Common Mistakes to Avoid When Shipping Parcels to Malaysia
Shipping goods from Singapore to Malaysia, most of the errors can result in a pretty hassled experience. If you have frequent shipments to manage for your business or ship goods on and off, small errors can mean delayed shipment, increased costs, or customer dissatisfaction. Therefore, here are the common shipping mistakes most customers make along with how to avoid them.
1. Inaccurate or incomplete documentation
It is through the right and complete documents that should be presented by a customer, which would avoid any problems with customs on its proper flow. Many people who experience delays, extra costs, or even rejection at customs are as a result of errors with the customs forms, missing invoices, or incorrect declarations of goods.
How to Avoid It: All necessary documents should be filled out correctly and completely. These are the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and any certificates that customs require. If you’re unsure, then don’t worry; an efficient logistics provider such as Evermarch can be very helpful; they’ll experience this kind of complexity with their international shipping.
2. Not understanding customs regulations and duties
Now, proper classification of products and proper calculation of duties and taxes will be mandatory as delivery service Singapore to Malaysia has specific customs regulations for customers shipping goods there. Under-classification of products or underestimation of duties and taxes might lead your shipment to get held up at customs – which is no less than a nightmare, with big dollars attached to the delays.
How to Avoid It: Research Malaysia’s customs regulations for your specific products. Each item must be assigned the correct Harmonized System (HS) code, which determines the applicable duties. Being informed of any import restrictions as well as ensuring that you have the correct permits will avoid potential problems at customs clearance. A good logistics partner, such as Evermarch, will always be available to help and ensure that one adheres to regulations.
3. Wrong Packaging
Poor packaging is probably the most common mistake in shipping goods across borders. Packaging and types of conveyance can be inadequate or improper. A product that reaches a customer in bad condition is extremely annoying to the customer, who ordered such a quality product with no damage.
How to Avoid It: Make sure that your products are packaged adequately with sturdy packaging material for shipping. If the products shipped by you are fragile, ensure that they are well covered with bubble wrap or foam so that they don’t break. Moreover, being a hot and humid climate country, Malaysia requires moisture-resistant packaging material. Hence, ensure that you cover your item adequately with it. Ensuring well-labeled packages will avoid confusion and ensure that your shipment is taken to the right destination without damage.
4. Incorrect or Incomplete Shipping Labels
Shipping labels, are one of the basic concepts that a buyer may be overlooking minute details on, but any mistake might cause delays or even lost shipments. Some common mistakes include missing or incorrect addresses and postal codes or even contact numbers, which may then pose problems when trying to send the shipment.
How to Avoid It: You should double-check the shipping label before the shipment by ensuring the address is right and contains all the details the delivery staff might need, like a postal code and contact numbers. Any special delivery instructions need to be noted on the label; otherwise, this can result in the wrong delivery of your shipment. Choose a delivery partner that offers real-time tracking of the shipment so you can check on the shipment’s status from the comfort of your office.
5. Failure to Account for Lead Times of Delivery
Rarely do customers estimate the lead times associated with shipping goods from Singapore to Malaysia. Since the logistics of clearing customs and other related issues may be unknown to customers, their expectations are likely to be that deliveries might not arrive soon. Where lead times have not been accounted for, deliveries are likely to be delayed, thereby becoming adverse factors in customer satisfaction.
How to Avoid It: Understand the usual lead times for inter-border shipments and communicate them to your customers or recipients. Engage a logistics partner, such as Evermarch, that can give you realistic delivery estimates and they will lead the way on how to prepare for potential delays. If the time factor is one of the most significant, then use express parcel delivery from Singapore to Malaysia services, especially for expedited shipments.
6. Underestimating Shipping Costs
A huge oversight for customers is underestimating shipping costs. All the hidden fees such as customs duties, taxes, handling charges, and insurance charges can pop up in a very short amount of time to inflate the total cost immensely.
How to Avoid It: Actually, you already calculate the actual shipping cost beforehand with any chargeable customs duties and handling fees. Using a full-service logistics provider such as Evermarch also works in your favor because you get to know beforehand what you will be paying, thus saving you the possibility of an unpleasant surprise later. Determine the value of your goods and whether you should invest in shipping insurance in case they are lost or damaged during transportation.
7. Not Using Tracking and Communication Tools
Customers can sometimes fail to use tracking and communication tools. At times, not knowing the status of their shipment is frustrating, especially if it has to be shipped internationally because there is a possibility of delay.
How to Avoid It: Choose a carrier that will allow you to track and message the servicing so that you know where your shipment goes. This will make you feel more at ease with the fact that your customers will be informed about where your goods are and when they will get there. Be able to update them with regular updates to manage expectations and ensure happiness for your customers.
8. Wrong Selection of Delivery Partner
A logistics provider would, therefore, be the right company that ensure a smooth shipping experience for a customer. Nonetheless, if one chooses to use a provider without experience in international shipment or one that does not give competent service, then it exposes the business to poor shipping, delayed shipment, mishandling of the package, or even improper communication.
How to Avoid It: Find a reputable logistics company that specialises in shipping into Malaysia. Evermarch specialises in cross-border shipments from Singapore to Malaysia, and experience speaking through their knowledge can help ensure your shipments get delivered without damage and arrive on time. A good partner should guide you through the whole shipping process, which includes documentation up to delivery, thus ensuring less chance of mistakes.
Conclusion
Avoid these common shipping mistakes, and you are good to go about shipping goods to Malaysia. It’s an issue of focusing on the minute details like documentation, customs regulations, packaging, and delivery time so that you do not experience delays, extra costs, and damaged goods. Above all, the selection of the right delivery to Malaysia partners, such as Evermarch, ensures that you have a reliable, experienced team guiding you through the entire shipping process. This generates successful deliveries, but on the way also builds long-term trust with your customers.

Author: Christian
This author has published 25 articles so far. More info about the author is coming soon.