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This service is for parcel protection insurance only

Online Parcel Insurance

Comprehensive parcel cover from only £10.00

Sending a valuable item through a courier can be a daunting prospect, as well as parcel insurance invariably being extremely expensive. At Overland Express, we have teamed up with a leading UK insurer to provide you with comprehensive cover, at the lowest possible price. We cover all the main UK carriers, such as DHL, DPD, Fedex, Parcel Force, Royal Mail and UPS.

Not only that, we have negotiated flexible parcel insurance that is not available elsewhere, that covers a range of personal and business situations so that you can confidently insure your parcel with complete peace of mind, that you are fully covered in the event of loss or damage.

This is a stand-alone insurance product; there is no requirement to purchase it alongside our parcel delivery services. However, Should you also require shipping, we work with the leading UK couriers, such as DHL, Parcel Force and UPS (we completely avoid the budget courier services due to issues that neither us nor you wish to encounter). Furthermore, we are not newcomers to the logistics industry, we have been delivering insured parcels since 1992.

Should you wish to purchase one of our parcel delivery and insurance services, please select your desired option from the drop-down 'Services' menu at the top of this page.

At Overland Express, we pride ourselves on the level of customer service that we provide, unlike most other courier services, we have a telephone helpline which is permanently monitored during working hours. Should you need to talk to us about parcel insurance, our customer service telephone number is +44 (0) 20 8977 2777.

Cost of Parcel Insurance

The parcel insurance costs only 2.00% of the declared value of the goods, subject to a minimum fee of £10.00 for the policy administration. You can insure your parcel up to £2,000.00 or £20,000.00 depending on your situation as the sender (and subject to terms and conditions).

Coverage of Parcel Insurance

Parcels can be insured to any European country along with the USA, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore to name but a few.

We cannot currently insure any inbound deliveries to the UK or insure parcels from any country that is sanctioned or in a state of war, conflict or other elevated risk category. The entire African content (including offshore islands) are excluded from parcel insurance.

Parcel Insurance Criteria

There are limitations and exceptions the parcel insurance services that we can offer, the table below outlines these criteria.

Sender Situation Available Insurance
Business sending items that HAVE been sold £20,000.00
Business sending items that have NOT been sold £2,000.00
Individual sending NEW items that have been sold £2,000.00
Individual sending USED items that have been sold £20,000.00
Individual sending NEW or USED items that have NOT been sold £2,000.00
I do not require insurance £50.00 Maximum

Examples of Items Covered by Parcel Insurance

The list below is not an exclusive list of items that can be insured, you should refer to the insurer's terms and conditions which can be viewed here for the full exclusion list.

• Guitars and musical instruments
• HiFi equipment, including turntables and speakers
• Desktop computers, laptops, servers and network equipment
• jewellery, pearls and precious stones, watches
• goldsmithing, collector coins
• leather goods
• works of art or collectible Items, collector's stamps
• Handicrafts
• high-tech Items
• Militaria including medals, badges, helmets, uniform items and other such equipment (currently excluding firearms and bladed objects).
• clothing, shoes, fashion accessories
• sporting goods (excluding Bicycle frames and wheels)
• books, magazines, posters
• medicines that do not require controlled temperature

Expectations of the Insurer

Like all insurance products, parcel insurance is no different, it comes with specific terms and conditions that must be adhered to in order to be compensated in the event of loss or damage.

a. The goods which will be insured must be photographed prior to packaging to demonstrate that there is no damage to the item - if the item is electronic, consider taking a short video of the item in a functioning state to prove that the item is in working order.
b. Do NOT use any packaging that indicates what may be inside, this also means not using packaging from another product that may be attractive to a thief - Use plain or redacted packaging.
c. Ideally double box your items with polystyrene packing chips between the inner and outer box, also ensure that your item is sufficiently protected within the inner box.
d. Place a copy of the shipping label inside the outer box as this will allow the consignment to be identified should the primary label become defaced or detached during transit.
e. Take photographs of the packaged item, this must capture the shipping label clearly (tracking number and address details must be visible).

In the Event of a Claim

Should you need to submit an insurance claim, Overland Express must be informed within 48 hours of the scheduled delivery date.

The following actions should be taken or anticipated:

a. The recipient should take photographs of the damaged item and all packaging should be photographed and retained until the claim is concluded.
b. If the item appears to be damaged before accepting, the recipient should ask the delivery driver to record that the package appears to be damaged.
c. If the item is damaged, you may be asked to obtain a repair quote.
d. For lost items, a crime reference number may be required.
e. Adequate steps should be taken to prevent any further damage to the item.
f. All photographs MUST be provided in their original unedited format, photographs that have been edited or had metadata removed will be rejected.

The points above are only a guideline and in no way do they supersede the insurer's terms and conditions, which can be viewed here.

Overland Express is neither an insurer, broker or underwriter, we offer parcel insurance on behalf of our insurer(s).

To arrange parcel insurance and shipping, please use our 'Quick Quote and Book' tool above, or if you have questions about parcel insurance, email us at sales@overlandexpress.co.uk.

Our Reviews

Don't just take our word for it, see what other people are saying about us.

Feline Guitars has partnered with this small company for several years and consistently received excellent service and competitive pricing. Before that, we dealt directly with UPS, but found communication increasingly difficult. In an industry that's becoming more automated and impersonal, the personal attention and support offered by this team is both refreshing and greatly appreciated.







Feline Guitars

Southwell Guitars has been using Overland Express for several years to ship our instruments around the world. Unlike most major courier companies, which typically don't insure musical instruments, Overland Express offers a specialist insurance service tailored specifically for them—providing peace of mind for both my customers and myself. I also appreciate how accessible Stuart and Tim are—they're always easy to reach if I have questions or need assistance. Their support was especially valuable during the disruption caused by Brexit and the COVID pandemic. Overland Express is my go-to courier for shipping guitars, something I do regularly, and I recommend their services without hesitation.

Southwell Guitars

I've been using Overland Express for several years now to ship a significant number of both electric and acoustic guitars annually. I needed a shipping company that not only offered competitive rates but also provided insurance that would genuinely cover the full value of the instruments in the event of loss or damage. That's exactly what I found with Stuart and the team at Overland Express. They work with top-tier couriers and offer affordable insurance options for worldwide guitar shipping. In all the years I've used their service, I haven't encountered a single issue. Their service is fast, dependable, and it's a real advantage to have easy access to someone who can promptly assist if anything does come up. Highly recommended.

Loxley Custom Guitars

Specialist Areas

If you are sending liquids, paints, perfumes or wheels, please press the tile below that best suits your requirements.

Why Choose Overland Express?

Cost Effective

Some of our competitors supply budget services at a fraction of the cost cheaper than our premium services, budget services can take up to 5 days to deliver vs overnight for our services, which means your customers are more likely to return, all for the sake of a couple of pounds.

Quote in Seconds

The only information that we require to provide a quotation are the sender's and recipient's postcode along with the dimensions of the parcel. We don't ask for your email address at this early stage as we have no intention of sending follow up emails should you leave before completing the booking.

Express Services

UPS, DHL, DPD, Parcel Force, APC, FedEx to name but a few courier providers that we have a working relationship with. These providers do fluctuate depending on what offers they can provide us with and the level of satisfaction that our customers have received from these parcel delivery companies.

Online Updates

The whereabouts of your parcel delivery can be instantly tracked by entering the tracking number into our courier partners web-site (links can be found on this site). The status is usually updated at every significant stage, which will allow you clearly see when the parcel has reached its final destination.

High Value Items

High value items are always risky to send by courier, some providers will not even accept such items let alone insure them. We offer both, we can ship expensive items worldwide and provide insurance up to £20,000.00 (exclusions apply) for just 2.00% of the items declared value.

Customer Assistance

Our UK call centre based customer support team are available to take your telephone call or answer your email questions on working days between 0830hrs and 1730hrs UK time. We also have a live chat facility on this web-site which is available at the same times as the call centre.

Our Great Courier Partners

APC Logo
DHL Express Logo
DPD Logo
DHL Economy Logo
FedEx Logo
UPS Express Logo
ParcelForce Logo
UPS Specialist Logo

Frequently Asked Questions


Q. How much does it cost to insure a parcel?
A. It costs 2.00% of the value of the goods, subject to a minimum policy fee of £10.00.

Q. What is the maximum amount that I can insure a parcel to?
A. You can insure a parcel up to £20,000.00, subject to terms and conditions.

Q. Is there anything that cannot be insured?
A. There are exclusions, please see the parcel insurance terms and conditions for these exclusions.

Q. Can I insure a parcel being sent to the United States?
A. Yes, you can, providing that the item(s) are not specifically excluded from the parcel insurance (see the terms and conditions for these exclusions).

Q. Can I insure a parcel from Australia to the United Kingdom?
A. Unfortunately, we are unable to insure anything that is imported to the United Kingdom, however, we are looking to offer this service in the future.