The preparation of good packaging to protect items and avoid damage during transport is essential and the responsibility of the seller.
Below are some recommendations on how to package the items you ship:
- Use appropriate boxes or envelopes. Make sure the packaging isn’t defective or damaged and that there is enough space both for the item and to protect it. If you don’t have an appropriate box for the shipment, we recommend buying one (this charge is not included in the shipping costs).
- Use interior protection. Try not to leave any gaps to avoid having the item move inside the box and place it in the centre. You can use bubble wrap, porexpan, strips of paper, corrugated cardboard. If the shipment contains several items, wrap each one separately and use corrugated cardboard or dividers between them.
- Seal the package correctly. Check that the box is fully closed and sealed to prevent it from opening up or having the contents fall out. It’s best to use an extra pass of tape, to use wide tape of at least 50 mm, and to cover the edges to prevent any moisture from entering.
When packaging fragile items, the presence of box handling instructions (Fragile, Do Not Stack, This Way Up and/or similar) does not imply Wallapop’s acceptance of responsibility for any breakage during transport. Please also note that newspaper or bubble wrap is not considered adequate protection for fragile items.
Here are some tips on how to pack items more susceptible to damage in transport:
Bicycles
- You should disassemble the handlebars, pedals and saddle, protect them with padded material (bubble wrap or foam) and secure them with cable ties to prevent any damage or loss of parts.
- We recommend finding a box for shipping bicycles in and wrapping your shipment in plastic.
Crockery / Ceramics / Porcelain
- Prepare a padded bed at the bottom of the box.
- Wrap each item individually with bubble wrap of Kraft paper.
- Fill in any gaps in the box.
- Make sure to seal the bottom tightly so it doesn’t give way under the weight of the item and allow anything to fall out and break.
Furniture / Electrical appliances
- If possible, disassemble the item.
- Put small parts in a bag and attach it to the inside of the box to prevent them from getting lost.
- Protect the corners.
- We recommend finding a box to ship the item in and to avoid wrapping it in plastic.
- If you’re shipping a mirror or an item that features glass, we recommend using tape to make a cross over the front to prevent breakages and the mirror shattering in case of damage. It’s also important to cover the mirror/glass with cardboard and to use protective packaging (blankets, sheets or bubble wrap) to keep it secure.
Electronics
- We recommend putting the item in its original box and then placing this into a new box that can hold the size of the original packaging.