I know, you probably read the title of this post and wondered why on Earth I’m writing about how to mail a CD. How hard can it be? Who could possibly mess up the simple act of sending a piece of mail? Let me be the first person to tell you that a suprisingly high number of people, even some CD retailers, don’t have a clue about properly protecting a fragile CD and its case as it travels through the mail. This post is the result of years of frustration with people who just don’t do it right. I have both heard about and experienced countless horror stories of boxes arriving heavily damaged, jewel cases turning into shards of plastic, and packages torn open with missing contents never to be found again. Let me give you some examples.

3 horror stories
Yesterday, I noted that the German music retailer EMP.de no longer mails items to the United States. Why not? They carelessly packed numerous customers’ orders which resulted in lots of people complaining to them about damaged goods, and the problem was exacerbated by the fact that many Americans make large “mass orders” of CDs from Germany due to the high shipping costs per order. I remember several years ago, one of my orders from them arrived in a box that was way too big for what I bought. The CDs were flying around loose inside the box with no protection, causing lots of damage. They also failed to tape the box properly which allowed a seam in the box to open up, big enough for a CD to fit through. Fortunately, nothing actually fell out of that box.

In a second example involving EMP.de, a friend of mine had similar problems with the box and got more than she expected. the box her order came in was also poorly sealed, again causing a seam to open up. But this time, another package that was going through the mail actually got stuck inside her box, so when she opened it up she found an extra package inside that wasn’t even addressed to her. EMP.de is known for giving you an extra gift if you place a large order, but I don’t think that’s what they meant.

Finally, another overseas mail horror story, but this time it came from an individual person. I was once expecting a package of about 25 CDs from a friend in Germany, but they apparently didn’t think much about the box’s safety. It took an unusually long time for the package to reach me, which was my first clue that something might have gone wrong. Then when it finally arrived, it looked like it had been in the middle of a tornado. The box was ripped all the way across one of the longer sides with large chunks of cardboard missing, and it was only being held together by 3 plastic bands that the postal people must have added (my friend said he didn’t add them, when I asked him about it afterward). There were a few CDs missing from the package and several others suffered some major damage. Thankfully, the CDs and artwork were all salvagable and I keep lots of empty jewel cases on hand at all times.

How to properly pack and mail a package of CDs (or anything else)
There are essentially 2 ways of mailing a CD, based on the main packaging. First, you have padded envelopes which are usually just fine for mailing 1 or 2 CDs that are only going a relatively short distance. And second, there are boxes which are much stronger and better for sending packages on long distances. Since we’re mainly talking about mailing CDs overseas, let’s focus on cardboard boxes. (Remember to use corrugated cardboard boxes, not flimsy chipboard boxes like I’ve seen after they’ve been destroyed.)

1. Find the right size box
Using a box that is the right size is a critical part of making sure your package arrives safely and that you don’t waste lots of filler material. Don’t reuse an old box if it has any major bends, it needs to have good structural rigidity. The box should be a little bit bigger than the goods that are going inside. Don’t squeeze extra items into a box that is too small because that will put stress on the box and potentially cause a break.

2. Fill the box and make it solid
If you remember only one thing from this post, let it be this: Tape does not hold a box together. The structure of the box and the material inside it allow the box to keep its shape and integrity. When you close the box, it should be solid. Nothing should move if you shake it a bit, and you should not be able to press it in. Remember that there could be another very heavy box that gets thrown on top of yours, so it needs to keep its shape under pressure. For large, heavy package, it’s a good idea to double-box it. Simply put your items in one box and then put it into another box with some padding in between for extra protection. For filler material, old newspaper works great, or you can buy any number of other products made for this specific purpose.

3. Seal the box with tape
Now that your box’s structure is solid, you need to seal every seam with wide, clear packing tape. Anywhere you see 2 pieces of cardboard meet should have tape over it. You will end up with a big “H” shape of tape on the top and the bottom, plus one more piece of tape on the side covering the edge where the box is joined together. All surfaces of your box should now be perfectly smooth. This is to prevent postal equipment or other packages from getting snagged and ripping your box open.

4. Address the package
Writing the address on a package is probably the easiest step, but there are still some general rules to keep in mind. The main thing is to use all capital letters (although most post offices aren’t that picky) because capital letter forms vary less from place to place and are easier to read. You should also remember to write neatly if you’re not printing the address on a label. The addresses go on the top surface of the box, with the destination address near the middle towards the bottom, and your return address in the top left corner. Remember, if you print a label or write the addresses on a seperate piece of paper to tape onto the box, do not put the label or paper on the taped seam. Excess stresses on the box could make it bend along the seams and tear the label, making it unreadable.

5. Send your package on its way
Bring your package to the post office for mailing. Remember, you will need to fill out a customs form if it is going outside the country. You should also consider paying a few extra cents for an additional insurance service on your package in case it does get damaged. Choose your mailing service, depending on how fast you want the package to arrive. And don’t forget to have them mark it as “fragile” if appropriate.

6. Follow up
Don’t forget to ask the person you mailed the package to if they received everything in good condition. If they didn’t, ask them what went wrong so you can figure out how to send the next one better.

This set of instructions and advice comes from years of mailing packages (mainly filled with CDs) all over the world. If you follow my advice, your package should reach its destination undamaged and the person who received it will be very happy. For more details and answers to specific questions, check out USPS.com or Post.de.

I hope you enjoyed this little “how to” post. Please feel free to comment with any additional tips or questions.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 7:48 am and is filed under Ask the Germaniac, Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.