Insurance and Liability: What You’re Owed When Something Goes Wrong
Written by Mrs. Madhu Satija, Managing Director · rates to 220+ countries last verified & updated: | Call 9718661166
Uninsured parcels do not travel value-protected: unless specific cargo insurance is purchased and confirmed in writing at booking, a shipment travels at the sender’s risk, covered only by the carrier’s standard limited liability — a weight-based ceiling from international air conventions that sits far below what most parcels are worth. Knowing the three layers below tells you exactly when to buy cover.
The three layers between your parcel and a loss
| Layer | What it pays | What it will never pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carrier standard liability automatic, free | A capped amount per kilogram under the international conventions referenced in each carrier’s published terms — calculated on weight, not on what the contents cost | The gap between that cap and real value; anything for fragile items accepted at sender’s risk |
| 2. Optional cargo insurance bought at booking, in writing | The declared value of the goods against loss and transit damage, per the policy’s terms | Mis-declared or prohibited contents; wear on used goods; consequential losses |
| 3. Nothing | — | Indirect and consequential losses — a missed deadline, a lost sale, a cancelled admission — are excluded at every layer, insured or not |
Per our Terms & Conditions, Section 7.
Fragile items: the rule nobody reads until it matters
Glassware, ceramics, electronics, crockery and artwork are accepted entirely at the sender’s risk. We pack them professionally — bubble wrap, corrugated layers, void fill — but no packing survives every sorting belt, and neither we nor the standard liability layer compensates transit breakage. For fragile value, layer 2 is not optional-nice-to-have; it is the only mechanism that pays.
Declared value: the number that echoes everywhere
One figure on your invoice drives three separate outcomes: customs assesses duty on it, insurance pays out against it, and claims are validated against it. Undervaluing to soften the receiver’s duty simultaneously caps any claim at the fictional number and exposes the shipment to customs penalties for mis-declaration — the worst trade in shipping. Declare real values.
If loss or damage happens — the claim path
- Document at delivery: the receiver photographs the box before opening and notes damage on the carrier’s proof-of-delivery. Damage discovered later is dramatically harder to attribute.
- Notify immediately: claims run inside the carrier’s stipulated window from the delivery (or loss) date — tell us the moment you know, and we file with the airway bill, invoice and photos.
- We assist, the carrier or insurer decides: we prepare and chase the claim on your behalf; settlement authority sits with the carrier (layer 1) or the insurer (layer 2), against the declared value.
Insurance & claims FAQs
Is my parcel automatically insured when I book?
No — automatic protection is only the carrier’s weight-based standard liability, which caps at an amount per kilogram regardless of the contents’ worth. Value protection exists only when cargo insurance is specifically purchased and confirmed in writing at booking.
The carrier broke my crockery set — who compensates me?
Fragile categories travel at the sender’s risk by the terms accepted at booking, so standard liability does not pay for breakage — only purchased cargo insurance covering fragile transit damage does. We assist in filing whichever claim applies, but the decision sits with the carrier or insurer.
Should I declare a lower value so my receiver pays less duty?
No — the declared value is also the ceiling on any insurance payout and the number claims are validated against, and customs can penalise mis-declaration independently. Lowering it trades a small duty saving for losing most of your protection.
How long do I have to file a damage claim?
Each carrier stipulates its own window from delivery, and late claims are rejected mechanically — so treat it as days, not weeks. Report to us the same day the receiver finds damage, with photos taken before the box was fully unpacked.
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