How to Pack and Ship a Birthday Present Overseas
It is not difficult to learn how to pack and ship a birthday present overseas. Millions of boxes, bags and other types of mail make the trip every day. The requirements are not hard to follow if the item is to arrive on time and undamaged. There are five parts to each package: the item, the container, the packing material, the sealing tape and the shipping label.
Consider the item to be shipped. Using a tape measure, record the height, width and length at the longest points. Record this information on paper. If the item is fragile, it may need a special container and/or packing materials. It is imperative that the shipper check to see if the item can be shipped overseas, and that the country allows that item to be received. This eliminates the possibility of seizure at customs, and disposal of the item.
The container should meet the requirements of shipping companies used. Generally, a cardboard box is the standard shipping container. If the item is particularly fragile, enclosing it first inside a wooden box or other protective container is allowed. The outside container should be cardboard.
Packing material is often diverse. Popped popcorn, foam peanuts, partially inflated balloons, zip closure bags and crumbled newspaper effectively protect items from damage during shipping. Check first to see if the recipient's overseas shipping destination and customs will accept packages filled with loose foodstuffs. If not, a multitude of eco-friendly products are available to protect the birthday present. Make sure that they do not get caught in the bow or tear the wrapping paper or tissue paper. Anchor down the birthday card to the package to prevent packing materials from shifting it in transit. Everybody knows to read the card first, before unwrapping the present. This cannot be done if the card is lost and buried in the packing material.
To keep the container from opening during transit, use the right packaging tape. Choose tape at least two inches wide and rated for shipping. Regular half-inch wide office tape will not protect the package closure. Duct tape or other outdoor tape will likely be rejected and the package denied or returned. Fiber reinforced tape, often called strapping tape, is acceptable. Although it is hard to cut when the package arrives, the fiber reinforcement ensures the item will not pop open and come out of the carton during transit.
The shipping label is equally important. Handwritten labels affixed with household tape are rejected. These labels are notorious for separating from the package during transit. The package will not arrive without a label. To avoid this, place a second shipping label complete with both the sender's and the recipient's address inside the package. Unlabeled packages are opened to locate this information. Without it, the package could never reach its intended destination.
The sender can go online and can print shipping labels and schedule an at-home pickup instead of waiting in line. Once all of the necessary information is entered, the shipping label is printed and affixed to the package. The birthday present is then ready for pick-up. Be sure to leave ample time for transit so that it can arrive before the person's birthday, instead of after.
Posted on October 23, 2018
