Frequently Asked Questions

As a freight forwarder, we are able to negotiate discounted rates with major carriers for air freight, sea freight and door-to-door parcel delivery.

We also deal with the logistics on your behalf, by arranging the necessary documentation and labels, filing insurance, and also arranging the storage of your goods for some services. Through our site, you can track your orders, print off labels and invoices, and even shop for packaging supplies.

There are three big reasons to book with Bunsoy Services Ltd.

Number one: our rates are massively reduced from standard carrier prices and could save you up to 70%.

Number two: the booking process is smooth and simple, with a wealth of information on the website to guide you if needed.

And number three: our Customer Services team are always on hand to ensure that you are able to talk to a human should you have any queries.

We believe that exceptional customer experience puts us ahead of our competitors, as well as the fact that booking with us is far cheaper and easier than going to carriers directly.

We liaise with carriers at every step of the way and will do our very best to ensure that your delivery arrives safely and on time. We pride ourselves on our award-winning Customer Services team who are more than happy to take your call during office hours if you have any problems at all.

However, customers should be aware there are some circumstances beyond our control if cargos are delayed that we have no control over as freight forwarders.

Similarly, we cannot influence Customs. You should familiarise yourself with the customs regulations for your destination country before you attempt to book a delivery. If customs duties and taxes are required, the carrier will be in contact with the recipient directly (with some exceptions—please see specific service information).

For air and sea freight orders, our agents at the destination port may apply their own charges in addition to the amount quoted by Bunsoy Services Ltd.

We will always do what we can to open lines of communication and to keep you informed. 

For further information, please see our full terms and conditions.

As the sender of goods, it is your responsibility to check the following:

1. To ensure that your goods are not prohibited.
2. To ensure that you are familiar with the customs regulations of your destination country.
3. To ensure that your goods are sufficiently packaged and labelled accordingly, liquids must be packed separately from other goods .
   
4. To ensure that the contents of your goods are declared in full.
5. To provide accurate weight and dimensions.

You will be responsible, and subject to charges, if problems arise due to failure to meet any of the above conditions. Please see our full terms and conditions for more information.

Our services operate from our warehouse in Botolph Claydon and a branch office in Milton Keynes . You can drop off your parcels or book for a collection service from your door.

We can send our dedicated vehicle or use a third party transporter for collection depending on your needs and availability.

You can book a single collection for multiple parcels for any of these services with only  one collection fee.

You can get a free, no-obligation quote through our website. Simply enter your destination country, along with the weight and dimensions of your parcel. Be sure to include accurate postcodes in the quote for a preview of any relevant surcharges.

To obtain an accurate quote, we require both the weight and dimensions of each item of your consignment. You can still use our easy quote tool to get an estimate based on rough weight and dimensions, but please note that the price may not be accurate unless you provide the exact details.

For information on how to accurately weigh and measure your parcels, please see our weighing and measuring guide.

Your quote results page will expire after 20 minutes. Saved quotes will record the details of your consignment only, not the tariffs at the time of saving.

You have the option to select "parcel" or "document" when entering your quote details. Selecting "document" will give you a quote for all services with which documents can be sent.

There are extra services for documents only, which are usually cheaper than their non-document counterparts.

Also, documents do not require customs invoices (also known as packing lists) for shipments to countries outside of the EU.

Yes, you will need to enter weight and dimensions for documents. Please refer to our weighing and measuring FAQ.

We can do this but any request for import must be requested via e-mail

Air freight is transported by cargo aircraft, while sea freight is transported by cargo ships.

In general, air freight is used for time-sensitive shipments, but it is the more expensive option. By contrast, sea freight usually more economical than air freight (and sometimes even cheaper than door-to-door courier services) but it takes longer.

However, sea freight is generally not economical for small shipments because the destination charges will make it cost-ineffective.

Yes. Whether you’re shipping commercial cargo or personal effects, you don’t necessarily need to be shipping a full container to make use of sea freight as an economical option.

Select the LCL (less than a container load) option when entering your quote details.

LCL is less than a container load, for which you are required to specify the weight and dimensions of each piece in your consignment.

The terms “consolidated” and “back to back” refer to the way in which space is booked on an air freight carrier.

“Consolidated” refers to space pre-booked by an agent. Because it is booked in advance, the cost is generally reduced. As the destination handling agent is pre-assigned for consolidated services, if a customer wishes to use their own broker they must use the “back to back” service.

“Back to back” refers to bookings made directly with the airlines; i.e. it’s not “consolidated” with other shipments.

We are unable to quote destination charges as they can vary according to destination, commodity and agent. Agents will base their prices for destination handling on minimum cubic metres (CBMs), which vary according to the above. These are regulations over which we have no control.

However, if you contact us prior to booking, we can provide you with the details of the destination agent, so that you can look into charges before proceeding with the booking.

Once you have a quote for your parcel, you can proceed to book with your chosen service. On the quote results page, simply click Book and you will be taken step by step through the rest of the booking process.

To make a booking, you will need the full street address for both collection and delivery, or the shipper and consignee addresses even if you are not sending door-to-door. This includes contact phone numbers, which must be local to the addresses provided.

You will also need to provide a detailed list of the contents of your parcel, along with the values of each item. Businesses will need to provide EORI and VAT numbers if relevant.

You do not need to register to get a quote. However, you will need to register to make a booking.

You can save your quote details by clicking Save on the quote results page. However, you cannot currently save your booking partway through the booking process. After booking, your order details will be saved to your account.

You can do this through the request a quote section on the website or you can send us an e-mail  

An Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number is a number assigned to you by the HMRC (or other local state department) to identify you as an importer or exporter to and from the UK or the EU. It’s used by the HMRC to track all of your shipments.

From 1st January 2021, businesses will need to register for a UK-specific EORI number starting with the letters GB. You can register online. You will need a separate EU EORI number for any import or export declarations made within EU countries. For the EU number, you can make your application to whichever member state you deal with first.

An EORI number should only be required for commercial shipments, but you can also apply for an EORI number as an individual or sole trader. One EORI number is valid for all shipments.

A Commodity Code, also known as a Harmonising (HS) Code or a Tariff Code, is an eight or ten-digit number that classifies your goods to ensure that you pay the right taxes and duties on them.

From 1st January 2021, commodity codes will be required for all international shipments to and from the UK. This includes EU countries.

While the codes themselves are generally only required for commercial shipments, we advise that you should always include descriptions of your goods in the fields provided during booking, to ensure a smooth delivery.

Failure to provide a commodity code may result in delay if the carrier requires this information.

You can use the GOV.uk website to find the right Commodity Codes. Ahead of the changes in 2021, you can check future tariffs for UK imports.

All carriers handle parcels with the same standardised level of care. As such, any additional consignment information that is not requested during the booking process is likely to be ignored by the carriers. This includes FRAGILE or orientation ("this way up") labels. Parcels may be stacked and are processed through automated sortation centres using conveyors and chutes, and you will need to package your items securely.

Yes. You can add new users to your account by clicking on Account Users under My Account, and entering the details of a new person.

You can choose to give them either Read Only or Full Access. Full Access will give them administrative rights, allowing them to edit account settings (such as billing address, payment details and credit) and add new users.

Read Only access will allow them to view invoices and orders and make bookings, but not edit account details.

To edit a saved collection or delivery address, click on Manage Address Book in My Account. You can make changes to or delete an existing address. New addresses will need to be added (and optionally saved) during the booking process.

You can pay for bookings or shop orders by card, PayPal or pre-paid credit. You will have the option to select payment method at the end of the booking process.

Payment card details can be stored on the secure card payment platform we use. You will have the option to save card details during the booking process.

You can manage your saved payment options via your privacy and data settings. You can remove saved cards here, but new cards can only be added during the booking process.

Our payment platform is audited by Trust wave, an independent Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) and an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) for the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council. This is also Level 1 compliant with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), which is the highest level.

A Customs Invoice is used to assist with customs clearance. It is also referred to as a packing list, pro forma invoice or commercial invoice.

A Customs Invoice should detail your consignment as accurately as possible to avoid any clearance delays. It is a mandatory requirement for shipping goods outside of the EU.

From 1st January 2021, all shipments between the UK and the EU will require a customs invoice / packing list.

From 1st January 2021, all shipments between the UK and the EU will require a customs invoice / packing list. Until that date, a customs invoice is not required.

A customs invoice is not required when sending between EU countries.

For most services, we state that you will need four copies of your Customs Invoice in accordance with the official word from our carriers, though you may be told by the driver or depot that not all of them are required.

The number of copies required may vary between services. Please follow the labelling instructions for your specific service.

For deliveries outside of the EU, the recipient may be required to pay customs duties, taxes or fees. We are generally not involved in this process (with some exceptions—please see specific service info), and as such customs fees will not be included in your quote. The carrier will be in touch with the recipient directly and the relevant Customs office will retain your items until the fees are paid.

Sometimes the carrier will pay duties and taxes on behalf of the receiver and recover the costs on delivery (sometimes referred to as "cash on delivery"). When this happens, the invoice to the receiver will be from the carrier, not customs.

You will need to check the customs regulations for your destination country to see if you are likely to have to pay customs charges, which may depend on the nature or size of your consignment. Whilst we are able to acquire updates from Customs via our carriers, we are not able to influence their policies or decisions.

From 1st January 2021, all shipments between the UK and the EU will be subject to customs duties and taxes.

UK domestic shipments, exports to EU countries and imports from EU countries include VAT (value-added tax of 20%) as an additional charge. Quotes will list the subtotal of your booking ‘+ VAT’ if it applies. The actual amount will be listed in your Order Overview before your booking is confirmed.

Please refer to Gov.uk for a full list of EU countries. Special territories such as the Canary Islands, Channel Islands and Monaco are exempt from VAT.

We are not normally involved with the handling of customs duties and taxes, except for our import services, in which case we would raise an invoice on the customer’s account.

If you are not an existing Bunsoy Services Ltd customer, or if you are not expecting to receive a delivery and do not know the sender, any emails purporting to be from Bunsoy Services Ltd are most likely fraudulent.

The documentation required varies from service to service. For door-to-door courier services, we will automatically generate your documentation for you when you make your booking. After you have made your booking, we will email you instructions regarding the documents required.

For air and sea freight services, we will manually generate your documentation and email it to you.

If you don’t have a printer, we can send your documentation to you via the driver or we can give you the reference number to write on the parcel / luggage . Please let us know by e-mail and we can arrange this for you at least 24hours before your collection date.

Your documents should be generated and emailed to you within an hour of booking. If you have not received your documents, or if they are not accessible via your account, please contact us.

If bookings are placed outside of working hours and labels are not available, they will be sent on the following business day.

Yes, is possible that the driver can provide the shipping label at the point of collection.

Please use the labels and reference provided by Bunsoy Services Ltd. If you do not have a printer, you can arrange for us to mail the documents to you.

While the drivers may carry manual shipping labels, we must insist that our pre-printed labels are used in order to avoid billing complications.

You can insure your goods against loss or damage, up to a maximum value declared in your policy. All consignments are covered free of charge up to a value of £50, unless they are classed as a No Compensation item. You can purchase additional cover to insure goods up to a maximum value of £2500.

It is not advisable to underinsure, as you will not be adequately covered for the whole value of your goods.

Any payments as a result of insurance claims will be made in Pound Sterling (GBP).

If you are a UK-registered business or entity  sending commercial goods valued over £2500, we  can recommend a company called Chaucer holdings Limited that can offer high value cover for your consignments. Otherwise, you should consider taking out independent freight insurance to cover your goods whilst in transit. 

You will be given the option to add insurance during the booking process and pay for it as part of your booking.

We would never ask for insurance payments via email, from the sender or the receiver. Insurance is always arranged during the booking process.

If you are not an existing Bunsoy Services Ltd customer, or if you are not expecting to receive a delivery and do not know the sender, any emails purporting to be from Bunsoy Services Ltd are most likely fraudulent. .

For door-to-door or door to port delivery, some destinations may attract extra surcharges depending on the location, especially sea Cargos to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Caribbeans and Europe

Typically, surcharges are applied for remote area destinations (places that are difficult for drivers to get to, or must be subcontracted to third parties), overweight or oversized parcels, address changes, and duty reversal (requesting that the sender be charged for customs duties rather than the receiver).

The carrier may also apply surcharges, in addition to any duties and tax you may have to pay, if the shipment requires customs clearance that is not considered “routine”. These charges cannot always be predetermined prior to sending as they will vary, but to give an example: The carrier at destination port will charge for brokerage services such as warehouse storage (if they have to keep your consignment for more than three working days), duty and tax forwarding, and customs inspection due to incidental charges.

Some surcharges are the result of extra handling and administration required due to improper packaging or incorrect information, so please check the requirements. Please also be aware that there are fines for dangerous or prohibited items.

For air and sea freight orders, our agents at the destination port may apply their own charges in addition to the amount quoted by Bunsoy Services Ltd.

If you contact us prior to booking, we can provide you with the details of the destination agent before you proceed.

For parcel deliveries, surcharges will be included in your quote where pertaining to the weight and dimensions of your consignment. Remote area surcharges are also included, but you will need to provide accurate postcodes as part of the quote to view them at the outset.

We have a list of dangerous and prohibited items which is shared by most of our carriers as standard policy.

Each destination country will have its own set of regulations and requirements that you will need to be aware of before attempting to send your goods there.

Perfume is considered a dangerous and hazardous item because it is flammable due to its alcohol content. In the high pressure of an aeroplane’s cargo hold (as opposed to the aircraft cabin where the passengers sit), this is very unsafe.

The decision not to allow the international shipment of perfume is one made by Civil Aviation Authorities and enforced by all carriers.

The ISPM 15 regulation refers to the requirement that all non-manufactured wood be heat-treated, in order to protect certain local ecosystems from foreign insects and disease. To find out which countries this applies to.

There are restrictions on sending devices that use lithium ion batteries. However, you can usually send mobile phones if the battery is transported inside the device.

Restrictions may vary depending on carrier and destination country. We advise that you contact us before proceeding with your booking.

For help with packing your goods, You can either use cortons:
The "shipping carton" is the box in which you place your goods.
Size - make sure the size of your box is appropriate to the content. Overloaded boxes may burst; under-filled boxes are likely to collapse. Strength - be sure to choose boxes strong enough to hold the full weight of your consignment, made of corrugated cardboard and with good quality outer liners. Use heavy duty, double-layered cardboard for valuable items. Check the weight specification of the package, and do not exceed this limit. Quality - always use high quality materials. If reusing old boxes, ensure they are in a good enough condition to withstand the journey and be sure to remove old labels. .

The result of "Length X Width X Height" in CM will give you the dimesions of parcel.

"Volumetric weight" refers to the amount of space that a package occupies. It’s usually relevant when an item is of a large size but weighs relatively little. Your shipment will be charged based on either actual weight or volumetric weight depending on which is largest.

Volumetric weight is calculated for air fright as L X W X H in cm divided by 6000 = kg, while sea cargo cubic meter is calculated as L X W X H in meters to get the final value, our site will automatically calculate these for you once you input the details on the website but you can still do this by yourself to have an idea about the cost before booking on the website.

All carriers handle parcels with the same standardised level of care. Parcels may be stacked and are processed through automated sortation centres using conveyors and chutes. As such, FRAGILE or orientation ("this way up") labels may be ignored. You will need to package your items securely - as a general rule, your parcel should be able to withstand a drop from waist height onto a solid floor.

Most of our cargo  services are door-to-door but we also offer warehouse –to- door services  from our warehouse to customers in case they wants to deliver to us or bring to our warehouse 

You are able to pick a day for collection or the website can automatically select your collection for the next day after your booking

Please note however that collection slot or window cannot be guaranteed. If our courier or driver fails to collect initially, we will rebook the collection for you. This is not always automatic and we will need to be notified.

Drivers will only ring ahead of collection and delivery if we are sending our dedicated Van for collection or delivery. Courier drivers won’t call as they are not typically issued with work phones to make external calls. Unfortunately having to make calls would slow down the whole delivery /collection process.

You will need to be available for the duration of the selected delivery window, which is usually a period of 9am to 5pm unless if otherwise stated for out of office hours collection / Deliveries.

Most couriers may be able to offer a one hour collection window the morning of the collection, with their Predict service, if you have booked more than 24 hours in advance and provided a valid mobile phone number for the recipient.

With 3rd party or courier collection we are not always made aware of failed collections on time but if is our driver we will always know immediately , so if your parcel was not picked up in the given collection window, please get in touch with us. We will rebook the collection at your earliest convenience.

Arrival times are estimated and cannot be guaranteed. However, if your parcel or freight delivery has not been made within the estimated timeframe, please contact us and we will investigate the status of the delivery for you.

Estimated transit times are given as the number of working/business days it will take for your shipment to be delivered. This excludes weekends.

Working days are usually Monday-Friday. However, some countries have a different working week:

Couriers will do their best to fulfil deliveries on time. However, transit times cannot be guaranteed.

You can track your parcel to get a general idea of the progress of your delivery. We are not able to chase drivers throughout the day, but if the driver has not arrived and it is getting close to the “close time”, please feel free to call and we’ll follow it up with the carrier.

Carriers are generally unable to deliver to PO boxes – a full street address and local telephone number are required. There are some exceptions to this rule for African and Middle Eastern countries. You can contact us to confirm.

Unfortunately we are not able to deliver to BFPO addresses

You can track your parcel using our parcel tracker tool.

Once your booking has been made, you can view tracking numbers for all of your orders by selecting Orders from the Account menu. Just click on the tracking number to view tracking details.

Your tracking data will only become available once your parcel has been collected, and in some cases not until it has been processed at the depot.

If your tracking details are still not updating by the end of the following day (after collection), please contact us and we will look into this for you.

If you have a question about delivery, please contact us and we will liaise with the carrier if necessary. We have contacts and account agents within these companies, allowing us to expedite any queries. If approached directly, carriers will often tell you that you need to contact us instead.

We are committed to keeping our promises and achieving our service aims, but we are also realistic and recognise that things don’t always go according to plan.

If you are not happy with the service or advice you have received, we would invite you to contact our Customer Services team who will endeavour to resolve your complaint in a timely manner.

In the unfortunate event that you are not satisfied with the outcome, you can contact our Customer Care team at info@bunsoyservices.com who will investigate further.

If goods have insurance cover in place, claims for loss or damage must be made within a designated time period and meet certain requirements for documentation and evidence. Claims can only be considered if the issue is reported to our customer service team for investigation within 7days of collection or delivery (including day of collection).

All damage claims, or claims for partial loss, must be reported within 7days of the delivery date (including day of delivery). We strongly advise that you contact us as soon as possible, and preferably within 7 days.

For customers without any insurance cover in place, we are also open to investigate the matter and resolution may be made based on goodwill kind gesture but there is no guarantee that claims will be accepted or compensated.

If you wish to cancel an order, please contact us immediately. A full refund will be issued for orders that are cancelled prior to collection.

PayPal refunds will be received on the same day that they are processed. However, refunds for card payments can take up to 2-3 days to clear, depending on your bank.

If you have received an email or SMS purportedly from Bunsoy Services Ltd and you are not expecting a parcel, do not know the sender, or are simply unsure if the message is from us, or contact us

You can read more on some of the recent fraudulent attempts that have taken place in our fraud report.

You can purchase heavy-duty cardboard boxes, bespoke cases and crates, printers and labels, bubblewrap and tape and accessories from our shop.

Bunsoy Services Ltd is always on the lookout for a forward-thinking new partner—whether trade user, supplier or affiliate. If you think we could benefit from working together, you can reach us at info@bunsoyservices.com.

To find out how we use your data, please see our privacy policy and Terms and Conditions..

You can change your privacy and communication settings via your account. These include emailing options, saved payment options, and order history management for order details older than 12 months.