Shipping items either up the road or across the country or globe can get very costly if you make mistakes. Planning what items you want to ship and where you want to ship them takes a lot of oversight on your part. Avoid making the costly shipping mistakes outlined in this post the next time you prepare to send a shipment, no matter the size, to a client or family.
Use Care When Shipping Abroad
If you need to ship your personal items for a move abroad, or products from your company, make sure you take extra care when shipping. You don’t want to work with just any shipping company when sending items abroad. Nor do you want to gloss over the terms or contract. Glossing over the terms will cause you to miss important items, such as whether or not taxes and duties are paid for upon arrival in port.
If this happens to one of your shipments, you will be responsible for paying the duties and taxes or else risk losing the shipment to the customs department of the country where the items were shipped. Handing over the shipment to customs might be the better option as it could cost you less in the end.
Do Not Guestimate Shipping Costs
One of the worst things you can do when shipping items, either for personal use or for a business, is to guestimate the costs or weight of the items. Guestimating has gotten so many businesses in trouble in the past when it comes to shipping products. If you are not sure as to how much an item will weigh when it is completed, do not make a guess. This can lead to additional shipping charges down the road that can result in a major loss on the project.
Verify All of Your Figures
Before you send any package out for shipping, verify all of your figures. Do not make the same mistake other companies have made and weigh an item in kilograms instead of pounds. This can lead to thousands of dollars in extra shipping costs because you failed to verify your numbers.
