Packing fragile items: a checklist before pickup.

Glass, ceramics, and electronics fail in transit for the same few reasons: items touch each other, the carton collapses when another box is stacked on it, or the only protection is a sticker that says fragile. Hubs move cartons on belts and into cages. Pack for that, then add the label.

Wrap the item, not just the box

Wrap each piece on its own so glass cannot meet glass and a charger cannot knock a screen. Bubble wrap, foam, or several layers of paper all work if nothing can shift when you shake the carton. A single sheet under an item, with empty space above it, is not wrapping.

Put heavier items at the bottom. Keep liquids, if they are allowed at all, in a sealed inner bag so a leak stays inside the carton. Do not ship items the carrier prohibits: hazardous material, currency, jewellery, weapons, live animals, or food that needs temperature control. If a prohibited item is found in scanning, the shipment can be confiscated.

Fill the gaps and choose a carton that stacks

Empty space is what lets an item punch through the side on the first drop. Fill it until the contents do not move. Then press the top of the carton. If it caves, the box is too thin for a sort belt. Double-wall board is the usual answer for anything brittle.

Seal every seam with tape, including the bottom flap. A box that opens in a hub is treated as a packing failure, not as a fragile shipment that was unlucky.

• Each item wrapped so it cannot touch another
• No movement when the sealed carton is shaken
• A carton that holds its shape when pressed
• Every seam taped, bottom included
• Documents in an outside pouch, not inside the box

The label comes last

Mark the carton fragile only after it can survive being stacked. The sticker tells the handler to be careful. It does not add padding, and it does not change how chargeable weight is calculated. Write the receiver’s name and phone on the carton as well. Labels peel off.

If it still arrives damaged

Do not accept a visibly crushed carton, or accept it only after you have photos of the outer box, the inner packing, and the label. Report damage or missing items within 48 hours of the delivery attempt, with those photos, via support. Claims are checked against the packing and the scan record, and they are not a substitute for a carton that was ready before pickup.

Measure the finished carton before you book. Padding adds centimetres, and those centimetres decide volumetric weight. The rate page should use the sealed box, not the item you wrapped.