Chinese New Year Celebrations – Day 1

Last Friday was Chinese New Year, and with it marks the start of traditional Chinese New Year’s celebrations. These celebrations will happen over the course of the next week and will involve cleaning out the house in preparation for the New Year, hanging paper lanterns and other colourful decorations about the house, painting to bring in the New Year, and a whole host of other traditions that sees 2014 as starting afresh!

chinese new year

2014 is the year of the horse, which surprisingly, means prosperity and wealth for all those not born in the year of the horse. According to superstitions, in your zodiac year you will offend Tai Sui, so those born in the year of the horse may suffer from bad luck. Horses can offset this by wearing the horses lucky colours; red, green or purple.

Like January the 1st represents a new start for many other cultures, the 31st January represents a clean slate in China. The Chinese will often send gifts of money and food to their family friends and business partners in order to amend relationships. Why not send a heartfelt gift to a friend or relative living abroad, to imitate the ‘new beginnings’ attitude brought about by the Chinese New Year, using RAND Logistics?

Shopping Safely Online: Day 5

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.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 4

When purchasing goods online it can be quite daunting if the expected delivery date passes without a knock on the door from the postman. You might also be dreading the thought of opening your parcel to reveal a damaged item that doesn’t work and has missing parts.

Thankfully, consumer rights are in place to aid people who purchase online and don’t get what they expect. Here are a few things to consider with regards to consumer rights before purchasing online.

If you are not satisfied with the item you have received after an online purchase, you may be entitled to a refund. In most cases the chance of a refund expires after a certain amount of time, which could be anything from a few days to a whole month. Always check the refund or returns section carefully before purchasing an item online.

It is advised that you use a credit card to make a purchase that exceeds £100. The Consumer Credit Act states that anyone who spends over £100 on their credit card has legal rights, giving you an upper hand should something go wrong with the purchase.

RAND Logistics can deliver items promptly on an international scale, so if you need to ship a parcel to Italy or anywhere else in the world make sure you come to RAND first for a great quote.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 3

Today we’ll be looking at what it is you need to watch out for when purchasing something online in order to prevent criminals from accessing your card details and making transactions in your name. You can significantly reduce the risk of this happening to you in the future by following our guidelines here at RAND.

If you are ever required to enter your PIN number when shopping online, do not proceed with the payment. PIN numbers are only meant for physical card transactions from a cash machine and a physical store checkout. Criminals can easily obtain your PIN number by asking you for it in a transaction, so always watch out for this!

In most cases, websites that you purchase from will require you to enter a security code found on the back of your card. This is the usual practice when purchasing online and doesn’t need to be avoided. Websites are not allowed to store personal information, so if they request this without express permission, think twice before purchasing here.

Finally, many sites will save your card details so that you can make transactions easily in the future. It is much safer to delete your card details and provide them again only when you make another purchase, unless you know the site can be trusted.

If you are sending a parcel internationally this winter, make the most of our services here at RAND and make sure any purchase you make in the near future complies with our guidelines.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 2

It’s our second day of awareness for safely shopping online and today we’ll be focusing on the ins and outs of making a payment online. It’s vital that you are made aware of the reliability of the seller before offering up your card details, so make sure you follow our guide before making a payment.

The vast majority of online shopping sites will encourage you to purchase items by adding to an online shopping basket. Sites like this are usually major outlets and can be trusted. Always read the terms and conditions before making a purchase as all shopping outlets are different. This process usually occurs before you’ve made the payment. The final step is always making the payment from your credit or debit card, so keep this in mind when shopping online.

Another indication that a sites online shopping option is reliable is if they use PayPal to process a payment. PayPal is a secure payment option whereby you sign up and register your credit or debit card details. Any payment you make online is activated by PayPal using your account details.

Finally and most important of all is the security protocols when making a payment. Whilst it doesn’t happen all the time, usually you will be greeted with another layer of security before processing a payment. This is another password associated with your online transactions, often used by Visa and MasterCard for added security.

The above steps are commonly associated with making a reliable payment online so always make sure that you analyse the payment process carefully before submitting your payment. If you are planning on shipping a parcel to an online buyer in the near future, make the most of our services here at RAND. We ship internationally making our service ideal for any online seller.

Shopping Safely Online: Day 1

This week we will be looking at the safety measures that go hand-in-hand with online shopping. It’s extremely important to make sure that you are dealing with a safe and secure website when purchasing items online, whilst you also need to become aware of suspicious behaviour during online sales if you want to avoid a bad online experience. Today we are focusing on how to identify a secure site to shop online with.

Many websites from fast food restaurants to major electrical outlets make use of the efficiency and practicality of online credit. However, it’s vital that you know how to identify a secure website before providing your credit card details. A site is secure if they possess a small padlock in the address bar, whilst the ‘s’ at the end of ‘https’ stands for the word ‘secure’.

Never jump at offers that seem unrealistic. Most sites that let you trade over the internet with other people struggle to identify scammers, so think twice before purchasing what looks like a 50 inch plasma TV for £50. You can back up your knowledge of the site you’ve encountered by using Google or asking friends and family about it but if you’ve got your suspicions, don’t take the risk.

Need to send a parcel internationally? RAND can provide you with a safe and secure service that gets your parcel from A to B in good time. Contact us today for more information about the services we offer.

Preparing for Chinese New Year

We’ve focused on some traditional events taking place in January all over the world this week and we’re concluding with our build up to Chinese New Year. The oldest festival in China is just two weeks away now, with the celebrations of the year of the horse taking place on the 31st January. If you’re gearing up for Chinese New Year or know someone in China who will be celebrating in two weeks time, choose RAND as your logistics company to send parcels to China.

On the eve of Chinese New Year, families will spring clean their homes in preparation for a new beginning. Once cleaning is over, everything used to clean is put away to symbolise the idea that good luck will not be brushed away. Once New Year s Eve arrives, families will host a large dinner with all sorts of traditional Chinese food. The theme of good luck is maintained as phrases wishing happiness and wealth are present across the household.

The night is filled with huge fireworks displays that are meant to scare away any evil spirits along with dragon costumes and red clothing. Children are given red envelopes by their parents and grandparents that contain treats and money, a further sign of prosperity and good luck. The festival continues for 15 days, concluding with a lantern procession at night.

Make sure you check out RAND Logistics range of services this Chinese New Year or contact us for more information about how we can get your parcels from A to B on a worldwide scale.

January – The Birth of the Prophet Muhammad

Earlier this week, Muslims across the world celebrated the birthday of the prophet Muhammad. Mawlid an-Nabi or “Birth of the Prophet” is an annual celebration that takes place in most countries with an Islamic population or culture. It is only observed by Muslims. The term Mawlid is used in countries such as Egypt to symbolise the birthday of many other religious and historical figures. Countries such as Egypt, Dubai and Morocco regularly observe Mawlid on January 14th as these countries host a large Islamic population.

Muslims observe this date by treating it as a national holiday. The celebrations are similar to that of “Eid”, with large firework displays, decorated crowds and prayers all dominating the schedule of the day. Friends and family will meet and share a meal together after gathering at a mosque for prayers. Many countries will show programmes that commemorate the event, especially in places like Egypt and the U.A.E. Interestingly, Saudi Arabians tend not to celebrate the birth of the prophet as it is not a significant date registered in the Qur’an.

Are you planning on sending something to a family member or friend to commemorate Mawlid an-Nabi? RAND Logistics provide an international delivery service to the U.A.E and other countries that celebrate the event.  Take a look at our range of services or you can contact us for more information regarding your shipment.

The Australian Open and Australia Day

January is a very important month for those living in Australia with the Australian Open tennis tournament currently being held and Australia Day approaching on the 26th. Andy Murray will be hoping to build on a successful 2013 by winning the Australian Open after returning from injury, though the sweltering heat in Australia is something all the players are having to deal with at the moment.

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The tournament is held in Melbourne during the last fortnight of January. The current champion, Novak Djokovic, is one of many world class tennis players that take part in the tournament, making it an excellent destination for tourists in January.

The national day of Australia marks the anniversary of the first arrival of British Ships to the shores of Australia. There are various community events to behold on the 26th of January whilst families often make the most of the special day by organising gatherings.  You may well have a relative staying in Australia who is preparing for Australia Day, in which case you can make the most of our international parcel delivery to Australia.

Need to get some forgotten sandals to a loved one in Australia this month? Maybe you need a postal service that’s a bit more local? Either way, makes the most of our services here at RAND Logistics, which includes both a collection and delivery service.

 

Coming of Age Day in Japan

Yesterday was Coming of Age Day in Japan, a national event that has been celebrated for over a thousand years. The ceremony surrounds a young prince’s passage into adulthood by wearing glamorous robes and being given a new hairstyle. Most of the young adults who attend Coming of Age Day in Japan are 20 years old, except for some who are actually 19 and have birthdays that are between April of last year and April of this year.

Coming of Age Day is a big thing in Japan, with government officials attending local offices to give out presents to the new adults. The women that celebrate the event are generally dressed in a style of kimono, though they will usually visit a beauty salon to look their best for the day. Many of these kimonos are passed down through generations as the traditional Coming of Age dress is particularly expensive. In most cases, the young adults will finish the day by heading out to parties or bars for the evening.

Do you need to ship a parcel to Japan? RAND Logistics offer a global service that includes both collection and delivery. If you know someone who is celebrating their coming of age today and you need to send a gift to Japan, you require our services here at RAND!