A Well Packed Box For Christmas

Thanksgiving and Christmas is fast approaching and to most of us it means one thing – gifts! The holiday season witnesses a herd of seasonal and last minute shoppers lined up outside stores waiting to get their hands on the perfect gift. When people finally get the perfect present they’ve been hunting for, it’s like all the troubles of this world are over. Well, think again!

While buying gifts is a mammoth task in itself, packing them can be a big struggle too. With the advent of online shopping, sending gifts has become a breeze. It has made a shopper’s life easy, galvanized the packaging and shipping business, and saved people from the trouble of gift wrapping the present perfectly.But for those who still prefer picking out gifts on their own, packing them appropriately becomes a huge task. Moreover, gifts sent at the last minute are susceptible to damage due to hurried and improper packaging and mishandling by postal or courier services. After all, these services are swamped with millions of packages to be delivered every day during the holiday season and items are prone to damage.

Claims: Shippers’ Woes
Under a specific procedure, shipping companies reimburse a shipped item’s actual value and pay full price for goods lost or damaged in transit. Lost or damaged packages are automatically covered up to $100 by UPS and FedEx, while for a USPS shipment you may purchase a shipping insurance to insure the package against loss or damage (except for Express Mail, which comes with automatic shipping insurance up to $100 per package). Top shipping companies in the US like FedEx, UPS and a quasi-federal postal company- USPS (United States Postal Service) have added the claiming procedures online. The sender or receiver can easily file a claim for their damaged parcels and check the claim status online. Monetarily, this can result into a great loss for shippers as people readily claim their damaged products.

See the claiming procedure here

Low quality and negligent packaging distorts your shipment and a damaged gift can spoil the Christmas fun. Snowstorms and snowfalls can also destroy cheap cardboard and poorly packaged boxes. The last thing you want is your delivery torn open or with content missing. To avoid this, make sure that you properly pack the items you are shipping.

Pack It Right
Whether it is an Elmo or an Apple iPad, packaging should be a well-executed process. Christmas shopping season has already begun. We have included tips on how to pack your Christmas gift in a box safely so that it reaches its destination intact. Following is a step-by-step guide useful for individuals, packaging solution providers, as well as online retailers who pack fragile gift items in bulk –

Boxing: The first and the foremost requirement while packing your gift is choosing the right-sized box. The postal services will not be able to offer any help if you use a giant box to pack a small pack of candy. It should have sufficient space to accommodate cushioning material in between.

Cushioning: Foam padding, biodegradable packing peanuts, newspapers or expanded polystyrene (EPS) sheets - always select the right padding according to the thickness and density of your gift. Use enough cushioning to fill in the gaps amid the product and walls of the box so that the content remains in place even when the shipping vehicle twists and turns.

Sealing: Sealing with a quality tape has to be done in a proper manner so that the box is not exposed to rain, snow or dust in transit. You should apply at least 3 strips of packing tape to the top and bottom openings of the box using the H taping method. Avoid using masking tape or cellophane.

Labeling: Shipping labels are very important whether you are sending a domestic or an international shipment. Properly addressed labels give an identity to your package and help with proper and timely delivery. Labels should be durable and elastic in nature so that they do not get torn in the course of shipping. The label should contain the recipient's full address and should be placed on the most visible side of the box or container away from any fold or seam.

Most Commonly Sent Christmas Gifts
An upsurge in shipments can be nerve-wracking as Christmas shoppers worry whether that china vase for their grandmother will arrive undamaged. Although the general method of packaging remains the same, here are some useful tips while packing commonly sent gifts items:

Electronics: When you mail heavy items like laptops or computers, pack the contents securely with strong material for bracing to prevent shifting, and tape all the edges with reinforced tape.

Edibles: Always mark “Perishable” on packages that contain food or other items that spoil after a few days.

Toys: Pack toys in boxes with some wadded newsprint or clothes to fill spaces and mark FRAGILE on the box. Always take batteries out of toys before packaging them.

Crystals: Always use bubble wrap for packing each piece of crystal, glassware, or teacup and tape it properly. You may also use blank newsprint paper in place of bubble wrap. Mark the box with a Fragile label.

Although you can submit a claim for lost or damaged package and get a refund, why take chances with your precious gifts? Postal companies will only return the value of your gift, not the valuable gift itself. This year, be a little more cautious while packing your gifts and give them a completely different level of protection. After all, Christmas gifts are cherished forever!