A guide to: Sending large and heavy parcels

ipostparcels will carry parcels weighing up to 25kg through our network to all over the UK and Republic of Ireland or internationally to 160 countries. Why struggle taking your heavy and large items to the post office when we can collect from your door? Arrange collection from your home of work address for added convenience.

Delivering your parcel safely and in good time is our priority; we aim to make using ipostparcels a positive experience for both sender and recipient, with an easy to use and reliable service at a great price.

Whether you’re sending a large or heavy parcel to somewhere in the UK or abroad, there are a number of things you can do to help ensure it arrives in the same condition it was sent. As the sender, it’s up to you to make sure the large parcel you’re sending is well protected and packaged securely. If it’s bound for Manchester, Milan, Madurai, Memphis or Melbourne, taking the time to package your parcel correctly will pay dividends!

Using some good old fashioned common sense along with the tips below, you can be sure your parcel will arrive in good shape;

Wrap each item inside the parcel individually – use bubble wrap and tape wrapped tightly around fragile items before placing in an outer box or container to help protect them
Protect the contents with a strong outer box or container - use polystyrene or foam chips or pellets, crumpled newspaper or shredded cardboard to fill up any extra space to reduce movement
We strongly suggest polystyrene protection for heavier items – particularly on edges and corners
Seal the outer container with strong tape - seal along all openings of the box or container and all the way around any seams, using strong tape of 40-50mm wide
Remember to fasten labels securely to the outside of the box - if you have invoices, they must be signed, placed in an envelope and fixed to the box / container

Whilst every care is taken to ensure your parcels are handled with care, standard courier transportation knocks do happen on moving vehicles and aircraft. Conveyer belt systems and parcel sorting machines are largely automated - although heavy and large items are often manually handled at several stages as they may be too big to go through our automated sortation hub - internal protection and a strong outer box is essential to be covered for damage via our services.

Important! If the packaging used for your large or heavy parcel is not suitable or sufficient, your goods at risk of being damaged or lost in transit and you may not be able to claim compensation. If your goods damage other parcels in our care due to packaging negligence, we may seek to recoup any losses.

Included on all courier services:

Free £25 contents cover on all UK and ROI orders
Free £50 contents cover on all International orders
Collection of your parcel from your home or business address
Fully tracked online service and delivery notifications for you and your recipient

It is highly recommended that you upgrade the free contents cover if your parcel is more valuable than the cover amount. If you don’t, you won’t be able to claim compensation, should something happen to your parcel in transit.

Large, XL and XXL or heavy parcel delivery in the UK or to Republic of Ireland

Cheap next day parcel collection and delivery on all large parcel sizes up to 15kg, 20kg or 25kg – with maximum dimensions applicable, dependent on the weight of the parcel; see below for more information and details on volumetric weight.

* Depot drop off

Large parcel next day UK delivery up to 15kg only £7.99 + VAT (£6.74 depot drop off)
Extra-large parcel next day UK delivery up to 20kg only £10.99 + VAT (£9.74 depot drop off)
Extra extra-large parcel next day UK delivery up to 25kg only £12.99 + VAT (£11.74 depot drop off)

Large, XL and XXL or heavy parcel delivery to international destinations

Send large parcels up to 25kg, provided it doesn’t exceed the maximum dimensions, we can ship through our network to over 160 countries worldwide.

XXL parcel international delivery prices start from just £11.74 + VAT.

What is volumetric weight?

The volumetric weight of a parcel is: its length x width x height in centimetres (cm) divided by 5000.

If your parcel's volumetric weight exceeds the actual weight of your parcel then you’ll be charged the volumetric weight price. Sounds tricky? Don’t worry, all you have to do is enter the correct weight and dimensions of your parcel into our quick quote or booking form and we’ll work it all out for you.

Prohibited items and international invoices

When sending abroad, make sure you read the information on restricted goods and prohibited items and have all the necessary paperwork for the country you are sending to; see related content below for help with what’s not allowed to be sent in the post, packaging advice and completing the relevant invoices.