Seeking the cheapest way to ship a package may not be practical, but looking for ways to avoid excess cost when shipping may be the next best thing. There is a saying that goes “you get what you pay for”, you don’t want to risk a safe and secure delivery of your package in exchange of how much it costs, right?

It is necessary to consider each and every option to prevent or reduce possible additional cost in organizing shipment of a product. A lot of factors may lead to extra expense during shipping. Factors may include excess storage, increased appraisal and the most frequent factor observed is the excess in package weight. In various cases, extra cost is the result of inadequate preparation.

Here are some points to consider to help lessen or if possible avoiding extra cost in shipping your cargo:

First thing to consider is to get rid of unnecessary items. Since shipping charges may differ from an items weight, shipping unwanted items can cause you an extra expense.
Next is to avoid shipping extra Unaccompanied Baggage. Unaccompanied Baggage Shipment is way more expensive and may result in significantly higher charge per baggage weight. This method also offers a faster mode of shipment which makes it more expensive.

Storage-in-transit or temporary storage increases the entire expense of the shipment, it maximizes your extra fees so might as well avoid or lessen storage-in-transit. Have your shipment shipped as soon as possible if your cargo is overweight. Some locations might have a weight restricted area, in the event that you are shipping to or from a weight restricted area, make sure that further weight allocation is requested and approved. You will be notified by a travel counselor in case you are affected by weight restriction.

You are welcome to request weighing and reweighing of your shipment, you better request for a reweigh if your shipment exceeds your weight allowance during pick up. This is to make sure that proper data was recorded and no errors have been declared in the weight of your baggage.

If you believe that the parcel carrier employed too much packaging in your shipment, inform the destination transportation office prior to delivery. The transportation office can initiate the parcel carrier to totally unpack the package and confirm the weight of the packaging materials.

To make sure that you are serviced well, choose a service provider that is noted for its reliable and efficient performance. Choose a dependable shipping company that is effective in delivering secure and safe packages. Selecting a cheap service provider does not mean that you have saved money. Sometimes it will just result to an extra expense in your part especially if the package delivered is damaged or worse, lost.

In case of damage to any package you received, there are ways you can submit a notice to the parcel carrier or inform the shipper of the item. Either the shipper or the recipient can file a claim to the parcel carrier if there is any damage to a parcel during delivery.

If you suspect that the package is damaged prior to opening, then don’t open it. You can contact the parcel on delivery or bring it to the nearest branch of your main carrier. Let them inspect the container and make a note of the condition of the container. Let the parcel carrier inspect the packaging inside the container and have them make a note about its condition. If you see that the packaging is insufficient to protect the product then you have the enough proof to file a claim.

Now that you have the proof that the item is damaged during delivery, you can file a damage claim. To file a damage claim, a recipient or shipper is usually provided with a claim form to be filled up and to be submitted to the parcel carrier. The recipient or the shipper can also send any documents or notes in support of the claim. The parcel carrier could collect the package for further item check-up. A damage inspection will be performed by the parcel carrier right after the damage is declared and the customer will be contacted with the result. Parcel Carriers will figure out what the cause of damage came from and validate if appropriate packaging materials such as packing peanuts were used, this is in accordance with most shipping terms.

In the event that a damaged package is discovered while still in the parcel carrier’s system, the carrier will inform the customer on record and supply them with the information. Once damage has been reported, you can check the status of the claim online, anytime.

Once the Parcel Carrier investigation is complete, a notification letter will be mailed or faxed to the customer. Based upon the result, the shipper may file a claim for the repair or substitution cost of the item contents up to the recorded cost.

The important thing to keep in mind here is that you save all the documents that support your claim. There are situations that you will not be able to file a claim, so customers should be careful with these cases. When the original carton and the labels are removed, you will not be able to submit a claim.
In the event that the original packaging was not enough to guarantee secure shipping, you will not be able to file a claim. In the event that the shipper did not provide the original insurance invoice, you will not be able to file a claim.