Category Archives: Sending eBay parcels

Preparing for May Day

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Remember, the 5th of May is this year’s May Day bank holiday. On this day many shops will be closed as well as most banks and postal offices, so if you are planning to send any gifts or items abroad to a friend, relative or if you work from home and send merchandise out, it is best to send it ahead of time so that your recipient receives it in good time! Make sure to choose RAND logistics for any parcels internationally, as we provide first class service for any parcel or package; locally or internationally.

 

Although many people see May Day as simply another bank holiday which adds an extra day to the weekend, May Day is actually a significant day across many cultures and traditions, and many different countries celebrate May Day in their own individual way. In Britain May Day normally involves Morris dancing and the crowning of a May Queen, whereas in rural regions of Germany on the eve preceding May Day, villagers and townsfolk normally build bonfires and wrap the new maypole.

In Bulgaria, May Day is believed to be the day when snakes and lizards leave their burrows to terrorise the people, so they light fires and jump over them, making loud noises to scare the snakes. In some parts of the USA, May baskets are made which are small baskets filled with flowers or treats and left on someone’s doorstep.

 

Tips for Fragile Items Final Day

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This week we have been giving ideas and tips on how to send fragile packages abroad without them breaking, so in our final day we’ll have a brief recap. As a first class worldwide courier, RAND Logistics provides a huge range of delivery options for fragile parcels, heavy parcels or even parcels sent via eBay.

Wrapping

Bubble wrap is preferable although tissue paper does work well if you don’t have time for bubble wrap or if you don’t want to splash out on it. When wrapping more than one item, remember to wrap each item individually and then wrap the two together.

Delivery

With full parcel tracking you can follow step by step progress of your parcel from pickup to delivery, to ensure that it reaches its destination safely. You can also choose recorded delivery so that the recipient has to sign for it when it arrives, to confirm that the addressee actually receives the parcel.

Packaging

Choose a box that is only slightly bigger than your item so that the item does not get knocked about in transit, and so that you can pack it tightly with wrapping.

 

Service

Choosing various types of delivery, such as next day delivery or parcel express, reduces the chances of the parcel getting knocked about or damaged because it reduces the time the parcel spends in transit.

Tips for Fragile Items Day 4

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Whether you are sending a single object of sentimental value to a friend or relative abroad or you are an eBay seller who has set up shop selling exquisite and fragile items, sending fragile items abroad can be quite stressful, as you may be constantly worrying about the condition of your item.

Although it is ultimately out of your hands, ensuring that the item is well packaged and correctly labelled can really help to prevent accidents in transit.

Finding the Right Packaging

It is no use sending your parcel out in a box that is far too big for it. Although you may have thought you packed it tightly, unforeseen circumstances can bash and bat at the box and cause the item inside to break.

[rand] box blogChoose a box that is only slightly bigger than your item that you can pad with secure packaging, but does not allow the item to move around at all.

In most cases, re-using old shoe boxes or cartons is recommended, however if you are sending a fragile and valuable item, it is better to buy new boxes as these will be more reinforced than used boxes. Boxes with double corrugated walls are best, and these can be found in most local post offices.

For excellent delivery options including tracking options and guaranteed 1-3 day delivery worldwide, choose RAND Logistics.

Tips for Fragile Items Day 3

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Pottery is widely known throughout the modern world as an ancient and beautiful art. Although many European countries have crafted countless beautiful ceramic pieces, ancient Chinese pottery is among some of the most stunning pieces we can find today, and they make great souvenirs.

In order to send a fragile parcel to a friend or relative without it breaking, there are various measures you can undertake to ensure that it reaches its destination safely.

Recorded Delivery

It might sound a little too good to be true, but recorded delivery acts as a means of insurance should your parcel ever get stuck or never make its way to the recipient at all. Tracking options and recorded delivery options will allow you to see where your parcel is at each step of the journey, and this can really help if your parcel was not delivered and you are trying to make a claim.

[rand] tracking options blogPlus Tracking Options provide piece of mind for those who would like regular updates on the progress of their parcel. This is particularly helpful if you happen to be sending a valuable parcel, as recorded delivery and tracking options place special emphasis on the parcel for the couriers, so they are far more likely to take care when delivering it.

If you were thinking of sending a parcel to China, choose RAND Logistics for the very best in modern courier services.

Tips for Fragile Items Day 2

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Italy is well known for its beautiful glass pieces, and it can be difficult to send fragile parcels and packages abroad, however with a world class courier service and some helpful hints and tips, you can minimize the risks.

[rand] express post blogChoosing the Right Service

There are several different delivery services provided by RAND, so it may help depending on how fragile your parcel is, to spend more money on fast delivery times. You may be thinking that speedier delivery could encourage couriers to be careless and therefore the parcel may have a higher chance of breaking but this isn’t actually the case.

In fact, because of express delivery times, the time in transit is significantly reduced, so there is a lower chance of it being broken in transit. The longer the parcel sits in the warehouse or on the van, the higher the chances of something happening to it.

With first class delivery services worldwide at competitive rates, RAND Logistics can provide a variety of guaranteed door-to-door delivery options available, depending on how fragile your parcel is and how urgently your recipient needs it. Contact us today or try our quick quote form for an instant quote.

Tips for Fragile Items Day 1

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When sending fragile or breaking items abroad to a friend or relative, it can be nerve-wracking as we have all heard about the horror stories that come with sending fragile packages through the post. However there are a number of ways in which you can help minimize the chances of your fragile item breaking and combined with a trusted, first class courier service, you can see your item safely reaching its destination.

Tip 1 – Wrapping

A thoroughly wrapped package is a thoroughly protected package. You need to be aware that although courier services take the utmost care in handling fragile packages, sometimes accidents do happen, particularly when they are working to a deadline.

[rand]bubble wrap blog

It is therefore always good to give your parcel adequate padding in case something goes wrong.

Newspaper or tissue paper can be good, but the best wrapping is bubble wrap.

Ensure that it is tightly wrapped – but not too tightly so that it breaks or shatters – and seal off the edges with duct tape.

If you happen to be packing more than one item, make sure to wrap them individually. This may be more expensive but if you wrap them together they could knock against each other in transit and subsequently break.

Shipping Restrictions in Lithuania

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Make sure to take note of the country conditions for mailing a parcel to Lithuania, otherwise you may face some difficulties in getting your parcel properly imported. Check with your local customs officer for more details on shipping restrictions and prohibited items, but for now, here are a few restrictions to take note of.

Objects of cultural value, such as antiques and works of art can only be imported into Lithuania with a permit from the Ministry of Culture’s Department of the Protection of Objects of Cultural Value. Take care when sending prepared foodstuffs and raw materials of animal origin; if the industrial packaging is damaged or the use-by-date has passed then the packages will be prohibited and may be destroyed.

[rand]sugar blogSugar is permitted for import into Lithuania, but not exceeding 11 pounds or 5 kg per shipment. All articles subject to customs duty may not be sent in ordinary or registered First-Class Package International Service items, Priority Mail International Flat Rate Envelopes, First-Class Mail International items, or Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate Priced Boxes.

At RAND Logistics, whether you require a specific eBay courier service for sending parcels internationally, or you are simply sending a gift to a friend or relative, we can provide you with first class service at competitive rates. Plus with free tracking options available, you can track your parcel at every step of the journey.

Alternative, Eco-Friendly Methods of Packaging

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If you’re someone who has to ship gifts and parcels abroad quite regularly, you might find yourself having to invest in wrapping paper and other necessary parcel materials on a regular basis. This blog post will provide you with various other methods of wrapping parcels so that you can make the process eco-friendly and a little more exciting. Here are a few alternatives to the average parcel.

Newspaper might seem a bit tasteless, but in truth you can turn it into an excellent resource for parcel wrapping if you’re a bit more creative than the average person. Newspaper that gets regularly delivered to your house is ideal and you can use colouring pens, paint, stickers or whatever suits you.

If you aren’t so creative, why not have a look through the gift wrapping materials you’ve got leftover? You’ll be able to choose from all sorts of colours and designs that your addressee will admire, or you can just turn it inside out and use the blank white canvas instead.

Certain fabrics are prohibited in some countries but if you’re sending a gift somewhere where this doesn’t apply, you can always make the most of colourful fabrics from beds, cushions, pillow cases or whatever you can find. In fact, this is a common method of gift wrapping in Japan, so it wouldn’t be to out of the ordinary if you’re sending a gift to Japan.

Royal Mail Put Kids TV Characters on Stamps To Celebrate 50 Years of Children’s TV

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You might have noticed some familiar faces on your stamps recently, especially if you remember the days of watching kids TV. Since the start of 2014, children’s TV characters have begun to appear on Royal Mail postage stamps as a means of celebrating 60 years of children’s TV.

There are some notable figures to watch out for, including a selection of newcomers such as Peppa Pig, Bob the Builder and Shaun the Sheep. Some of us might even get a bit nostalgic seeing the older characters Postman Pat, Mr Ben and Ivor the Engine.

Andrew Hammond from Royal Mail Stamps told the BBC that they simply couldn’t ignore the landmark. “It feels appropriate to celebrate all of these unforgettable characters on a set of very special stamps” he said.

If you plan on sending a letter or parcel abroad, you might be able to make the most of these unique set of stamps, especially if they’re going to a distant friend or a younger recipient.

We offer an unrivalled parcel delivery service here at RAND, so make sure you get a quote from us today to see how we can save you money when shipping parcels abroad.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 5

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We’ve come to the end of our week that focuses on online safety awareness when shopping. To wrap it all up we’re going to look at how important a positive reputation is when purchasing from online sellers. Many people have had problems with sellers because they failed to analyse their previous dealings, something that many online shopping outlets now let you do.

When shopping on sites such as eBay, Amazon or Play you should always be wary of the fact that the sellers could be either a business or an individual seller. Whoever the seller is, it’s vitally important to make the most of the reputation analysis section of these websites so that you can make a definitive assumption of who you are purchasing from.

EBay provide buyers with the opportunity to look at the feedback scores of sellers, thus giving you the chance to see how other buyers have judged the services they received. If you are keen to avoid problems with online deals, whoever the shopping outlet may be, you should always do the research beforehand to get a detailed review of their reputation.

RAND Logistics work closely with eBay as we regularly ship parcels from reliable sellers to buyers across the world. Our international parcel service is the perfect choice for anyone looking to get their parcel from A to B. If you’ve got a parcel to ship internationally, get your quote from us today here.