Across our wholesale shipments in the last 18 months, one out of every 200 parcels arrived with damage. Of those, 90% could have been prevented with better packaging at the point of dispatch. The remaining 10% were shipping-line damage after the parcel left our facility — insurance territory. This guide covers the 90%.
The three failure modes
- Display assemblies — flex cracked at the bend point because the inner carton was too tight to allow any flex.
- Batteries — punctured by a rigid foam insert that did not account for the swell some cells exhibit in summer.
- Camera modules — OIS damaged because the module was packed with too little foam and rattled against the carton wall.
The carton layers, top to bottom
- Outer carton — corrugated, double-walled, sized for the inner carton plus 5 cm of padding on each face. Never under-fill; a parcel that "sloshes" is a damaged parcel.
- Padding — bubble wrap or air pillow, in two layers minimum. The air pillow is preferable for fragile parts — it adapts to the shape.
- Inner carton — corrugated, sized for the part plus 1 cm of foam on each face. Cut foam is preferable to loose fill because the part cannot migrate.
- Anti-static bag — sealed, part inside. Static-sensitive parts (displays, logic boards) require a metallised anti-static bag, not a plain plastic one.
Per-part packaging specifics
| Part | Inner pack | Foam | Outer pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display assembly | Anti-static bag + cardboard stiffener | 10 mm cut foam, flex-flap exposed | Double-walled carton, 5 cm padding |
| Battery | Anti-static bag + foam sleeve | 10 mm cut foam avoiding the body of the cell | Single-walled carton, 3 cm padding |
| Camera module | Anti-static bag + foam ring around OIS | 5 mm foam with a recess cut for the OIS motor | Single-walled carton, 3 cm padding |
| SIM tray | Bag of 50 pieces | Foam divider | Padded envelope acceptable |
| Charging port flex | Anti-static bag | Flat foam sheet | Padded envelope acceptable |
What to label on the outer carton
- "FRAGILE" on two adjacent faces.
- "THIS SIDE UP" on the top face, with an arrow. Drivers occasionally read it.
- "DO NOT STACK" if the inner carton has fragile parts. Carriers generally respect this.
What the insurance covers (and doesn't)
Standard shipping insurance covers loss but not damage in most carriers' T&Cs. Take photographs of every parcel as it leaves your facility — before sealing — and you have evidence for damage claims. Most carriers accept a photograph of the parcel before sealing plus a photograph of the damaged part in situ as sufficient evidence for a damage claim, without requiring the customer to ship the part back. Build this into your SOP.
Partnering with your supplier
Most wholesale suppliers will share their packaging SOP and pictures of their dispatched cartons. Ask for it. If a supplier is hesitant to share, treat that as a red flag. Our packaging is photographed for every shipment batch and the photos are available on request — including for repeat wholesale orders of batteries, displays, and port flex assemblies.
FAQ
What is the most common packaging mistake? Inner carton sized to the part, no foam — leaving the part free to move inside. Movement = damage.
Are there shipping lines that handle fragile electronics better? DHL Express is the standard for our shipments; for heavier multi-kg orders, FedEx International Priority is competitive. Both allow photo-based damage claims.