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Learn
If you are looking for details … here they are. You will find
information about the full forwarding process along with
information about all other service aspects.
                                                                                                                            

Details
Contents
  1. Reception
    1. Krautbox ID
    2. Shipment ID
    3. Letter
    4. Parcel
    5. Bulky goods
    6. Overweight
    7. EUR-pallet
    8. Excluded goods
    9. Dangerous goods
  2. Documents & declaration
    1. Proforma/Commercial invoice
    2. Customs documents
    3. Customs declaration
  3. Forwarding
    1. Shipping options
    2. Insurance
    3. Billing & payment
    4. Green packing
    5. CO2 neutral delivery
    6. Tracking
  4. Notification
    1. Regular notifications
    2. Reminders
  5. Additional services
    1. Picture of the parcel and content
    2. Scan of documents
    3. Removal of documents
    4. Consolidation
    5. Repacking
    6. Pickup at the warehouse
    7. Disposal
    8. Shopping assistance
  6. Claims guide
Reception
This is an overview about conditions and regulations we have for accepting your shipments.

We use certain terms and dimension units to describe our services.

Please note that …

  • To describe the size of a shipment we use length, width and height.
  • The longest side of a shipment is always the length.
  • Dimensions are given in metric units.
  • Weight is expressed in grams or kilograms.
  • The girth is calculated as follows: length + 2 * width + 2 * height.
  • All given prices are in Euro and include German sales tax of 19%.

Please note that only shipments sent from within the European Union will be accepted at your Krautbox. Learn more about excluded goods.

As soon as a shipment arrives at our warehouse you'll be notified via email. We also offer you to take a picture of the shipment and its content. See additional services for more information.

It is important to know, that all received shipments will be opened and reviewed to identify excluded goods or dangerous goods. All original packed and sealed products will not be unpacked during the reception.

For every item received by MyKrautbox, no matter if it is a parcel, a letter or any other shipment, we charge a reception fee depending on the tariff you chose.

Krautbox ID
One key element of our service is the address we provide you with. It is very important that the address is labelled correctly on all shipments sent to us, because it identifies the shipment as yours. That means that it is very important that the data you give us is accurate and complete, especially your Krautbox ID is crucial. Get helpful information how to use your MyKrautbox address.

Shipment ID
When we receive a new shipment for you, we will notify you about via email. This shipment received email. also provides you with the tracking code of the shipment and the name of the sender. In addition, a unique shipment ID is generated and assigned to each letter or parcel as reference number. This shipment ID is the all-important reference number to identify your shipment from the the moment we receive it until it is successfully delivered to you.
If you have questions about a received parcel or letter, please refer to the shipment ID in the subject line.
Get helpful information on how to use your MyKrautbox address at the registration page.

Letter
Only shipments sent as in the letter form and containing documents or printed material only will be charged with an reception fee for letters. Letters containing goods like CDs, DVDs, mobile devices or anything else that is not printed material will be received by us as any other parcel and therefore will be charged with the according reception fee.

This only applies for the receptions of letters. You can, of course, ship everything as a letter as long as size and weight fit to the following limitations.

Shipments that exceed a weight of 1000g and/or the maximum combined dimensions of 90cm (Length + Width + Height) cannot be forwarded as letters. The same applies to shipments that fall below the minimum edge length of 14cm and/or width of 9cm. The longest side has to be smaller than 60cm. For roll-shaped items the longest side has to be smaller than 90cm. Also the girth calculated as length + 2 * diameter has to be smaller than 109cm.

Parcel
When we receive your parcel, we have to consider certain limitations of weight and dimension.
A parcel needs to weigh less than 31kg orit will be classified as overweight.
A parcel that exceeds the following dimensions will be classified as bulky goods.

Minimum

  • The length is at least 15cm
  • The width is 11cm
  • And the height 1cm
  • The diameter of roll-shaped items is at least 5cm

Maximum

  • The length is 120cm
  • The width or height is 60cm
  • The girth is 300cm
  • The diameter of roll-shaped items is 15cm
In order to forward your shipment please check the individual limitations of weight and dimensions for certain countries. Details can be found in the next sections.

Bulky goods

A parcel will be charged as bulky if it exceeds the following dimensions. For a prices overview of bulky goods, please have a look at the reception fees.

  • The length is over 120cm
  • The width or height is over 60cm
  • The girth is over 300cm
  • The diameter of roll-shaped items is over 15cm

It is, of course, still possible to ship bulky goods. There are individual limitations of maximum dimensions for specific countries. Please have a look at the information given in the Shipping Calculator. Usually, the maximum length is limited from 120cm up to 200cm. At the same time the maximum girth stays limited at 300cm.

In case your parcel still exceeds the maximum dimensions of bulky goods listed in the Shipping Calculator, please contact us and we will make you an individual offer.

Overweight

A parcel will be charged with overweight if the parcel exceeds the weight of 31kg. Please have a look at the reception fees.

To get information on the shipping rates and individual limitations for specific countries please have a look at the information given in the Shipping Calculator. You will find individual limitations for specific countries.
The maximum weight for worldwide shipments is usually 20kg up to 31kg, for delivery within Germany up to 40kg. But also worldwide delivery up to 50kg and more is possible, using special carriers that we have not listed yet.

For shipments beyond these limitations, for example pallet goods, please contact our customer service. In this case, we will make you an individual offer.

EUR-Pallet

The EUR-pallet or EPAL-pallet is the standard European pallet as specified by the European Pallet Association (EPAL).
Please note the pallet regulations are as follows:

  • You are required to use standard EUR-pallets of 120cm x 80cm that are accessible from four sides.
  • Pallets must not be built over 160cm high, including the pallet.
  • Total weight of a pallet must not exceed 600kg.

The reception of an EUR-pallet will be charged according to the listed reception fees. The reception of pallets is only possible with previous arrangement.
To get information on the shipping rates, please contact our customer service and we will make you an individual offer.

Excluded goods
First and foremost shipments which may cause injury or infection to people are rejected!

Certain goods, objects and materials also won’t be accepted, stored or forwarded.
This in particular applies to the following:

  • Shipments from outside the EU
  • Shipments with a value exceeding 25.000,00€
  • Google AdSense PIN / Documents
  • Money, other means of payment (cash, coupons, passbooks, checkbooks, credit cards, telephone cards or other functional payment instruments)
  • Precious metals, jewellery, pearls worth more than 500,00€ (only upon request)
  • Antiques, art objects, watches, stamps of high value
  • Living animals and animal carcasses (including fur, compounds, anatomical specimen, ivory)
  • Easily perishable goods, plants, seeds (especially those not allowed to be imported into the country of destination)
  • Weapons or explosives (firearms, parts of weapons, highly flammable substances, fireworks)
  • Gasoline or diesel
  • Perfumes
  • Biohazards (toxic and corrosive substances, pathogens, human remains, cadavers or body parts)
  • Radioactive materials
  • Bleach, cleaning chemicals, dry ice, swimming pool chemicals, paints
  • Tobacco and tobacco products
  • Intoxicants and narcotics not approved in Germany or the EU (drugs and narcotics of all kinds, prescription drugs or unapproved drugs)
  • Any content that violates legal protection of children and young people (pornographic material, writings that are liable to have an undesirable influence on the moral development of young people)
  • Shipments that violate laws to protect minors
  • Goods that infringe copyright laws
  • Items whose contents, external design, transport or storage violate statutory prohibitions and authority regulations (in case of possession, transport and storage)
  • Particularly fragile goods which require a special treatment or have to only be transported upright or on one side (e.g. poorly packaged liquids) can be excluded from the insurance.

In general all goods are excluded from transportation which are classified by the IATA (International Air Transport Association), the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation), the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) or any other governing authority or organisation as risk or danger.
See below which goods have to be declared as dangerous goods and can be transported under special restrictions.

Dangerous goods
There are types of goods which are declared as dangerous to deliver. Transportation of such goods is a risk when they are not packed or handled correctly. If these goods are not properly declared, packed or labeled incorrectly, health and safety is compromised.

Therefore we provide a section on our proforma and commercial invoice where you have to describe the items you want to have forwarded and if applicable the category of dangerous goods they belong to.

It is very important to know that Lithium batteries are classified as dangerous goods and beside specific shipping restrictions a special declaration has to be prepared. Use the following overview of batteries to check existing restrictions. If transportation by air is not available, the worldwide delivery can not be guaranteed.


As a result of new restrictions, the shipping of lithium metal batteries solely, meaning the battery not being in any kind of item (e.g. phone), is limited.

Type of battery
Road
Air
Lithium ion (single item)
yes
yes
Lithium ion, packed with equipment or contained in equipment
yes
yes
Lithium metal (single item)
yes
no
Lithium metal, packed with equipment or contained in equipment
yes
yes

Documents & Declaration
For each parcel you receive in your Krautbox, you need to complete either a proforma or a commercial invoice form by following the link we provide you with in that email, depending on whether you are a private or commercial customer.

Based on this data, we will identify which insurance is appropriate and whether this product falls under any kind of restriction.

To find out, if you need to provide a proforma or commercial invoice, choose the most suitable invoice option:

  • Proforma invoice for non-business purpose
    If you are sending a non-commercial shipment for a non-business purpose, for example, a personal gift or sample, use this invoice form. In general most private customers need to use this form.
  • Commercial invoice
    If you are sending a commercial shipment with a commercial value, use this invoice form. This form is meant for all commercial customers.

The invoice is also necessary to provide customs documents for international shipments forwarded outside the EU. Shipments within the EU do not require customs documents.

All international shipments sent outside the European Union (EU) are declared under Incoterm DAP – Delivered at Place (named place of destination). Duties are not paid by the exporter MyKrautbox under this term.

Proforma and commercial invoice
Our proforma and commercial invoice form helps you to easily provide necessary information. Here you can find an example showing the required information like the declaration of goods, value and country of origin.

Customs documents

Duties and taxes only apply to parcels sent outside the European Union. Not all goods are subject to these charges, e.g. documents. But if you are receiving a shipment travelling outside the EU, you need to know that duties could be billed after the shipment has been delivered. The customs authorities in the destination country determine whether any duties and taxes have to be paid. This is based on the information provided on the parcel label or waybill and the attached customs documents.
Customs dutiable shipments must be accompanied by an invoice at all times. This important document will be created based on the completed proforma or commercial invoice form, in particular the contents, declared value and weight.
To find out if customs documents are required, please have a look at our Shipping Calculator.

MyKrautbox will prepare all necessary customs documents for different carriers, e.g. DHL, TNT and GLS.
In general it is important to give correct information about the type and value of goods you want to have forwarded to avoid delays caused by customs clearflowance.

Customs declaration
If the value of one shipment exceeds 1.000,00€ in addition to customs documents an electronic customs declaration is required. MyKrautbox will take care of this electronic declaration. Please have a look at the table of forwarding services to find out more details about prices and insurance.

Forwarding
An overview of all available services is shown on the forwarding page. If you follow this link, you will also find documents showing the shipping costs. Just select your destination country at the Shipping Calculator. The shipping options form will give you access to order specific forwarding services.

Shipping options

Once you have completed your invoice, you will receive the invoice added email as a confirmation, including a link to define the shipping options of the corresponding shipment.

The shipping options form helps you to define the destination address and to choose the type of shipment, e.g. Economy, Premium and Express or Registered Mail. In addition you will be able to select various services like insurance, removal of documents or repacking. Choose the services you would like to use and afterwards you will receive an offer from us.
To change the shipping options just follow the link a second time and you will receive a new offer.



Insurance
A registered mail is insured up to a value of 50,00€ and a tracking code will be provided via email. All letters sent outside the EU have to be send as registered mail. Letters not sent as registered mail will not be trackable and no insurance is included.

All parcels sent with MyKrautbox are covered by a free insurance up to a value of 500,00€.
For most countries it is possible to upgrade the insurance up to a value of 2.500,00€. To find out what kind of insurance is available for a specific destination country please have a look at the information given in the Shipping Calculator. Get an overview of available insurances here.


Billing & Payment

MyKrautbox accepts the payment methods PayPal and Wire transfer.
All payments for our service have to be made in advance. Otherwise it will not be possible to forward your shipment. As soons as you ordered a service, MyKrautbox will provide you with a link via email to review the billing details and to complete the payment.

An overview about available services and prices is given on the forwarding services page.
All our prices are in Euro (also given as € or €), including 19% VAT.

As a commercial customer with a registered billing address within the EU, you will be asked to provide a valid VAT identification number.

Green packing
With MyKrautbox you can ship and store your products efficiently, easily and in an ecologically sustainable manner. We use only recycled and biodegradable packaging materials made from renewable resources like paper or bioplastics that are not harmful to the environment:
  • Cardboard packaging made predominantly from recycled materials
  • Envelopes and padded envelopes made from paper
  • Biologically compostable packaging chips made from corn
  • Biologically compostable bubble wrap / air cushions
  • Wrapping paper and packing tape made from completely recyclable paper
  • Stamp ink with no added oil
CO2 neutral delivery
Environmentally friendly and sustainable shipping is also very important to us. You can order CO2 neutral shipping by selecting a logistics partner with an environmental protection program such as DHL GOGREEN or DPD Total Zero.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, our carriers try to avoid air freight shipments within Europe. Despite all company efforts, still large amounts of CO2 accumulate. Therefore our carriers invest in certified environmental projects worldwide.


Tracking
As soon as we receive a new shipment for you, we will notify you about the tracking code and the sender. During the forwarding of a shipment a new tracking code is automatically assigned to your shipment and will be provided to you in form of a link via email. The shipment ID is used as a reference number.

The tracking number allows you to identify and trace a shipment while it is delivered or forwarded. You can use this number to find out the current status or to verify the delivery of your shipment.

Links to online tracking our carriers:


Notification
There are many steps from the moment you place an order until you actually receive it. Our service is right in the middle of this chain. That's why we want to inform you about every important step like receiving or sending your shipment. In addition, there are things we need to know from you to get everything going.

Regular notification

This is an overview of the process in general and the important steps we notify you about:

  1. As soon as a shipment is delivered to our warehouse, we identify the Krautbox ID and add it to the corresponding Krautbox space. This is where you'll get your first notification. It is the shipment received email which tells you that there has something new arrived for you.
    Within this first email you'll find a link to the next step of our proforma or commercial invoice form.
  2. After we've received your completed proforma invoice, we will confirm you the reception in our invoice added email including a link to define the next step which will either be for you to choose on of our shipping options or the consolidation of the corresponding shipment. You will be able to select different types of shipping, to upgrade insurance and choose additional services.
  3. As a next step, you will receive the shipment edited email which will show all billing details and includes payment link . If you want to change, revise or add services you can always go back to the previous step and redefine your shipping details. Please note that payment is always in advance.
  4. Finally you will receive a shipment sent notification including tracking information.
Reminders
We also send out some reminder e-mails if necessary.
Sometimes a shipment may be forgotten and we notify you with another shipment received e-mail. Or the payment is due and we make a payment reminder.
If you reach your maximum storage capacity or time we keep you informed with a note about the possible exceedance of storage capacity or time.

Additional services
In addition to the basic forwarding we offer more advanced services to choose from. Prices for additional services can be found on our forwarding page. Additional services can be ordered by using the shipping options form or the consolidation form.

Picture of the parcel and content
If a shipment is received in your Krautbox at our warehouse you'll get your first notification. This notification will contain a picture of the outside of the parcel. The picture shows the size, label and general condition. This service is free of charge and is intended to help you to identify a shipment and to check the condition of the outer packing.

As an additional service we will send you pictures of the content on your request.

Scan of documents
The scan of documents is limited to a size of A3 paper (29,7 × 42,0cm). The scanned document will be provided as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file format via email.

Removal of documents
This services covers the removal of invoices, magazines, promotion, advertising or samples. This way you can easily remove documents if you do not want the recipient to get them.

Consolidation

The consolidation of shipments can significantly reduce your shipping costs by combining received parcels or letters into one single shipment. To calculate the best way of consolidation country specific limitations of weight and dimensions have to be considered. Find helpful information in the Shipping Calculator.

As soon as you have completed the invoice, you will receive the invoice added email as confirmation, including a link redirecting you to the consolidation form.
The consolidation form helps you to combine received parcels and letters into one shipment. Similar to the shipping options form you will be able to define the destination address and to choose the type of shipment, e.g. Economy, Premium and Express or Registered Mail. In addition, you will be able to select among various services like insurance, removal of documents or repacking. Choose the services you would like to use and we will make you an offer.
To change the consolidation options just follow the link a second time to select services and you will receive a new offer.


Repacking
Repacking will be necessary if a parcel is poorly packed or it is not sortable by exceeding the shipping limitations. The repacking service covers needed packing material and the packing itself. We fix the packing of shipments for you so that your delivery reaches the destination in the expected condition.
Also bulky goods and/or overweight can be repacked or split up to fit the country specific shipping limitations.

Pickup at the warehouse
If you want, you can pick up your parcel from our warehouse for a service fee within our business hours.
Please contact our customer service to arrange a pickup date and time.

Disposal
If we have received letters and magazines you do not want to have forwarded, we will be happy to recycle them for you for a service fee.

Shopping assistance
This service will save you time and money. The shopping assistance will help you to order products within the EU and to have them forwarded internationally. The service will be charged with a percentage share of the total purchase price. Have a look at prices in the additional services section.

To use this service, we will need the following information from you:

  • Name of the web shop which offers the article you want to buy
  • Name of the article (including details like colour, size or any other aspect which could be changed)
  • Price of the article
  • URL of the article within the web shop where you want to buy it

After we received this information, we will ask you to confirm we buy the product. Once we received the payment, MyKrautbox will purchase the product for you. You will be notified once the product has been delivered to us.

The shopping assistance will give you access to various online shops selling in the EU. Certain German online shops only accept payments from German accounts or with a German credit card. Foreign customers have little opportunity to buy from these sellers. The shopping assistance will solve that problem. Feel free to contact us for specific questions and requests.

Claims guide

All claims for loss or damage must be made within 30 days from the shipping date. To submit a claim please send an email to service@mykrautbox. Please note, delays can only be claimed by using Express service.

Please provide the required documentation listed:

Documentation required
Damage
Loss
Delay
Pictures of damage
yes
no
no
Pictures of all packing
yes
no
no
Proof of value for all items sent
yes
yes
no
Proof of shipping (e.g. copy waybill)
yes
yes
yes

FAQ

(1) Do I need an account to receive and send a parcel with MyKrautBox?

In order to benefit from our services, you have to register with us first. We cannot receive shipments of non-registered people. Find helpful information on how to register here. MyKrautbox accepts customers worldwide who have reached the age of 18, unless you appear on a global sanctions list.

(2) Does your service exclusively offer a PO box address?

Most courier services do not deliver to PO boxes. That is why MyKrautbox provides you a full street address instead of a PO box address. At your personal Krautbox ID you will be able to receive letters or parcels.

(3) How to calculate shipping costs?

To find out the shipping rates, please follow the instructions given in the forwarding section.

(4) What payment options does MyKrautbox offer?

MyKrautbox accepts the payment methods PayPal and Wire transfer. All payments for our service have to be made in advance. Learn more.

(5) Are there any items I can`t receive or send with MyKrautbox?

In general, all shipments which may cause injury or infection to people or damage to property are rejected. Please check our full excluded goods list.

(6) What are the parcel size and weight limits?

For the reception of a parcel certain limitations of weight and dimension have to be considered. A parcel needs to weigh less than 31kg or it will be classified as overweight. A parcel that exceeds the dimensions of 120 x 60 x 60cm or the girth of 300cm will be classified as bulky goods. Only shipments sent as in the letter form and containing documents or printed material only will be charged with an admission fee for letters.This only applies for the reception of letter. You will be able to ship everything as a letter as long the following limitations will not be exceeded: combined dimensions 90cm, longest side 60cm and max. weight 1000g. Get helpful information about limitations during the reception here.

(7) From what countries can I order?

Only shipments sent from within the European Union will be accepted at your Krautbox. Shipments sent from outside the EU will be rejected.

(8) Why is the receiver being asked to pay customs duties and taxes?

Duties and taxes only apply to parcels travelling outside the EU and not all goods are subject to these charges. The customs authorities in the destination country determine whether any duties and taxes are applicable when the parcel arrives. All international shipments are sent under Incoterm DAP – Delivered at Place (named place of destination). Duties are not paid by the exporter under this term, the receiver is the one who is responsible for paying them. Get Answers to your customs paperwork questions at the documents & declaration section.

(9) How do I insure my letter or parcel?

A registered mail is insured up to a value of 50,00€ and a tracking code will be provided. All letters forwarded outside of the EU have to be sent as registered mail. A registered mail is insured up to a value of 50,00€ and automatically will be provided with a tracking code. All letters forwarded outside of the EU have to be sent as registered mail. All parcels sent with MyKrautbox are covered by a free insurance of up to 500,00€. For most countries it is possible to upgrade the insurance up to a value of 2.500,00€. You will be able to choose an insurance upgrade when you choose the shipping option. You will find more information about insurance here.

(10) What time will my parcel be delivered by?

Depending on the shipping option you chose, e.g. Economy, Premium or Express the estimated transit time varies. Get helpful information on transit times in our Shipping Calculator.

(11) Where can I find Terms and Conditions?

Terms and Conditions of Carriage are available under terms

We help you to shop your products. You tell us what you want and we take care of the rest.

More information in the learn section.

(12) How do I make a claim?

If you need to make a claim for a lost or damaged parcel, please be aware of the time periods and methods in which claims must be submitted in order to be considered. Get helpful information on how to submit a claim.

(13) Can I pick the shipment(s) up by myself?

Yes, this is possible. Pickup at the warehouse (per shipment) : 4,90 EUR

Terms and Conditions of Carriage are available under terms

We help you to shop your products. You tell us what you want and we take care of the rest.

More information in the learn section.