You never want to have an important package break when you send it to someone, but if the worst does occur, that’s the reason that you carry insurance on it. However, many people aren’t aware of what they need to do in order to get the insurance to properly cover the amount that was lost. Carrying the insurance is the obvious first step, but it’s important to make sure that you have all of the information to process your claim once it’s filed.

The main thing that you need to file a claim through parcel insurance is proper information about the item that was shipped. A great way to make sure that you have the right documentation is to take a photo of the item in question before you load it into the box to be shipped. If you’ve done that, you’ll always be able to have proof that the item was in good working condition before you shipped it, meaning the damage must have taken place after the item had left your possession. That’s a great way to present an irrefutable case on your behalf.

It also helps if you have a proper valuation of the item in question. For example, if you purchased a new laptop for a nephew or niece as a gift and something happened to it, you can save your receipt to show that it matches the declared value that you placed on it. The receipt will also help you when you get insurance, because you’ll know exactly how much insurance you need to cover the item in question.

Saving documentation might seem like a tedious process, but it really is the best way to make sure that your parcel insurance pays off for you if you need it. When you can speed up the process, you go a long way toward getting the reimbursement check to get your item where it should have arrived all along.