Declared Value: It's More Valuable Than You Know

Here's a lesson in how to feel good about your shipment. One of the puzzling elements of the application for delivery (whether you're filling it out at our facility or online at our website) is the item called "declared value." Miami courier services want to take the guesswork out of everything for you, including that, so a little explanation is called for here.

"Declared value" is not, and shouldn't be, much different from the actual value of an item. You are declaring on the form what the item is worth to you, in case there should be a need to replace it. That's why it's vital for you to fill out, and properly calculate, the replacement value on your item.

They ask you for a declared value because, although they do our level best to make your delivery incident-free, things happen that are beyond our control. Remember the movie CastAway, where the delivery plane, at Christmas, no less, went down with a loss of all cargo? Tom Hanks eventually made it back from that island; in other words, you could say he had an eventually successful delivery. All those packages that crashed with him didn't, not even "Wilson." Hopefully the package owners all declared their values, so Tom wouldn't be the only one with a happy ending.

We're not saying that we're expecting a plane crash, Tom certainly didn't, but shipments can sometimes be lost, stolen or damaged beyond the possibility of repair, despite the professional care and planning companies give their deliveries. Courier companies do their part in protecting your shipment; they want you to do yours in filling out "declared value." That way everyone is all win-win, all the time.

How much should you ask for? Most companies generally insure for $100, since most shipments are small, and a hundred bucks is the smallest value declarable on the forms. They can go up to $100,000. So don't be afraid to put down the actual replacement worth, and realize that, while there are several paperwork-and-proof steps to securing a replacement fee, it's eventually worth it to you.

Does "declared value" cost the customer? Yes, it does, about a dollar for a small shipment, upwards for larger. It's a pretty small price to pay for that sense of security, and the ability to make good a loss, that leads to peace of mind for both the customer and a Miami courier service. Courier companies want everyone to feel good, shipping with them.