work for you.

Do I pay for additional transit cover & do I need it?

Interparcel offer a wide range of parcel delivery services with top-rated Courier companies, but keep in mind that no matter how reliable a courier company is, there is always the slight chance of something valuable getting lost or damaged in transit.

Most courier services will include a certain amount of free transit cover as standard which will protect your parcel in the event of damage or loss even when you're sending abroad. Often this amount will be enough to cover the value of the items which you are sending, but not always.

You may risk sending a parcel without covering it in order to save a small amount, but is it really worth the risk? Without any cover, you could end up losing a significant amount of money, how would you feel if you could not recover the value if this happened? This is why it's always advisable to have transit cover for the full value of what you're sending.

You'll be able to enhance your transit cover for a small additional fee during the ordering process (usually only a few pounds) just be sure to check our Prohibited & Restricted items to make sure firstly we can send the item and secondly that it is an item that is covered by transit cover.

How is 'goods in transit' Insurance different?

Goods in transit insurance is very different to courier transit cover. It simply covers the goods when they're being transported in a vehicle (for example, for furniture removals or white good deliveries). Whilst our Transit cover includes elements of goods in transit insurance, with our dedicated cover you'll find that an item is covered throughout the delivery process, from collection, right through to delivery, not just on the vehicles.

What happens when a parcel is damaged?

So your customer tells you that the parcel you sent arrived damaged. Not what you want to hear at all, and it's also really rare, but it happens. If you booked with Interparcel we're here to take the pain out of the process and resolve it as quick and easily as we can. It's important to contact us straight away and certainly within 28 days as we'll need to contact the courier company and they'll maybe need to interview the driver.

The person who received the parcel delivery will need to provide you with photographs of the damaged parcel and packaging inside & out. It's important for us to see that the goods were protected in transit in order to establish that damage occurred through fault in the courier network.

You will also need to provide an invoice / receipt showing the replacement value of the consignment to substantiate the claim amount. If the item is repairable, then a repair report will replace the invoice.

The recipient must keep the damaged item at their address in the original box with packaging, in case an inspection is necessary – We cannot process a claim if an inspection is required and the goods have not been kept. We appreciate it can be a pain having to keep the goods while the claim is in process, but we'll try and let you know as soon as we can whether an inspection is necessary or not. Remember - the better the photographs, the less likely we'll need to inspect.

What happens if my parcel is lost?

If your item has taken over the advised delivery time and still not delivered, please contact us straight away so we can to and find out where your delivery is.

Usually we can explain why the goods have suffered a delay, fix any issue and get the parcel delivered. If the parcel cannot be located, a search of the network will take place. After providing a description, hopefully it'll be found and on its way, but very occasionally it will be declared lost in the system.

At this stage we will begin the claim process for your lost parcel.

As with a damaged claim, we will need an invoice/ receipt to reflect the value of the claim. The sooner we receive this, the sooner we'll complete the process and you'll receive the claim payment.

Packaging

The most common reason why courier companies will not process a claim is due to an item being inadequately packaged.

Your package is going to be handled by couriers, machinery or conveyor belts (or potentially stacked with heavier items on top) so you must protect your item with internal packaging, and your claim could be invalidated if you don't. Remember you want your parcel to arrive in the condition you sent it, so the packaging is so important to ensure that it does.

In order for a claim to be processed, an item would need to be packaged in a strong and durable (double-walled) cardboard box of the right size. Cardboard boxes will be expected to adequately support the weight of the entire contents of each parcel, whilst items should be securely wrapped in cushioning material and surrounded by internal padding. Take a look at our Packaging Guidelines for even more information, not only will it tell you what you should do, but also what you shouldn't!

If possible, take some pictures of your packaged goods before you seal the box so that you can show that your item was packaged according to courier guidelines.

Prohibited and restricted items

Remember you cannot claim for a Prohibited item and a restricted item is only covered for loss.

Prohibited items– such as televisions (over 32 inches) white goods or currency– will not be handled by carriers and should not travel through our services. Similarly, restricted items (including fragile goods, freestanding furniture and laptops) are not widely recommended for sending with standard courier services and therefore are only covered for under our transit cover for loss.

We have a complete list of Prohibited and Restricted Items on our website, always check that the item you are sending is not listed so you know that transit cover will be valid in the rare event you need to claim against it.

In conclusion, should I cover my goods in transit?

In short, yes! For a few extra pounds, the peace of mind it gives you really is thoroughly worth the price.