LetMeShip offers a powerful multi-carrier platform to simplify shipping. At first glance, their complementary insurance seems like a practical solution for securing your shipments. However, professional analysis reveals a major structural flaw in their claims process that can cripple your cash flow and customer service.
This article isn't just a description. It's a strategic guide to how the LetMeShip guarantee really works, its cost, its limitations, and above all, its "Achilles' heel": the refund period.
The LetMeShip Guarantee: How does it work?
The principle is simple. In exchange for a percentage of the declared value of your goods, LetMeShip increases the liability ceiling beyond the basic (often derisory) coverage provided by carriers.
- Rate: 1% of the declared value of the merchandise
- Minimums: €5 for national delivery (within France), €10 for international delivery
- Ceilings: Up to €100,000 for goods and €500 for documents
On paper, the offer is attractive. But the devil is in the terms and conditions.
The Achilles heel: "30 Days after Carrier Validation".
This is the most important sentence in LetMeShip's conditions, and the one that represents the greatest risk for your company. It means that the trigger for your refund is not LetMeShip's decision, but that of the final carrier (UPS, DHL, FedEx, etc.).
LetMeShip acts as an intermediary. You submit your complaint to them, and they pass it on to the carrier. The carrier's internal investigation then begins, which is often lengthy and opaque.
Let's take a look at how long it really takes to get your money back:
- ACTUAL TOTAL TIME : As a minimum 75 daysand on average 104 days
- Carrier lead time: Minimum 45 days, average 74 days
- LetMeShip refund period (after carrier approval): 30 days
For more than 3 months, your cash flow is reduced by the value of the goods, shipping costs, and the cost of reshipping a new order to your customer.
The point for a pro: Waiting more than 100 days for compensation is not a risk management strategy, it's a cash-flow problem. A commercial guarantee like Claisy totally decouples compensation from carrier bureaucracy. We assess the claim and reimburse you within 48 hours of validating the documents. You regain control of your cash flow.
Table 1: LetMeShip warranty versus standard carrier warranties
To be fair, LetMeShip insurance offers better coverage than the carriers' basic insurance. However, the carriers' offers hold their own in terms of coverage, and make up for it on the claims management side, even though they are decentralized. This is shown in the table below:
This table proves it: LetMeShip cover is a useful consolidation of the basic offers. But for a professional, comparing ceilings is not enough. You have to compare processes.
Table 2: Professional Choice - Process vs. Promise
This second chart compares what really counts in running a business: control, speed and simplicity of the claims process.
Excluded goods and conditions to be met
As with all insurance, LetMeShip's insurance includes strict exclusions. In particular, the following are excluded
- Perishables
- Valuable items such as jewelry, precious metals and precious stones
- Cash, securities, works of art
- Dangerous or regulated goods
For fragile products, manual validation before dispatch is often necessary to guarantee coverage. Packaging must be impeccable, and the declared value must correspond precisely to the invoice provided.
FAQ : LetMeShip Insurance Direct Answers
Conclusion: Take Control of Your Cash Flow
LetMeShip is an excellent logistics platform. However, its insurance guarantee, while superior to basic offers, remains a simple intermediation service that leaves you dependent on the carriers' deadlines and decisions.
For a professional, real insurance is not insurance that promises a ceiling, but insurance that guarantees a process. By choosing a direct commercial guarantee like Claisy, you're not just insuring your parcels: you're insuring your cash flow, your time and your customers' satisfaction.