Coronavirus FAQs - Sending and Receiving Parcels  

Yes, you can. In fact, with the rising concerns about loneliness and the impact the lockdown is having on mental health, postal and courier services are a vital part of communicating with the outside world. Sending a parcel to someone who’s isolated might be the most valuable thing you can do right now.

If you’re thinking of sending a package, either within the UK or overseas, you may not want to risk a trip to the Post Office and you don’t need to. Our door to door delivery services are operating as usual, so you can book a courier collection from your home. All you need to do is package your item and print and attach your shipping label.    

Due to airline travel restrictions and cancellations, customers could experience delays when sending parcels internationally, therefore, most major carriers, including the Parcelforce, FedEx and UPS, have temporarily suspended service guarantees. 

This situation is fluid and changes daily, but where we have been informed of delays, we have reflected this in the transit times stated in our quote results.

We are currently not aware of any service delays for sending parcels within the UK.

Yes, you will. However, to minimise the risk to our customers and courier partners, consignees will not be required to sign for deliveries during this time. The courier will sign on their behalf and may take a photographic record of the delivery.

If you are sending a parcel to a business address, then it is your responsibility to check that the recipient will be available to receive it. If the business is closed and there is no one there to receive the package, it will be returned to the sender. 

Government advice states that you must have a licence to export PPE. If you do not have a license for this type of goods, your shipment may be seized or returned. You can find out how to apply for a licence here.

There is some disruption among UK retailers following mounting pressure to protect warehouse staff. Some retailers, such as The Perfume Shop have ceased selling online at this time, while other high-street names, such as Next, are restricting the number of orders they’ll accept per day.

Other popular retailers like River Island and Schuh, are still trading online but advising customers of longer delivery times due to reduced staff levels.

This situation is changeable so the best thing to do is check with the retailer directly.

Concerns were raised early on about the risk of Coronavirus being spread via letters and parcels, but although COVID-19 can survive on surfaces, both The World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised that the risks of catching Coronavirus from a parcel are low. 

The World Health Organization has stated: "The likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package that has been moved, travelled and exposed to different conditions and temperature is also low."

The CDC states: "In general, because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures." Currently, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods."

How can I minimise my risk further?

If you are worried about receiving packages, there are several measures you can take to further minimise your risk: 

• Disinfect the parcel with an alcohol-based wipe before opening it
• Minimise your contact with the parcel
• Wash your hands thoroughly after opening
• Quickly discard empty packaging