Prepare your Household Appliances for Shipping in six easy steps
Sold a large household item and need to prepare it for shipment? We always procrastinate shipping large household items. The main reason is how to prepare those items for pickup. Make sure your items such as furniture, stoves, washing machines or refrigerators are packed and ready for pickup. Prepare your Household Appliances for Shipping in six easy steps. Perhaps you sold the item on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay, or it’s a brand new purchase from Costco, Walmart, HomeGoods, or any retailer, preparing these items for shipment is the most important part of the transaction.
The six tips below will help you ensure your large items are properly prepared for shipping. If you are using an ondemand delivery app, it is important your items are properly prepared for pickup and delivery.
Unplug any Power or Network Connections
Disconnect any wired connection on the appliance. This is very important for household appliances that utilize electricity, or network connections. Items such as washing machines, stoves, and electronics fall into this category. If the cables are fully removable, bundle them up using duct tape or a ziploc bag, label and put them inside any available compartments on the appliance.
Pack the Manuals and the cables together
If you still have the manuals, ensure they are packed together with the cables. This is important for the recipient at the final destination. you don’t want to be mailing manuals or having the recipient scouring the internet for the manuals because they never arrived with the appliance. This is why many sellers on marketplaces get negative reviews. “I got the machine, but no cables or manuals”. Don’t end up with 3-stars because you didn’t include what makes the appliance work.
Wipe Down the Appliance
This takes 5 minutes. Clean the appliance to ensure your delivery person and final recipient come in contact with a well prepared item. Nobody likes a dirty or dust covered item, especially if they just paid for it. Since the world of trade has moved into a meritocracy based on user reviews and feedback, you don’t want to be known for sending dust covered items to your buyers.
Wrap it using bubble Wrap and Duct Tape
For safety and protection against scratched and dents, use bubble wrap and tape. If possible, box it! This makes it easier for your delivery person to pick up and load the item. It also ensures the item is compact and easily transportable.
Include the Label or Invoice
Attach the proof of sale to the item once you have completed the packaging. Using regular tape, you should always as a final step attach the invoice or shipping label to the item prior to pickup. Tape the doors shut. If you are using one of the major carriers like FedEx or UPS, you will already have the label generated. If you are using an ondemand delivery app like Phlatbed, then you should attach the invoice or sale item to the shipment. Delivery apps will already have all your shipment information inside the app.
Place the Item as close to the door as possible
Unless you have specified in your shipment the need to move the item from inside your home or office, always stage the item as close to the door as possible. If it’s a same day pickup, place it on the front porch if you can. Delivery professionals do not like surprises. If your building has an elevator, specify this in your delivery request. The more prepared your item is, the easier it is for your shipper, and the higher you will be rated by your buyer or recipient.
Now, get selling and delivering items stress-free!
In Other News….Ryan Reynolds tried assembling an IKEA chair…
If he used Phlatbed to deliver it, he would have had more time to read the manual! Don’t be like Ryan Reynolds
