How to Reduce Product Damage in Shipping: A Seller’s Checklist

Indian courier networks are fast, but they're not gentle. Parcels get stacked in vans, sorted on belts, thrown into bags and dropped at the doorstep. Your packaging has to survive all of that. A "damaged" return costs you the product, shipping both ways and often a bad review.

Here's how sellers who ship glass, cosmetics, electronics and home décor keep damage low.

1. Polybag or box?

A polybag protects from water, dust and opening. It doesn't protect from crushing or impact. Use a box for:

• Glass, ceramic, mirrors, photo frames
• Perfumes, cosmetics, liquids, oils
• Electronics and accessories with screens or circuits
• Shoes (ship the shoebox inside an outer carton or bag, never bare)
• Toys, books with hard covers, anything with sharp corners

Amazon Shipping India's guidelines say the same: wrap fragile items in cushioning, double-box heavy items, and use outer packaging even if the product has its own manufacturer box.

2. Pick the box strength by weight

Box	Use for
3 ply	Light items under about 1 kg that aren't fragile: books, small toys, boxed accessories
5 ply	Most e-commerce products from about 1 to 5 kg, and fragile items that are light
7 ply	Heavy items, glass and ceramics, multi-item orders, anything that gets stacked

These are thumb rules. The paper quality matters as much as the ply count, so press the box sides with your thumb. A good box springs back.

3. Leave room for cushioning, not empty space

The box should be about 2 inches (5 cm) bigger than the product on every side. That space gets filled with cushioning, not air.

• Bubble wrap: wrap the product in two layers, bubbles facing in. Use heavier bubble wrap for glass and heavy items.
• Void fill: crumpled paper, extra bubble wrap or air pillows in the gaps, so nothing moves when you shake the box.
• Separate items: in multi-item orders, wrap each item on its own so they don't hit each other.

Shake test: close the box and shake it. If you hear or feel movement, add more fill.

4. Tape it properly

Use the H method: one strip along the centre seam, and one across each edge seam. Press the tape down firmly. For heavy boxes, use wider or two layers of tape on the bottom. Don't use plastic strapping; Amazon Shipping's guidelines say it damages packaging and sorting machinery.

5. Mark it fragile

"Fragile" or "Handle with care" tape and stickers don't guarantee gentle handling, but they help, and they show the customer and the marketplace that you packed with care. Put the fragile sticker on the top and sides, not over the label.

6. Don't make the parcel too big or too heavy

Oversized boxes get more shipping charge and more crushing. Amazon Shipping, for example, asks to keep items under 18 kg and within 70 × 70 × 45 cm. Check your box size against volumetric weight with the volumetric weight calculator before choosing a bigger box.

7. Drop-test before you scale

Before shipping a new product in volume, pack one exactly as you will ship it and drop it from about waist height onto each face, edge and corner. Open it. If anything is damaged, add cushioning or move up a ply. This 10-minute test saves dozens of returns.

8. Keep proof

Take a photo or video of the packed parcel and its weight before handover. If the parcel arrives crushed, that proof helps your claim with the marketplace or courier.

For other return reasons beyond damage, see ecommerce packaging to reduce returns.