Think you're well insured? Yet every day, retailers money, time, and customers because of parcel insurance they thought would protect them. The reason isn't bad luck, but a deliberately complex system.
The parcel insurance offered by carriers is a maze of hidden conditions, exclusions in small print, and slow processes designed to protect them, not to compensate you quickly. On average, a refund takes 77 days. During this time, your cash flow is tied up, your customer is unhappy, and your margin evaporates.
This article outlines the five most common mistakes and gives you the keys to finding your way out of this maze. You can also check out our encyclopedia on transport insurance, which includes an analysis of ad valorem offers from carriers, CMS, and logistics solutions.
#1 - Ignore Exclusions in Lowercase Letters
The first mistake is to believe that "insurance" means "all risks." According to our analysis of more than 50 carrier contracts for 2025, 83% of carrier insurance policies completely exclude jewelry valued at over €2,000, 76% drastically limit high-tech items, and 91% refuse to cover refurbished products.
Real financial impact: A retailer shipping 200 packages/month with 15% of 'high-risk' products (smartphones, watches, leather goods >€500) loses an average of €2,400/year in claims not covered by Carrier insurance.
Case study: Apple reseller, lost iPhone 14 Pro Max package (€1,200).
- Carrier compensation Carrier €2.40 (0.2 kg × €12/kg CMR)
- Net loss: €1,197.60
- With Claisy: €1,200 refunded within 72 hours
#2 - Underestimating the Actual Cost (Deductible & Minimum Premiums)
The second mistake is to look only at the percentage displayed. The true cost of insurance is often hidden by minimum premiums and deductibles that directly impact your profitability, especially on low- and medium-value packages.
#3 - Enduring Endless Compensation Delays
The third mistake is to accept the average delay of 77 days as inevitable. Every day of waiting is a cost to your business: frozen cash flow, the need to reship at your expense, and time wasted by your customer service department.
#4 - Choose Coverage Based on Purchase Value, Not Sale Value
A subtle but costly mistake is to take out insurance that reimburses you for the cost price of your product, rather than its sale price. In the event of loss, you not only lose the product, you also lose your margin, customer acquisition costs, and shipping costs. True Ad Valorem insurance must cover the total transaction value.
Confusing Purchase Value and Transaction Value
68% of retailers insurance based on the purchase price (cost price), when they should be insuring the total transaction value (sale price + fees).
Calculation of Actual Loss:
Product sold: €350
- Product purchase price: €150
- Shipping costs: €8
- Packaging: €2
- Total cost: $160
With "purchase price" insurance (DHL/UPS standard):
- Compensation: €160 (cost price)
- Lost margin: $350 - $160 = $190 NOT recovered
- Cost of acquiring a lost customer: ~$30
- Actual total loss: $220
With "sale value" insurance (Claisy):
- Compensation: €350 (sale price)
- Margin recovered: ✅
- Immediate forwarding capacity: ✅
- Loss: $0 (excluding insurance cost of $2.62)
Annual impact: retailer packages/month, 2% loss ratio, 40% margin
- Annual margin loss: 48 claims × $140 margin = $6,720 lost
- With Claisy: €0 lost (compensation based on sale value)
#5 - Sacrificing Customer Satisfaction on the Altar of False Economy
The final mistake is thinking that ad valorem insurance is just a cost item. It is a pillar of the customer experience. After a delivery incident, 66% of customers will not return. Handling a dispute quickly and professionally by immediately reshipping a new product (because you are certain to be reimbursed quickly) turns an unhappy customer into an ambassador for your brand.
🔧 How to Avoid This Mistake
Carrier Contract Verification Checklist (5 min):
- Download general insurance terms and conditions (PDF Carrier)
- Look for the section titled "Exclusions" or "Goods Not Covered" (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F).
- Check these 5 critical categories:
- Jewelry/Watches: Limit ? (often €2,000-5,000)
- High-tech: Limit per package? (FedEx warning: $1,000)
- Refurbished products: Accepted or rejected?
- Alcohol/CBD: Covered? (often excluded)
- Fragile goods: Packaging requirements?
- If >30% of your products are excluded → Change your solution
The Claisy Alternative: guaranteed secure delivery for your parcels
Faced with the complexity of carrier insurance and the limitations of Limits, Claisy offers a revolutionary approach to high-value parcel insurance.
The Summary: Your Anti-Error Checklist for Parcel Insurance
To help you visualize the solution, here is a summary table of the five mistakes and how to counter them.
Get out of the Carrier Insurance Maze
Stop suffering from complexity that weighs on your margins and reputation. Shipping insurance should not be an unpredictable cost center, but a strategic tool to protect your business and build customer loyalty. Whether with Chronopost, DHL, UPS, FedEx, etc., be vigilant about the terms and conditions of coverage and handling of your transport disputes.