Ship Perfume
Whether you're selling perfume or giving it as a gift, shipping fragrance requires a few extra precautions to make sure the recipient doesn't get a broken, fragrant mess.
Steps
- Check if there are any restrictions in your country (or the country you're shipping to) regarding perfume. The US Postal Service, for example, considers perfume to be a hazardous material and has some restrictions on shipping it (you can call 1-800-ASK-USPS for details). Although it is unlikely you will get caught, make sure you fully understand the legal repercussions before deciding to ship it. As an alternative, it is generally legal to ship fragranced body powder. If you plan to ship perfume internationally, you should know:
- There is a possibility that your package will be opened by customs and, if the country you're sending it to does not allow perfume to be shipped in, it will be sent back to you.
- Depending on the destination, it's possible that you MUST ship it by air and your bottles could become damaged in un-pressurized cargo holds. The perfume will probably be fine, but there is a risk.
- Assemble your materials, outlined in the "Things You'll Need" list below.
- Keep all bottles inside the boxes they came in if possible.
- Decide how much perfume you would like to ship. Don't ship too much in one carton! No more than 20 single bottles or six gift sets should be shipped in a carton.
- Select an appropriately sized shipping carton. It should be able to hold the perfume you want to ship plus some extra room for adequate padding of each bottle or gift set.
- Use lots of packing material for padding. If you are only shipping a few bottles, make sure they are surrounded by enough packing material that they can not bump up against each other en route. If you are shipping a good number of bottles or gift sets, it is okay to put them together in one corner of your shipping carton. Fill all extra space with as much packing material as possible without cramming or forcing it in.
- Tape the carton securely shut. You don't have to go overboard with the tape, but do use enough so that it is sufficiently sealed and won't pop open if the delivery driver hits a bump. It should be possible to shake it (lightly) and not hear anything jostling around inside. It will be helpful to write "Handle With Care" on the carton with a black marker.
- You are ready to ship! Take it to your nearest post office, UPS, or FedEx store. Select ground shipping only. There is a possibility that if you use air delivery, the bottle will crack or break in the un-pressurized cargo hold. Or if it doesn't break, the spray nozzle or the tube inside the bottle could become damaged by the change in air pressure so that it will not spray properly or at all.
- Inform the clerk that the carton contains glass and must be handled with care.
Tips
- If at all possible, keep the bottles inside their original boxes, as they will provide extra protection for the delicate glass and usually have cardboard inserts that keep the bottle in place. If you must ship bottles with no boxes, wrap each one individually in bubble wrap or a thick layer of newspaper. If you are shipping more than one bottle with no box, do not place them together inside the carton. Separate them with packing material so that they cannot bump against each other and break.
- When shipping gift sets, it is helpful to tape down each item--perfume bottle, body lotion, shower gel, travel size, etc.--to the holding tray inside so that nothing pops out en route. Only do this, however, for sets shipped to friends and family for added protection. It would be unprofessional to do this if you're shipping something from your business--just make sure there's plenty of padding to keep the set's lid on tight!
- When selecting a shipping carton, there should not be huge amounts of extra space left over once your perfume is inside or too little space to allow for sufficient amounts of packing material.
- Get enough insurance on your package to cover the costs if something should happen and your bottles break.
- When shipping to a customer, always include a business card, a note thanking the customer for his or her purchase, and a few sample vials of something new to keep them coming back!
Warnings
- UPS, FedEx and USPS prohibit perfume and cologne traveling air as they can be hazardous and explode. Should there be any incidents you could be in big trouble. It is not recommended to use a used shoe box as shown, these boxes are not intended for shipping and can be easily crushed. You also should not wrap a box in paper as shown, it can tear and be removed in sorting and cause the package to be lost. Use a corrugated cardboard box.
Things You'll Need
- Perfume, of course!
- Appropriately sized shipping carton
- Padding or packing materials including air packs, bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, shredded or wadded up newspaper
- Packing tape
- A black or dark marker
- Sufficient postage
