Common Hidden Shipping Costs You May Not Know About
Hidden shipping costs can apply on many courier and delivery transactions. Although, these are mostly necessary costs that are just a part of the whole transaction. Things get worse when you don’t get told about these hidden shipping costs. This is a mistake many courier companies actually do end up committing. However, hidden costs in shipping will inevitably occur depending on different factors.
Also, these hidden costs are usually something many people don’t know about. This is why, when they pop up suddenly, you may find yourself wondering about the higher prices. It’s best for shipping companies to state all their prices and costs upfront. Here are some hidden shipping costs that not many people are aware of and cause a lot of discomfort:
Customs and Duties for International or European Delivery
One of the most overlooked and potentially substantial hidden cost is customs and duties. However, this is not actually the fault of a courier service. International shipping will require customs and duties to be paid for electronics and many other products. Although, it is a hidden shipping cost you don’t know.
Crossing international borders, certain types of products are always subject to custom duties. Mobile phones, laptops, vehicles and many other types of products get charged duties. Courier companies usually fail to inform their customers. End receivers will have to pay duties and customs.
Also, informing these customs and duties cost is not always easy as well. Duty or customs may vary from country to country and from product to product. However, declaring these hidden shipping costs and their inclusion upfront might be the best way to go for courier companies.
Additional Fees in the Invoice
Many times, some type of additional fees and costs might be added to your courier invoice. It might only say additional fees as well depending on who you get your service from. So, make sure to ask for more details regarding these additional fees anytime you see them.
Expedited fees might get added. However, they may not always be needed. If you don’t need these, make sure to get them cleared up without having to pay not needed fees. Unnecessary charges and costs will end up making your invoices more expensive than they should.
Also, additional fees for specific zip codes or delivery locations might also be added. Regional surcharges for different times of the year can also occur. Be sure to choose your courier service carefully and avoid hidden shipping costs that you can.
Insurance for Delivery Items
Did you get any optional insurance for your delivery packages or items? Are there additional insurance costs added in your invoice when you didn’t ask for any? Although not very common, this can sometimes be the case. Costs added for insurance when you don’t want any is very real.
Shipping companies try to inflate the invoice by adding insurance costs without you knowing. Also, inflated insurances with overcharging can also come up. Insurance should be specific to your delivery item sizes, values and other specifics.
These hidden shipping costs can actually have a huge impact on the overall amount you pay. Only pay for insurance that you need and how much you need. Check your bill carefully before blindly paying for it. Get your insurance cost reduced if it looks more than it should.
Rate Spikes and Dramatic Increases
Did you get hit by rate spikes? This is pretty common as well. You book your shipping consignment at one cost and the rate goes up the same or next day. This is not so much the case when you get same day courier service. However, with next day courier or regular shipping, it can be.
Rate spikes can occur at different times of the year. Especially, on festive times or very busy special sales times of the year, you can encounter rate hikes in courier charges. Black Friday sales, St. Patrick Day sales etc., tend to get courier rate spikes. Similarly, Christmas, Halloween and all other holidays too.
And these rate spikes are not specific to any one courier company. You will see them almost across the board. However, with the right service provider and prior notice, you should be able to avoid these hidden shipping costs. Rate hikes can cause some pretty hefty gains in courier costs too.
Too Many Failed Attempts and Reshipping
Another hidden cost for courier service might happen when the service providers need to visit many times. Often, wrongly printed, written or missing parts of an address can cause such a problem. Courier companies have routing systems that calculate routes based on the contents of their vehicles.
When they have to visit the same location many times for one parcel, they would have to put in the extra effort. Also, this extra effort will be charged on part of the customer as well. Few failed attempts can be covered inside their initial costs. Too many of them will incur hidden shipping costs.
Be sure to write or print your delivery addresses correctly. Also, writing instructions including contact numbers is always a great idea. This way, your courier service provider will be able to call the recipient up and plan their drop off beforehand.
Beecrown Logistics Keeps You Updated with Transparency
Beecrown Logistics is one of the most professional courier services in UK. We have the largest fleet of delivery vehicles available to ship all your packages and parcels. We make sure to keep our clients updated with all hidden shipping costs at all times.
If there is even a chance of a hidden costs being added to your invoice, we make sure to inform in advance. Our transparency and low-cost shipping in UK service is second to none. We have professionals who help provide the best cheapest courier in UK service for all needs.
Whether shipping with European Courier service or any other international shipping, we will inform you of possible custom charges. Our invoices tend to be the most accurate in the industry. Call us now or fill our quick form to get more help for your parcel shipping needs.