• Parcel2Go.com, based in Bolton, Greater Manchester is the UK’s leading parcel delivery comparison website, offering a surprisingly cheap alternative to the Post Office to consumers and small eBay sellers/businesses. Our website enables you to send anything, from a small packet to a large parcel, to destinations throughout the UK and internationally, and all for a surprisingly cheap price.

We would like to offer you some advice and guidance as to how you should package your items. Using the correct packaging in the right way is very important to ensure that your parcel arrives at its destination safely, and undamaged. It is worth pointing out at this stage that the most common reason for insurance claims being declined is due to insufficient packaging. To help you even further, you can click on either of the banners at the top or bottom of this page to be taken to The Packaging Store where you can purchase the necessary materials you need.

Your parcel will be handled many times during its journey from sender to recipient both by hand, and also by automatic machinery. The question you need to ask yourself once your item is packaged is “If this item was dropped from a height of 1 metre, would the contents get damaged?” if the answer is yes or maybe, then you have not sufficiently packaged your item. Use of ‘Fragile’ or ‘Handle with Care’ stickers is no substitute for correct packaging. ‘This Way Up’ labels are of no use at all as your parcel may well be sorted by taking a couple of trips along conveyor belts and through other machinery that cannot read!

Here are a few things you should DO

• Do use a double walled box that is large enough for you to use extra padding between your item and the wall of the box (At least 2 inches). For padding, you can use expanded foam chips, bubble-wrap, polystyrene foam, shredded paper or cardboard, or polystyrene sheets
• Do wrap each individual item separately
• Do use a strong outer container like a corrugated cardboard box which should be double walled as a minimum
• Do ensure boxes are not over packed to push out the side walls
• Do check the Prohibited Items section of this site as these items are sent entirely at your own risk and will not be covered for loss or damage even if extra insurance is purchased
• Do bear in mind that your package may be stacked during transit
• Do seal all joints with a good quality packaging tape and not general domestic tape
• If using second hand packaging material please ensure all existing labels are removed to avoid the chance of your parcel being delivered to the wrong address
• Make sure that the delivery address and phone number is clearly marked in upper case lettering to avoid any delays
• Balance the weight within your box if there are multiple items. An unevenly packed box is more likely to suffer damage due to instability

Here are a few things we suggest you DO NOT DO

• Do not use too little packaging that allows items to move around inside the box
• Do not use old sheets or any type of fabric or cloth to pad out your boxes as these are not suitable as packaging materials for your goods
• Do not ignore the advice given on this site
• Do not use rope or string to seal boxes
• Do not rely on the packaging you have received other goods in as this may not be suitable for further transit