COVID-19 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

In light of the ongoing situation surrounding the coronavirus, we understand that you will have questions about your delivery and your plans may change. As things stand, Baggage Hub is still in operation, moving goods and belongings internationally. There are a number of important measures in place and contingencies designed to deal with the evolving situation which are outlined below. We are monitoring updates very closely and updating these details accordingly.

Last Updated 25th May 2020

Throughout the world, strict lockdown and social distancing measures remain in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, as things stand, international trade and shipping continues. Deliveries and imports are obviously essential to our way of life following these social distancing directives. Therefore, for the time being, Baggage Hub is still in operation and committed to assisting our valued customers however we can.

There are, as you might imagine, a number of stipulations and restrictions in place that do affect our day-to-day operations. We’ve listed these below as comprehensively as possible and, as the situation develops, we will continue to update them accordingly.

Our staff remain informed of the developing global situation and will be able to advise and guide you, but we also urge anyone thinking about booking a shipment to check the government guidelines for the country they are shipping goods to / from to ensure they are familiar with all restrictions before booking.

Preventing the spread of COVID-19

The World Health Organisation and Public Health England have advised that people sending or receiving parcels are not at risk of contracting the coronavirus (COVID-19) as this type of virus doesn't survive long on objects, such as letters or parcels.

However, as this is a new virus and we cannot be too careful at this stage, we ask all our customers to ensure they adhere to the following practices when preparing for a collection / delivery:

  • Please ensure anything you pack is clean. Please wash all clothing / linins and clean anything else with an antibacterial solution.
  • Ensure you still follow our packing guidelines.
  • Once your items are packed, please clean the outside of the boxes / cases / packages with an antibacterial solution.

While the virus may not be easily spread via items such as parcels, it is still vital to avoid close contact between people. Our highest priority is your safety, as well as the safety of our drivers and the wider population. This means that, as standard, the following measures must be adhered to:

  • During collection / delivery, please place all items outside the door and retreat to another room / area while they are collected. If you cannot be in a separate room/area then please follow physical distancing guidance and stay at least 2 metres / 6 ft away from our team member(s).
  • We will not be handing over any clipboards or hand held electronic devices for signatures.
  • In lieu of any electronic signature, please ensure you keep detailed records and photos of what is being collected.
  • For deliveries, please ensure you confirm all items have been delivered when the driver is still at the premises (they will wait a safe distance away while you check). You should take photos of the boxes and report any concerns to the driver and Baggage Hub immediately.
  • For any bespoke packing services, we will bring any items that need to be packed back to the warehouse and pack them there.

Our in-house procedures:

  • All warehouse and delivery staff are wearing gloves and masks when handling shipments. They are also regularly washing hands with antibacterial solution between shipments.
  • All shipments coming in and out of our warehouse are being sprayed with sanitiser to help reduce the spread of COVID-19
  • Our office-based teams in the UK, UAE, Asia and the USA, including customer services and the operations team, are now working from home. This is in line with government guidelines in the respective countries.
  • We are fully equipped to work from home so are available to contact at any time so please do get in touch with any queries or concerns.

Procedures and contingencies during the COVID-19 pandemic

We are actively monitoring this rapidly evolving situation. We understand that, any changes are likely to cause uncertainty among people that have made a recent booking or are looking to book a shipment in the future.

As outlined above, we’re still in operation but we’ve put a number of contingencies in place to allow for further changes. This should mean that, whatever the nature of your booking and however the situation changes, we’ll be able to assist you.

  • Storage - If you book a shipment but cannot then travel to collect your items or accept delivery due to a travel ban, we’ll store your items for you. For items going to the US, the UAE and Europe, we’re offering 30 days’ free storage and we are working with other global partners on being able to offer the same in other destinations (for now, any storage fees incurred in other destinations will be charged at cost).
  • Reschedule - If you’ve booked or you make a booking and the coronavirus causes your plans to change prior to collection, we’ll hold your booking and reschedule accordingly at no extra cost.
  • Amendments - If it becomes necessary / more cost-effective to change your booking type due to changing border restrictions or availability, we’ll switch services. For example, Sea Freight services are likely to experience delays of up to four weeks so we’d be able to switch to an airfreight option if available.
  • Cancellation - If your plans completely fall through and you need to cancel as a result of the coronavirus, we'll waive any cancellation fee and pay your deposit back to you.

We are doing everything in our power to keep you moving and the above details are checked and amended regularly. We will continue to operate as best we can until we are informed otherwise and will factor in any updates from our overseas partners.

In the meantime, we’d like to extend our best wishes to you all and hope that you stay safe during these difficult times. We will get through this together.