Under our terms and conditions — accepted at registration — packages addressed to our facilities may be opened and inspected. This allows us to identify your goods, confirm they can be shipped safely and legally, and prepare them correctly for international transport.
In practice, what we open depends on what's needed to identify your goods and meet safety and customs requirements.
How We Open Packages
Our standard approach is to open packaging only until we reach the sealed manufacturer packaging inside:
- We open outer and retailer packaging (for example, an Amazon or eBay shipping box) to verify the contents and locate the original product packaging.
- We stop at the manufacturer's sealed product packaging (for example, a sealed iPhone box). We don't break, remove, or tamper with manufacturer seals as part of standard inspection.
One exception: if there's a reasonable suspicion that a shipment contains prohibited, restricted, undeclared, or illegal items, we may carry out further inspection to verify the contents. This can include opening packaging beyond the standard process where necessary.
Our Legal and Safety Obligations as Your Forwarder
In line with international shipping laws, courier policies, and our status as a certified forwarding facility, we open packages to:
- Verify contents — confirm items match the customs declaration and aren't on our Prohibited or Restricted Items list (for example, aerosols, loose lithium batteries, or flammables).
- Check for damage — if a box arrives crushed or leaking, we open it to document the condition and notify you.
- Maintain security — as a certified facility feeding the global aviation network, we must ensure no illegal or dangerous goods enter it.
Each country we operate in has its own laws on postal and courier deliveries, including rules on interference with mail, misdelivery, and misuse of postal services. Because of the range of items we receive, we open parcels addressed to our facilities to check them. For full details of what can and can't be shipped, see our Prohibited Items and Restricted Items lists.
When We May Need More Information From You
Sometimes we need extra detail to handle your goods correctly:
- Items with unclear contents (for example, anything that may contain an internal battery) — we may ask you to upload the original purchase invoice so we can identify the exact product on the manufacturer's website. This lets us obtain compliance information such as Safety Data Sheets (SDS) that may be required to ship certain goods internationally.
- Products we can't easily identify, where this could affect handling or resale value — we may ask your permission to open the goods as a courtesy, so we can handle them appropriately and you can give us any specific instructions.
- Gift-wrapped packages — we may open gift wrapping as far as needed to identify the contents. If opening it is likely to cause damage, we'll try to contact you first to confirm how you'd like us to proceed.
What We Aim Not to Open
We understand that for many items — collectibles, electronics, high-end cosmetics — a broken manufacturer seal reduces the value. Wherever possible, we keep the inner manufacturer packaging intact. Unless you specifically ask us to check inside the product box, or compliance and safety require it, the factory seal stays untouched.
Related Services
- Combine and Repack — if you choose this service, we open outer retailer boxes to remove excess air and cardboard. Manufacturer packaging is usually kept intact unless you request otherwise, or it's needed to fit items into a smaller carton. See Combine and Repack Options.
- Package Photo — you can request this service in your account. We open the box to photograph the contents, so you can confirm the retailer sent the correct item before it ships.
If you have further questions, please contact our Customer Experience team.