Assume the parcel will be dropped, compressed and vibrated for days. Every packing decision follows from that assumption, and nearly every claim traces back to ignoring it.
The rules that matter
- Suspend, don't just wrap. The item should not touch any outer wall of the box. Aim for a consistent cushion on all six sides.
- Use a rigid outer box. A soft or previously crushed box transfers impact straight to the contents.
- Immobilise. If the contents shift when you shake the parcel, the packing has failed.
- Double-box genuinely fragile items: an inner box, cushioned inside a larger outer box.
- Tape the H-pattern along the centre seam and both edge seams, top and bottom.
- Remove old labels and barcodes. A leftover barcode is a routing error waiting to happen.
Insurance and claims
Carrier liability is usually capped at a low default unless you declare a higher value. Claims are commonly denied for insufficient packaging, so keep photographs of the packed parcel before it is sealed and retain the packaging if damage occurs — inspectors ask for it.
Fragile stickers change nothing mechanically. Packing does.