As an e-tailer, you use GLS for its reliability and excellent European network. But when it comes to protecting your parcels, navigating theGLS insurance offer can be a real headache. Rules change, ceilings vary, and what's true in Italy is not true in France.
This article is your guide to customs clearance. We'll decipher for you, country by country, this labyrinth of national rules. We'll show you where the pitfalls lie, how Ad Valorem options really work, and why a unified solution could be the strategic key to securing your business.
What is GLS Parcel Insurance? The basics to master
Like most carriers, GLS offers two levels of protection:
- Standard Liability (CMR Convention): Without any options, your compensation is based on the weight of the package (approx. 8.33 SDR, i.e. approx. €10/kg). This is symbolic protection, totally disconnected from the real value of your goods.
- Ad Valorem Insurance (optional): This is the real insurance, covering the actual value you declare. But at GLS, this option is not a single product. It's a mosaic of different solutions, depending on the country of shipment.
Rates, Ceilings and Conditions by Country: The Unprecedented Comparison
This is where the labyrinth begins. The GLS insurance offer differs radically from country to country.
The fragmentation of the GLS offer is a major operational risk for an e-tailer selling in Europe. The need to manage different insurance rules for each market creates administrative complexity that costs time and money. It's the perfect example of a friction that penalizes growth.
GLS Claims Procedure: A Variable Geometry Process
How you report a claim to GLS also depends on your country of shipment.
- In Italy, the process is relatively integrated and digitized, with clear options to subscribe to at the time of dispatch.
- In France, taking out Ad Valorem insurance is a manual process. It has to be negotiated in advance in your professional contract, and each shipment of value often requires a specific declaration. There is no "one-click" option in the back-office.
- In Belgium and the Netherlands, the procedure generally follows the German model, with a more accessible Ad Valorem option but ceilings that are often lower than in Italy.
In all cases, you'll need to provide a complete file: proof of deposit, purchase invoice proving value, photos of packaging and damage.
Ad Valorem Insurance GLS vs. Other Major Carriers
How does GLS compare with the industry giants?
Conclusion: Leave the Labyrinth, Adopt a Unified Vision
Navigating through GLS insurance means accepting to manage a complexity that takes you away from your core business. It means accepting that the same product, shipped to Milan or Lille, does not benefit from the same protection.
For professionals operating on a European scale, this fragmentation is unsustainable. The strategic solution is not to master each national rule, but to rise above this complexity. Opting for a unified, transversal Ad Valorem insurance policy like Claisy means opting for a single set of rules, high ceilings and rapid claims settlement times, whatever the country of shipment or destination. It means turning an administrative constraint into a competitive advantage.