INDEPENDENT SPREADSHEETAT A GLANCE
Prepare your parcel details, compare current route quotes and review declaration, tax responsibilities and insurance before submitting shipping payment.
Parcel Information
- Destination
Use the actual delivery country and address details required by the estimator.
- Contents
Identify the products and any battery or other item-specific restrictions that affect available routes.
- Packing and measurements
Use the best available packed weight and outside dimensions. Historical product-package records are references until your parcel is packed.
Route Comparison
Enter the parcel information in the shipping estimator and compare the eligible services. Keep the contents and packing assumptions the same when comparing prices.
Review the estimated delivery window, weight rules, size limits and any applicable service charges. Use the current route terms rather than a price reported for another buyer’s parcel.
Billing Weight
Where volumetric billing applies, calculate length × width × height using the units and divisor specified by the route. Apply its rounding and weight-increment rules before interpreting a shipping amount.
To see how box dimensions can change a comparison, read the worked examples in does combining parcels reduce shipping costs?.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Estimated weight | The pre-packing weight used for the initial calculation, including an allowance for packaging. |
| Actual weight | The mass of the packed parcel, including its packaging. |
| Volumetric weight | A weight equivalent calculated from the parcel’s outside dimensions using the selected route’s divisor. |
| Billing weight | The weight basis used for the charge. Routes using volumetric billing compare the applicable actual and volumetric values. |
Customs Declaration
Orientdig provides personalized and system declaration options when submitting a parcel. Read the information presented for the selected method before confirming it. A system-generated declaration still needs to match the shipment you are submitting.
Prepare a record of the actual contents, quantities and purchase amounts. Check item descriptions and the currency of value fields, and ask support about unclear entries before submission. Keep purchase records available if the carrier or customs requests supporting information.
Route suggestions do not guarantee customs clearance. Do not copy another buyer’s declaration amount or invent a value to try to avoid tax. Use accurate information and check the destination’s current customs instructions.
Taxes & the Delivery Budget
Review the route description for what its price includes and whether a tax-related service is explicitly stated. Ask what remains payable by the recipient when the wording is unclear. A shipping estimate alone does not establish the total cost on arrival.
Check the destination customs authority for the rules applying to your goods and shipment date. Keep any assessment or payment receipt with the parcel record. No single tax threshold or declaration amount applies to every country and product.
If a clearance or payment request appears, verify it with the carrier or the contact details in the parcel record and respond within the stated time. Ignoring the request can affect delivery and a later compensation enquiry.
Insurance Before Submission
Check whether insurance is available for the chosen country and route when submitting the parcel. Orientdig describes customs-seizure and parcel loss/damage cover, with the available scope depending on the service. Read the actual option instead of assuming every route covers every event.
Record the covered events, insured amount, premium, exclusions and claim deadline before confirming payment. Keep a copy with the parcel details. The insured amount is a limit, and selecting insurance does not make every later problem eligible for compensation.
Compare cover while choosing the route, before a tracking exception appears. If a problem occurs later, follow the insured and uninsured claim steps for evidence and deadline checks.
Packing & Shipping Payment
Choose the warehouse items to ship, verify the recipient details and select the route and packing services. Review the estimated parcel amount before paying for international shipping.
If the estimate depends heavily on uncertain packing dimensions, ask about rehearsal packing and its current charge before submitting the delivery order. Decide which original boxes and protection you need before comparing the resulting quotes.
Resolve item grouping and packing choices with the warehouse preparation checklist before comparing the resulting parcel quotes.
Final Charge & Dispatch
After packing, the warehouse measures the parcel. A carrier measurement can lead to a further adjustment. Check the final parcel record and compare it with the amount already paid.
Review any balance or adjustment through the account, then follow preparation, dispatch and tracking. An estimated delivery window is a planning reference rather than a guaranteed arrival date.
Check the parcel status meanings when following preparation, dispatch or a delivery exception.