What is the best way to secure gold and jewellery during shipping?
Whether you run a business that delivers to customers or are a private shipper sending a gift, protecting your belongings during shipping is of utmost importance. But how can you do that without incurring significant costs?
Package theft has been rising for several years now. Then, you can never discount human error during handling – items may get lost or delivered to the wrong address. And, of course, items can get damaged during transit. So, again, what’s the solution?
Well, there isn’t one, at least not a single one. But if you take appropriate precautions, you can be reasonably sure that your packages will arrive safely and on time. And that is what this article will discuss – the steps you need to take to safeguard expensive items in transit.
1. Find a Reliable Logistics Partner
Unless you are shipping locally, any item you send will pass through many hands. This significantly increases the chance of mishandling – the more legs a journey has, the higher the likelihood of something going wrong.
From the point that you deliver the package to your carrier to the point it arrives to the receiver, you can expect at least 5 people to handle it (and even that number is too low in practice). Consequently, you should try to find a shipping company that optimizes the travel route.
The fewer people that handle the precious cargo, the better. Companies that specialize in shipping high-value goods, like Unival Logistics, focus on minimizing the chance of mishandling by lowering the number of people that are allowed to touch your packages.
That’s not to say that items get damaged or lost due to human error regularly. If you are a one-time shipper, you could probably hire a standard carrier and not have any issues. However, if you run a business that regularly delivers to customers, minimizing the chance of mishandling should be a priority.
Tracking Your Packages
Another point to consider is using a carrier that provides real-time tracking of cargo. While it won’t necessarily lower the chance of your packages getting lost, dealing with the aftermath is easier. A few benefits of real-time tracking are:
- You can pinpoint where your package got lost, making it easier to be found
- If you are sending an item to a customer, you can inform them of any delays and safeguard your company’s reputation
- Filling insurance claims is easier when you can quickly prove that the carrier was at fault for losing your package
2. Packing Your Items Properly
Gold and jewelry are not fragile in general, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t put a bit of effort into packing them properly. Too much jostling and bumping can still cause scratches and blemishes. So treat your items like you would fragile ones, i.e., layer them.
Wrap them in soft cloth and bubble wrap. If the box is too big and you can hear the items moving around, stuff it with packing peanuts or even simple towels. After you’ve packed the items in a box, give it a shake – if you still hear the items moving around, stuff the box again.
In case you are shipping items like bracelets or necklaces that can easily get tangled up, consider investing in specialized shipping boxes. You can buy jewelry shipping boxes that are designed so that items don’t get tangled up relatively cheaply.
On the other hand, if you are a private shipper sending a gift to a friend, you don’t even need to invest that much. You can find tutorials online on how to make makeshift jewelry shipping boxes from cardboard or toilet paper rolls. It takes a bit of skill and effort, but you won’t need to invest in a box.
3. Label Your Box Carefully
We’ve covered how you can prevent mishandling and items getting damaged during transit, but you still need to contend with package thieves. While it’s primarily your carrier’s job to take care of your items, you can still help them out.
In short, don’t make it known that you are shipping high-value items. So, don’t write ‘gold’, ‘jewelry’, ‘precious’, or anything of that nature on the outside of the box. Package thieves prefer small but expensive items and items they can easily pawn or sell.
Gold and jewelry definitely fit that bill. Thus, don’t make it known to the world what you are sending. Of course, there is no guarantee your package won’t get stolen, but at least criminals won’t laser in on your package.
4. Request Signature at Delivery
Another simple bit of advice is to ask for a signature at delivery. By having the receiver sign for the package, you are both 1. Minimizing the change of the package getting delivered to the wrong address; 2. Minimizing the chance of theft (a majority of packages get stolen when they are left to sit on a porch).
5. Taking Out Insurance
Finally, you can never be 100% sure that nothing will happen to your package – that’s why insurance exists. Taking out insurance will increase your overall shipping price, but it is worth it in most situations, particularly if you are shipping high-value items.
However, not all carriers will insure your items for their full value. Depending on the value of the gold or jewelry you are sending, you should consider getting third-party insurance. A rule of thumb is that any package worth over $50,000 should be covered by special insurance.
There are multiple reasons for this:
- You get higher coverage limits
- Filling claims is typically quicker and easier
- You have wider liability coverage (e.g. you don’t need to prove that the carrier was at fault, just that your package got lost, damaged, or stolen)
- You can negotiate lower rates
Protecting High-Value Packages Summed Up
So, let’s sum up how you can protect your high-value items during transit:
- Work with a carrier you trust
- Package your items so you prevent any damage
- Don’t spell out what you are sending
- Track your packages
- Take out third-party insurance
None of these steps will guarantee nothing happens to your packages. After all, nothing in life is certain. But if you take these precautions, you can have peace of mind knowing that you did everything you could. And if the worst does happen, you can get reimbursed. So, put a little effort into shipping your items and good luck!
